“What Is Your Religion?”

Christians are required at all times not to lie about the fact that they are Christians. Though they can mentally reserve their faith when the situation warrants, they cannot lie about it, and they are required not to deny Christ on pain of mortal sin.

Muslims, on the other hand, are allowed to lie about their faith.

There is even a technical name for this practice: Taqiyya.

As one might expect, there is considerable disagreement in the Muslim community about when one can do this. Wanna bet the terrorists are on the permissive side of the debate?

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

6 thoughts on ““What Is Your Religion?””

  1. I’m keen on learning more about this “mental reservation” business.
    Hypothetical situation:
    If terrorists capture you and demand to know if you are a Christian, could you respond by saying “I am a muslim”, since we also believe that we submit to God?
    What if they ask you to recite the Islamic profession of faith: “There is no god but Allah. And Mohammed is His Prophet.”
    I see no problem with getting throught the first clause. But the second poses obvious problems. Could one put a “mental reservation” on the word “His” by saying rather, “his”. So that, in our own minds, we are saying that Mohammed is a prophet of not God, but another “him”? Someone else…like…um…for example…just for arguments sake…the Evil One?
    Would this work to save my behind? 🙂
    Of course, if ever faced with such a situation, I hope that I’d have the courage to take the glorious route and proclaim by loyalty to Christ with all my might.
    Heck, maybe I could even ask to be crucified upside down!
    😉

  2. “What harm would there be, if a man to accomplish better things and for the sake of the Christian Church, does tell a good thumping lie” (Lenz, “Briefwechsel”, I, 382; Kolde, “Analecta”, 356), was his extenuating plea before the Hessian counsellors assembled at Eisenach (1540), a sentiment which students familiar with his words and actions will remember is in full agreement with much of his policy and many of his assertions. “We are convinced that the papacy is the seat of the real and actual Antichrist, and believe that against its deceit and iniquity everything is permitted for the salvation of souls” (De Wette, op. cit., I, 478).
    – Catholic Encyclopedia, “Martin Luther.” http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09438b.htm
    Good ol’ Martin Luther. Gotta love ‘im.

  3. Hey Jimmy, my Catechism shows that there was rewrite of some of the passages on lying:
    2483
    The second sentence of this paragraph presently reads:
    “To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead into error someone who has the right to know the truth.”
    This sentence will be modified to read:
    To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error.
    2508
    This paragraph will be changed to simply read:
    Lying consists in saying what is false with the intention of deceiving one’s neighbor.
    I think I remember you or Karl talking about this once on your show a while back but I don’t remember what you said about it.
    What happened here? Are there two schools thought on this? Is the other school of thought still legitimate?
    I’m not saying I like the first formulation better or anything (I don’t), just wondering how what seems like a substantial difference in teaching could slip in there.

  4. I’m not sure if this is true, so someone correct me if this is wrong, but I have heard that:
    1. Muslims may lie to non-Muslims on any subject but not to fellow Muslims.
    2. Muslims may break oaths and promises made to non-Muslims but not to fellow Muslims.
    3. Muslims may sell drugs and alcohol to non-Muslims for use but not to fellow Muslims for use.
    4. Muslims may encourage, procure and conduct abortions for non-Muslims but not for fellow Muslims.

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