Crap, I lie alot. Oh well, I'm not really religious or anything, and though you have excellent evidence in this essay, you base a lot of theories on religion and 'immortal souls' and stuff, except for the thing about doctors deceiving people. Good job anyways, you're a good essay writer!

interesting essay. very informative. nicely done.
yes, i have been talking to some pretty crappy Satanists. they like to call themselves that for some reason, so the label stuck. example: the same guy who wanted sex said 'ya technically im christian (b/c his mom is or something) but i like the devil better'. weird? yes, definitely. this person has serious issues.
yes, i am aware that many things such as the saying 'what the hell' are part of our culture. the question was there for the sole purpose of me speaking a thought that runs through my mind now and then, even when i know the answer. and using God's name in vain, same thing.
my opinions are very biased in many areas, such as religion and my attitude towards some people. i know athiests and agnostics who are very nice people, and i hav nothing against people who are non-religious.
the essay/rant (whatever) was more of a 'letting out my feelings and im ranting at someone' type thing than anything else. i have a habit of doing that.

Your education is showing.
I do not presume to critique your work when it is so clearly of research quality. I would imagine you received a good mark for this essay.

So much ambiguity... this debate is flawed from the start because everyone disagrees on morals (it's an opinion), misinformation causes lies, and chickens are evil.

No wonder I'm an atheist

A lie is NEVER more moral than the truth is; I, being raised as a Christian, have been taught that lying breaks the 9th Commandment. To relate this another way, look at the situation in Iraq; nearly the entire claim was built on multiple lies, and now look at what has happened. Whether it be what many call a "white" lie or just a flat-out lie makes no difference because at the end of the day, both are *still* lies.

On a positive note, I enjoyed reading this essay becuase you presented different POVs on the same subject. Keep writing! ^_^

Shameless Plug: SOMEBODY read "Ludacris vs. Christina Aguilera" or "Africa: A Closer Look" and R/R! Thanks!

Of course I wouldn't reveal my friend's location to a murderer! I didn't say I agreed with Kant. I just had to discuss his view. When writing essays for uni you do better if you write them the way they like you to write. They prefer that you don't say "I think..." but rather "It is argued..." or something similar. This can make it hard to see which parts the writer actually personally believes.

As to white lies like telling children Santa exists, unlike Saint Augustine and Kant, I never actually absolutely ruled out lying. I just said that in weighing the consequences, good and bad, that will come of a lie, the lie itself must first be weighed negatively.

would you seriously reveal to a killer where his intended victim is located?
is this not more immoral then telling the truth?
in some cases, lying can be *more* moral then telling the truth.
however, there are some cases where a lie is told just to make someone happy, such as the storys told to children (santa claus, the tooth fairy etc) which could be very upsetting.
if the lie was never told, there would be no upset.
it is also my view that people of religion rely on blind faith in lies, (what is known as "enthroned lies"), and this type of lie can in some cases be very dangerous. (think of the 9/11 attacks).

the phrase "honesty is the best policy" is true to a certain extent.
but, as already said, lies can sometimes be more moral.

You make the distinction that lying destroys the "social trust" and "imbues society with feelings of insecturity, mistrust and fear". But telling the truth tear apart society as well. Human pride is a fragile thing and some of us may not understand nor appreciate the truth because it is harsh and disturbing. Some of us may prefer to live in illusion, because it is what makes them happy. Truth would destroy that illusion.
Think of a child's innocence. His parents may tell him that Santa will give him gifts if he behaves. This obviously is a lie. But is it really for the worse? The parents merely wish to shield the child from the unpleasant truth and retain his own childhood. The child will eventually discover the truth, and that may upset him more than the lie ever did.