Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site hou2e.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!hou2e!gv From: gv@hou2e.UUCP (G.VANNUCCI) Newsgroups: net.kids Subject: Re: Truth Message-ID: <512@hou2e.UUCP> Date: Thu, 14-Mar-85 11:41:12 EST Article-I.D.: hou2e.512 Posted: Thu Mar 14 11:41:12 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 15-Mar-85 03:42:03 EST References: , <166@unc.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 21 Frank Silbermann writes: > We don't want to teach our kids to be fanatics about telling the truth. > After all, sometimes lying is very convenient. The trick is teaching > the child to tell the truth to us, the parents, not that the child > should necessarily tell the truth to everybody else all the time. Yes !! Lying is sometimes very "convenient" !! So are a lot of other actions that are morally wrong. If you teach your children that ethical principles are there just ot be disregarded when convenient, well... why teach them at all. In my opinion it is very important to teach your children that you should do what you think is right, even (and especially) when it is inconvenient. As a matter of fact I think that *all* people, children and adults alike, should follow that code of behavior. I also find it peculiarly incongruous to try to teach kids to lie when convenient but not to lie to their parents, even when convenient. I think Mr. Silbermannn may be in for some surprises when his kids grow up, if that is his strategy. G. Vannucci, AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel