Moral philosophers and theologians have long debated the classic moral dilemma of lying to an intruder in order to save a refugee. This dilemma presents an especially difficult challenge to those who reject consequentialist reasoning. Many contemporary defenders of Thomas Aquinas have argued that lying is never permissible under any circumstances, but none has offered a satisfactory answer to the question of what one ought to do when facing such a dilemma. I argue that there can be no morally satisfying answer to this question, because every possible action will involve some degree of sin, even if lying is the least sinful action. This should not lead us to redefine what it means to tell a lie, nor to say that lying to the intruder is a good or right action; rather, it should lead us to acknowledge the tragic dimension of life in a fallen world.

中文翻译：

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躺在门口的纳粹

道德哲学家和神学家长期以来一直在争论为保护难民而向入侵者撒谎的经典道德困境。对于那些拒绝后果论者的人来说，这一难题给他们带来了特别困难的挑战。许多当代托马斯·阿奎那捍卫者辩称，在任何情况下都绝不允许撒谎，但是没有人对当面对这样的困境时该怎么办的问题提供令人满意的答案。我认为，对这个问题没有道德上令人满意的答案，因为即使说谎是最少的罪恶行为，但每种可能的行为都会带来某种程度的犯罪。这不应该导致我们重新定义说谎的含义，也不应说对入侵者说谎是一种善举或正确的举动；相反，它应该使我们认识到堕落世界中生命的悲剧性。