¶ … Truth

Such brutal examples of truth-telling only sound brutal because of the way that they are framed in the above-mentioned example. Take the example of the abused friend. Even a six-year-old child must know about 'good touching' and 'bad touching' so the child will make the parent aware if the child is being abused. Surely the child should be told that their friend is being touched in a negative manner? It would be more hurtful to the child's welfare to pretend that 'all grown-ups are good and can be trusted.' Santa Claus is 'real' -- a real embodiment of a cultural ideal about the beauty of self-sacrificing love for children! Even Socrates in his Republic does not believe that children should be educated in exactly the same way as adults. Rather the younger generation should be taught in a way that it can understand. This practice will guide children to greater philosophical truth and give children the intellectual implements to become truth-seekers. Learning how to ask the right questions, finding out the truth one's self means that a person should not be diverted onto a path of lies, like telling a child that his or her friend just fell down.

As for the example of the Christian parents -- in their belief system they believe that they are telling their adolescent the truth when they say that God exists, just as surely as Nietzsche believes that God is dead. They can affirm their faith to their child, but they cannot force him or her to believe in God. The truth, in this case, is subjective, and what is 'true' is that the parents believe in God and the adolescent does not believe in God (or doubts), and to force him to say that he does believe in God without question would be a lie. To force the child to lie would even be wrong according to the parents' own belief structure, as believing in God for a Christian is more than simply mouthing words or obeying the protocols of a ritual. So, yes, one should always tell the truth -- but be mindful of how the truth is conveyed, and the subjective nature of truth.