Q. 1. What is the "Jocose Lie?"

A. 1. The Jocose lie consists of a story that is made up for the purpose of amusing or instructing others. It is a sin to tell this kind of story when the person telling the story does not make it clear that it must not be taken literally.

In some story telling traditions, the humor from such stories involves the storyteller's insistence that the story is the absolute truth, even when all evidence points to the contrary. Such persistence results in the storyteller committing a sin.

Example: The story teller makes up a story about the past of the Mayor who it is alleged was once a hardcore criminal, having killed people. No effort is made to tell the people that none of it is true. Such is a sin because it damages the reputation of the Mayor and leads to the spreading of false rumours.