In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, the Reverend Hale tries to persuade John Proctor to give a false confession and save his life while his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, persuades him to tell the truth even if it means death. While confession meant time in jail, denying witchcraft after being accused meant death by hanging. While many people believed that confessing in order to save one's life was what God would prefer, other people argued that these actions would not be justified by God. During the accusations of witchcraft of John Proctor, the Reverend Hale tried to persuade Proctor to confess, while Elizabeth Proctor tried to persuade him to keep his good name even if it meant death.

Reverend Hale tries to persuade Proctor to confess when he suggests, ."..it may well be that God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away...