INBOX INSPIRATIONS
October 30, 2024
Tell the Truth - 1
Dear Friends,
When I was a child, probably around five or six years-old, my mother once said to me: “Michael, never tell me a lie because I can see it all over your face.” Maybe mom said that because I had just lied about something, and she knew it.
Well, mom was right in what she said to me. I have come to know that my facial expression gives away what is going on inside me – what I am really thinking or feeling as sometimes opposed to what I am saying. I suppose I would be a bad poker player! Importantly, mom’s warning also helped to teach me right from wrong when it comes to telling the truth.
The basis for the Christian teaching against lying is the Eighth Commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20). The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that we humans tend by nature toward the truth. This is because God speaks the truth to us and we are made in the image and likeness of God. We are being most like what we are created to be when we tell the truth.
Saint Augustine briefly and pointedly says this. “A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving.” Lying is a failure in justice especially if it is intended to deceive or manipulate others into thinking and acting in ways that they would not have otherwise done. It is an offense against charity. It is disrespectful of others. And lying is destructive of society. It undermines trust among people and tears apart the fabric of relationships that should bind us together.
The obligation to tell the truth and not falsehood lies upon each one of us. Additionally, journalists and civic authorities have a special responsibility for the common good of society. They need to be careful to communicate what is true. The Catechism of the Catholic Churchstates that “Nothing can justify recourse to disinformation for manipulating public opinion through the media.”
Lying is a sin. If it has serious consequences and seriously injures individuals or society as a whole, it is a serious (mortal) sin.
I will say more about the importance of telling the truth next week.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
November 6, 2024
Tell the Truth – 2
Dear Friends,
Lying is a sin. Deliberately or thoughtlessly speaking an untruth is a sin. If doing this has serious consequences or seriously injures individuals or society as a whole, it is a serious (mortal) sin.
Saint Paul is very clear and to the point about telling the truth. “So, stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body” (Ephesians 4:25). Paul sees us all as connected and parts of the same body, the living body of Christ on this earth. By extension, I see Paul’s statement as including even those who are not baptized or Christian, since Christ’s love and saving action is intended for all humanity. Accordingly, we are to respect one another by not lying and by being truthful.
Lying is harmful for a variety of reasons.
Ø Lies can damage trust in relationships. This is true of all relationships, whether personal or professional. Trust, once injured, can be very difficult to rebuild.
Ø Lies can hurt another person emotionally. They can lead another to feel betrayed, deceived, and manipulated.
Ø One lie often leads to another lie. This can create a web of deception that is unhealthy for the person telling the lie and for those who are its objects. And, by the way, the word objects is accurate because lying treats the other as an object and not as a person who deserves respect.
Ø Lying can damage the reputation of another. This is serious because it is often difficult to restore our reputation once it has been injured. In the long run, lying will also damage the reputation of the one who tells the falsehood.
Ø Telling the truth is a moral or ethical value. Lying can lead to an erosion of morals or ethics in general. It can lead to an overall disregard for the well-being of others.
Ø Lying can tear apart the spiritual fabric that holds a family or community or even a nation together. It undermines relationships. It can lead to a very self-focused, self-centered environment that can become destructive.
The bottom line is that truthfulness leads to and is part of integrity. We are called to expect this of ourselves and we have a right to expect this of others also.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
No comments:
Post a Comment