Speaking Charitably AND Truthfully

As a result of Kathy's thread, "Professionalism and the Internet" it occurs to me that there may be confusion about what should and what should not be presented here on this forum.

Often many things spoken are immediately viewed and measured with a "charity lens". Perhaps there is some confusion that needs to be addressed.

First, we need to understand what charity means.

This is the definition from NewAdvent dictionary.

Charity and Charities - In its widest and highest sense, charity includes love of God as well as love of man.

Charity, Theological Virtue of - The third and greatest of the Divine virtues enumerated by St. Paul (1 Corinthians 13:13), usually called charity, defined: a divinely infused habit, inclining the human will to cherish God for his own sake above all things, and man for the sake of God.

This is also reflected in Meriam.
1 : benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity

My concern is that people think we should not say anything here that would:

1 hurt someones feelings
2 go against someones opinion or belief
3 debate

Charity has nothing to do with these things. In fact, we are about bringing people along to the Church's mind and heart in a way that does not throw them off, but challenges them to come to Christ. In other words, It is not necessarily the point being expressed as much as the delivery, choice of words, and the spirit in which it is spoken and to whom and how it is directed.

Carrying out "conversations" on a forum is tricky because you loose the personal, human element that occurs through the spoken voice, the eye contact, etc.

Secondly, we all need to be able to speak truthfully. If something said is difficult to accept, it may be because it is a challenge to your own thinking, belief, philosophy, etc. Do not take it as a personal afront.

I do not take comments personally here. I try to see what the person is thinking-not project what they may be thinking "about me".

We all fail in being charitable in how we speak, and it is a skill that we all need to better acquire, and I speak first for myself. But let us not loose the beauty of speaking the truth to one another in love.

I leave you with Pauls exhortation to the Ephesians who struggled with this very thing.

English Latin
4 1 I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called: obsecro itaque vos ego vinctus in Domino ut digne ambuletis vocatione qua vocati estis
4 2 With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. cum omni humilitate et mansuetudine cum patientia subportantes invicem in caritate
4 3 Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. solliciti servare unitatem spiritus in vinculo pacis
4 4 One body and one Spirit: as you are called in one hope of your calling. unum corpus et unus spiritus sicut vocati estis in una spe vocationis vestrae
4 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism. unus Dominus una fides unum baptisma
4 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all. unus Deus et Pater omnium qui super omnes et per omnia et in omnibus nobis
4 7 But to every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the giving of Christ. unicuique autem nostrum data est gratia secundum mensuram donationis Christi
4 8 Wherefore he saith: Ascending on high, he led captivity captive: he gave gifts to men. propter quod dicit ascendens in altum captivam duxit captivitatem dedit dona hominibus
4 9 Now that he ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? quod autem ascendit quid est nisi quia et descendit primum in inferiores partes terrae
4 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens: that he might fill all things. qui descendit ipse est et qui ascendit super omnes caelos ut impleret omnia
4 11 And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors: et ipse dedit quosdam quidem apostolos quosdam autem prophetas alios vero evangelistas alios autem pastores et doctores
4 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the word of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii in aedificationem corporis Christi
4 13 Until we all meet into the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ: donec occurramus omnes in unitatem fidei et agnitionis Filii Dei in virum perfectum in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi
4 14 That henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive. ut iam non simus parvuli fluctuantes et circumferamur omni vento doctrinae in nequitia hominum in astutia ad circumventionem erroris
4 15 But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the head, even Christ: veritatem autem facientes in caritate crescamus in illo per omnia qui est caput Christus
4 16 From whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together, by what every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in charity. ex quo totum corpus conpactum et conexum per omnem iuncturam subministrationis secundum operationem in mensuram uniuscuiusque membri augmentum corporis facit in aedificationem sui in caritate
4 17 This then I say and testify in the Lord: That henceforward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind: hoc igitur dico et testificor in Domino ut iam non ambuletis sicut gentes ambulant in vanitate sensus sui
4 18 Having their understanding darkened: being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts. tenebris obscuratum habentes intellectum alienati a vita Dei per ignorantiam quae est in illis propter caecitatem cordis ipsorum
4 19 Who despairing have given themselves up to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness. qui desperantes semet ipsos tradiderunt inpudicitiae in operationem inmunditiae omnis in avaritia
4 20 But you have not so learned Christ: vos autem non ita didicistis Christum
4 21 If so be that you have heard him and have been taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus: si tamen illum audistis et in ipso edocti estis sicut est veritas in Iesu
4 22 To put off, according to former conversation, the old man, who is corrupted according to the desire of error. deponere vos secundum pristinam conversationem veterem hominem qui corrumpitur secundum desideria erroris
4 23 And be renewed in spirit of your mind: renovamini autem spiritu mentis vestrae
4 24 And put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth. et induite novum hominem qui secundum Deum creatus est in iustitia et sanctitate veritatis
4 25 Wherefore, putting away lying, speak ye the truth, every man with his neighbour. For we are members one of another. propter quod deponentes mendacium loquimini veritatem unusquisque cum proximo suo quoniam sumus invicem membra
4 26 Be angry: and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger. irascimini et nolite peccare sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram
4 27 Give not place to the devil. nolite locum dare diabolo
4 28 He that stole, let him now steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him that suffereth need. qui furabatur iam non furetur magis autem laboret operando manibus quod bonum est ut habeat unde tribuat necessitatem patienti
4 29 Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth: but that which is good, to the edification of faith: that it may administer grace to the hearers. omnis sermo malus ex ore vestro non procedat sed si quis bonus ad aedificationem oportunitatis ut det gratiam audientibus
4 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. et nolite contristare Spiritum Sanctum Dei in quo signati estis in die redemptionis
4 31 Let all bitterness and anger and indignation and clamour and blasphemy be put away from you, with all malice. omnis amaritudo et ira et indignatio et clamor et blasphemia tollatur a vobis cum omni malitia
4 32 And be ye kind one to another: merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ. estote autem invicem benigni misericordes donantes invicem sicut et Deus in Christo donavit nobis.