Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Human Respect
A good friend of mine and I have recently been having a discussion about the vice of human respect. Human Respect basically means not saying the truth out of fear of offending someone. It is crazy to think that it is ever justified to withhold the truth of God because of someones feelings. Just today someone I don't even know sent me a very angry e-mail because of a comment I made on Facebook. A girl I know posted that she is having a bad day and looking for a reason to not get drunk. The reason I gave her is that God would rather she didn't. Accord to the girl who e-mailed me, that was very insensitive and I should apologize. Why would I ever apologize for encouraging someone in the truth? I have seen instances though where someone does state the truth in a way that appears unloving. We have to balance never be afraid to preach the gospel but at the same time not be offensive in a way that will turn someone off to the Lord. Mother Theresa was the master of this. Even if people did not like what she had to say, they respected her. I guess if one day I am as holy as her I will be capable of this too. Maybe in the meantime it is better to risk offense then hide God. Souls are thirsting for God. We can get upset and fight it but ultimately it is what we long for in the depths of our souls.
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If there's one thing I commended a new friend of mine for recently, it was her zeal for the faith, and the fact that she did not hesitate to speak the truth. She inspired me because she was not afraid to speak out about modesty and striving for the highest ideals of this virtue.
She hardly knew me but was not afraid to stick to what she knew to be true in a discussion. Even if we don't immediately see a reception of the truth, someday, that person may recall what we said to them, and see the light that is the truth of Christ.
There are certainly differences between St. Francis, and St. John the Baptist, but John the Baptist is a saint, and he had no qualms speaking the truth. That's for sure.
My husband and I had this same concern a couple of years ago, and spoke to a priest about it. We were warned about being very prayerful and prudent in discussing controversial subjects with certain people, especially those close to us. Of course, we are called to defend the truth, there is no doubt about this. In many cases however, it is much more prudent to preach the truth through our actions, rather than jump into a discussion. I think that is one of the reasons why Mother Teresa was always so respected-- no one doubted that she lived what she preached. I think that we just need to be aware of who we are speaking to, as to not enter an argument that can become unloving, or a temptation to sin on either side.
Little Monkey, I'm sorry that this person does not see your statement for what it is, one of love. The Lord said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." St. Paul also asked, "So then, I have become your enemy for telling you the truth?" (Gal 4:16).
It is true that actions can at times be far more powerful than words, but our problem today, is not that too many people speak the truth of Christ in an imprudent fashion. It is quite the opposite. One of the best ways to love someone is to share the truth with them.
This does not mean speaking harshly, it simply means expressing the truth. If someone is offended, then the saying, "those who don't repent, resent," applies. We must gage each situation as it presents itself, but the opportunity to express the gospel should not be stifled by a fear of offending someone. What we should gage instead is, should that person be offended or not? Darkness will always be offended by light (John 1:5) and Our Lord and St Paul also tell us that if we speak the truth, we will be persecuted as they both were (2 Tim 3:12). If what we are saying is true, there is no need to worry.
Mother Theresa was respected, but not liked by all. She spoke the truth, despite liberal audiences. I'm sure there were many who were offended by her commencement address at Harvard in 1982. She spoke of the lack of respect for life, chastity, and so on, and expressed the love of Christ in a strong, yet loving way. She may seem to be loved by the world, but she faced many people throughout her life who did not like what she had to say and spoke against her. President Clinton, and his wife, for example, would not even acknowledge her existence with a hello at the Catholic Prayer Breakfast. They just turned and walked away after asking in her speech, "Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child." And followed with, "It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
If we are being persecuted for speaking the truth, we have the solace that the Lord and His saints were as well.
I think the response that God condemns it is a little like a parent saying not to do something "because I said so." If God condemns something, there's a reason behind it. It's up to us as Christians to discern and articulate those reasons to a culture that doesn't always believe as we do. I struggle to do that myself so I know it's not easy, but in the long run, it's worth the effort.
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