Speaking Truthfully

This essay, taken with permission from the book Let's Talk About Truth (Ave Maria Press, 2020) examines truthfulness in communication, distinguishing between having a mind aligned with reality and having words aligned with one's thoughts. Drawing on Thomas Aquinas, it argues that truthful communication is essential for community and communion, requiring alignment between inner thoughts and spoken words. The author, Ann Garrido, explores the balance between sharing appropriately (neither too much nor too little) and communicating with charity. Key topics include when lying might be justifiable, the problem of hypocrisy as misalignment between words and actions, and the Christian obligation to advocate for truthfulness in society. The essay emphasizes that truthful communication, guided by justice and love, enables genuine relationship-building and societal functioning.

This sermon uses Jesus's healing command "ephphatha" (be open) to explore truthful speech. Drawing on Greek concept "parrhesia" - frank, dangerous truth-telling to power - the preacher connects this to Jesus and Paul as truth-tellers. Addressing Catholic Church abuse scandals, the sermon calls for becoming a "confessing church" rather than secret-keeping, emphasizing collective responsibility for institutional sins and the need for public penance, transparency, and authentic truth-telling as Christian duty.

Using Luke's account of Jesus reading Isaiah, the preacher examines how Jesus omitted vengeance from his message, disappointing crowds who expected violent revolution. This connects to modern political rhetoric, emphasizing integrity between words and actions while serving the common good rather than echoing anger. The sermon concludes with Ukrainian translator Natalia Dmitruk's act of defiance during fraudulent elections, illustrating how truthful voices can inspire justice movements and embody gospel values.

This sermon explores the prevalence of lying in daily life and contrasts it with Jesus's embodiment of truth before Pilate. Fr. Foley argues that like Pilate, we often "wash our hands" of inconvenient truths. He calls Christians to live authentic truth through love of neighbor, even when costly.

This philosophical reflection argues that truth remains a fundamental value across cultures and throughout history. Drawing from Greek philosophy, Roman thought, and Christian theology, the author contends that truth is essential for meaningful relationships, just society, and spiritual life. The piece warns against "post-truth" attitudes that undermine moral and civil order.

This article by Annelise Jolley, published by the John Templeton Foundation, explores "magnanimous humility"—a virtue where knowledgeable people choose not to exercise their intellectual superiority, instead lowering their status to engage humbly with those who hold different truths. Unlike self-accepting humility (acknowledging limits), magnanimous humility maintains convictions while fostering genuine dialogue through generous listening and understanding others' perspectives as "true, good, and beautiful."

Fr. Goergen explores truth as something we must live and embody, not just know intellectually. Drawing on Gandhi's example and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' insights, it emphasizes that seeking truth requires honest conversation, humility, and listening to others. Truth-seeking is collaborative, requiring us to step outside our own perspectives through respectful dialogue.

This essay is a resource for those concerned with logical fallacies—false arguments that appear sound and true but aren't logically valid. It categorizes fallacies by how they mislead: faulty conclusions (hasty generalizations), false attributions (stereotyping), ambiguous language (circular reasoning, equivocation), emotional manipulation (personal attacks, appeals to popular opinion), false choices (black-and-white thinking), and structural errors (flawed if-then logic). The goal is helping people identify and avoid fallacies to pursue truth through clearer reasoning.

This Dominican reflection explores Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer" from John 17, focusing on his plea to "consecrate them in the truth." The author argues that "truth" has been corrupted in modern times, becoming a tool of power rather than genuine meaning. Drawing from Thomas Aquinas and Dominican tradition, they offer three definitions: truth as aligning one's mind with reality, truth as honest speech, and truth as faithful relationship. The piece calls for reclaiming truth's authentic meaning.

Jeremiah's question highlights God's focus on practical truthfulness in people's lives. The prophet depicted a society riddled with deceit, leading to broken trust, infidelity, and denial of God's hand. In contrast, God values and approves of sincerity and genuine faith. Truthful individuals, though sometimes hidden, have a powerful influence, capable of securing God's favor and even impacting communities. Hypocrisy is futile and harmful, while truthfulness is essential for genuine connection with God and others.