Are you hated for telling the truth?

[isabella1]

The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter


Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 16:1-10
Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5
John 15:18-21



A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. (John 15:20)

Today Christ speaks to us more loudly and clearly than ever before. Nearly two thousand years ago He was hated for telling the truth, but now we live in an age that has lost any sense of absolute truth and has reinvented a value system based upon the world's views -- self-gratification, selfishness, self-seeking and self-will. These have caused many to become ravenous for pleasure, money, possessions, and power -- while dismissing those values promoting fairness and self-giving. Moral "myopia" has made us comfortable with perversions of both truth and love.

For example, a human life is disposable if it comes about through an unfortunate error. Several states have legalized same-sex marriages in the name of equality by qualifying partners to pension and insurance benefits. The reproductive act has become a loveless, sterile interlude to satisfy lust. Families face extinction through single-parent homes or children being shuttled between two angry, resentful people.


Prayer for today:
O God our Father, through the love and truth that You have made clear to us through Your Son, help us to see and to live in the true meaning of freedom and justice. Amen.

 

[kisstheson]

yes I have often had stones cast at me for standing up for the truth.

Thanks for the meditation.

 

[JoabAnias]

All the time.

Thats why my days are numbered.

 

[benedictaoo]

what do you think?

of course I am...

 

[Antigone]

Truth is a relative thing, but...haven't we all?

 

[benedictaoo]

Truth is a relative thing, but...haven't we all?

No... truth is not relative. If it's subjective then it's not truth.

 

[Antigone]

No... truth is not relative. If it's subjective then it's not truth.

There is very little in this world that is objectively true, and any of those things are unlikely to get you into an argument. Grass is green, ripe tomatoes are red, the latin name for willow is salix. That sort of thing. Anything beyond that is open for debate. Your truth may not be someone else's truth.

 

[kisstheson]

"I AM the Way, the TRUTH and the Life." John 14:6

Jesus is absolute truth.

 

[Antigone]

"I AM the Way, the TRUTH and the Life." John 14:6

Jesus is absolute truth.

To you. Not to an atheist.

Look, faith isn't a fact, it's faith. The challenge, especially in today's world of seeing = believing, is believing in something you can never prove. That's a lot harder than believing that grass is green. That's why it's called faith.

But that's a philosophical debate best left to another thread.

Unsubscribing.

 

[benedictaoo]

Jesus Christ is truth. Objective reality. if an atheist does not believe this reality- this reality, that Christ is who He is, does not cease.

 

[benedictaoo]

There is very little in this world that is objectively true, and any of those things are unlikely to get you into an argument. Grass is green, ripe tomatoes are red, the latin name for willow is salix. That sort of thing. Anything beyond that is open for debate. Your truth may not be someone else's truth.

Jesus is the Truth.

 

[BillH]

Yeah, but sometimes I think I'm just hated for being a jerk.

 

[isabella1]

I was chuckling as I was reading comments and thinking, I bet not one of us really is completely walking in truthfulness. Not if we are being honest with ourselves.

Sometimes even when we answer a persons question, we tell a lie in our answer back, just because we were not quick in thinking of the honest response, and the question may of came as a surprise to us. And we just answered without thinking.

This just happened at work today. A person who considers themselves a good Christian did this exact thing. And then said what she did out loud, because she couldn't believe she actually did that. We all laughed about it, but still, it happens even when we try our hardest to always do and say the right thing.

As I reflected on my OP this jumped out at me, "now we live in an age that has lost any sense of absolute truth and has reinvented a value system based upon the world's views -- self-gratification, selfishness, self-seeking and self-will."

It really got me thinking. We are all selfish at times, no one tells the absolute truth, we seek acceptance all the time and want others to accept us so we bend our own rules just to be accepted, liked or whatever. Which is the worlds way. Maybe we don't jeopardizing our beliefs, but jeopardizing little things along the way that add up.

Just an observation I had from today, and then remembered what I posted this morning.

 

[MariaRegina]

No... truth is not relative. If it's subjective then it's not truth.

Amen. Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

 

[NewMan99]

I don't know if I am hated, but I know that Jesus is hated anytime anyone speaks the truth.

 

[MariaRegina]

The devil surely hates the Truth.

Is that whom you are referring to, NewMan?

Have you read Screwtape Letters or Perelandra, both by C.S. Lewis?

 

[JoabAnias]

Yeah, but sometimes I think I'm just hated for being a jerk.

. Yea, that too.