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The 8th Commandment


"Men could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another. The virtue of truth gives another his just due. Truthfulness keeps to the just mean between what ought to be expressed and what ought to be kept secret: it entails honesty and discretion. In justice, as a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth." - CCC 2469

This is a passage from the catechism that I grew up with, that of a Catholic. It's most difficult message to grasp is that truth entails discretion. Yet, the objective is to create justice. The best example that I can think of to make the case for discretion is in the legal world in cases which a jury can't be successfully selected due to prejudice created by negative media towards the person being tried. It's also difficult to rely on testimony about details regarding the case if those details are made public.

Discretion doesn't apply when there hasn't already been a wrong doing. Contrarily, truthfulness is necessary to impede the wrongdoing to begin with. Let's now refer to a separate passage from the same catechism:

"Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. the person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.” - CCC 2284

From my experience, shedding light on truth and/or maintaining discretion can both lend way to controversy. I'm convinced that the enemies' pure objective is to create controversy! The enemy will use which ever end is the one that appears to be the one with a higher success rate. If you're a discrete person that respects privacy, the enemy will stain your honorable demeanor by sharing information with you that later, upon an unexpected twist of events maneuvered by the enemy, makes you appear dishonorable. In contrast, If you're vocal about everything, the enemy will use you to spread rumors against the innocent.

Its important to be in a permanent prayer with our Creator through the Holy Spirit. This will strengthen you no matter what controversy you find yourself having to endure.


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