My brothers and sisters: America welcomes your comments. When making comments, I implore you to heed the principle message of our recent editorial [3] and converse with one another in a spirit of fraternal charity and humility. I ask this not simply in the spirit of the editorial, but in the spirit of the Gospel that inspired it. We can disagree, of course, but a discourse based on Gospel values will avoid:

1. Casting aspersions on the motives of our brothers and sisters.

2. Scapegoating.

3. Engaging in hyperbole or exaggeration.

4. Anonymity.

5. Hopelessness. 

Christians must never be afraid to speak the truth. But we must always remember that, ultimately, truth is a person and his name is Jesus Christ; He is “the way and the truth and the life.” No statement, therefore, however factually accurate it may be, can ultimately be called truthful if it is not spoken in charity.  

Matt Malone, S.J.