Articles

This essay, taken with permission from the book Let's Talk About Truth (Ave Maria Press, 2020) explores truth as both objective reality alignment and an ongoing aspiration. It critiques post-truth skepticism (doubting we can know anything) and relativism (all beliefs equally valid) while affirming that reality exists independently of our beliefs or perceptions. Author Ann Garrido emphasizes reason as God's gift for understanding reality, supporting scientific inquiry as compatible with faith. However, it acknowledges limits to knowledge-seeking when pursued through immoral means or before adequate maturity. The text calls preachers to help congregations embrace truth as both essential for survival and a lifelong practice of intellectual humility and curiosity.

This essay, taken with permission from the book Let's Talk About Truth (Ave Maria Press, 2020), explores how to form good judgments in a "post-truth" society by distinguishing between objective facts and subjective judgments. Using Chris Argyris' "Ladder of Inference" model, it explains how personal experiences, culture, and background shape how we select and interpret data to form opinions. The author, Ann Garrido, emphasizes three key principles for sound moral judgment: remaining grounded in reality, informing one's conscience through education and reflection, and considering impacts on others, especially the vulnerable. For navigating disagreements, the essay recommends assuming good intent, listening deeply, sharing reflectively from one's own perspective, and seeking divine guidance while acknowledging that resolution isn't always possible.

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 essay, taken with permission from Let's Talk About Truth (Ave Maria Press, 2020) explores truth as faithfulness in relationships, drawing on the Hebrew concept of "emet" - a word suggesting something stable and trustworthy that "stands on two legs." Unlike Greek philosophical notions of truth as correspondence to reality, biblical truth emphasizes relational fidelity. The author, Ann Garrido, distinguishes this from mere loyalty, emphasizing that being "true" means remaining trustworthy and committed even during disagreement or conflict, not uncritically supporting others' actions. The essay addresses practical challenges like prioritizing relationships within human limitations, navigating difficult relationships, and balancing fidelity with personal integrity. It emphasizes that being true in relationships requires skills for "hanging in" during disagreements while maintaining appropriate boundaries when relationships become harmful or unsustainable.

This article by Eve Tushnet explores alternative forms of Christian kinship beyond traditional marriage, including intentional communities like the Church of the Sojourners, covenant friendships, godparenting relationships, and celibate partnerships. It argues that marriage as the sole recognized adult commitment weakens possible societal bonds and that diverse forms of love and care can strengthen communities.  There are multiple lasting ways of "being true" to another.

The following poems—offered in the service of preaching about truth—highlight the depth of God’s love for us that enables us to freely love others as they are without requiring agreement.  Heller reminds readers that vulnerability, authenticity, and prayer enable us to deepen relationships and “be true” to one another even when it is difficult.

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."

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.

People often express uncertainty in their language, reflecting a broader societal reluctance to assert truths. The rejection of objective truth can initially feel liberating but, according to Hans Urs von Balthasar, ultimately leads to disorientation and a sense of meaninglessness. True freedom lies in embracing truth, which provides structure and opens us to a deeper understanding of reality and the divine.

This reflection explores the underlying reasons for humanity's desire to explore space, drawing parallels between President Trump's Mars ambition and President Kennedy's moon landing announcement. It posits that space exploration is a fundamentally human endeavor driven by a desire to encounter the inherent goodness of creation and to contemplate the Creator--i.e. the pursuit of truth. The reflection highlights the historical connection between astronomy and Christian theology, suggesting that studying the cosmos is a way to understand God's work and our place within it.