Credibility important

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To the Editor:
Two letters to the editor have recently addressed the language and tone of those writing (electronically, usually) about the church and persons in the church. I agree with both, but I think the problem lies as much with us as the columns and blogs.
We do not take the time to consider whether the writer is credible and has done the necessary homework. We don’t go back to the Bible, encyclicals, pastoral letters or, in many cases, the full text of someone who is being quoted. My personal experience is not that of the whole church and, unless I actually check, what I think I know about the history of the church and people is often wrong. There is a reason the Holy Father’s writings have tons of footnotes
Another problem is selective reading. If I only read the writings of those I know share my ideas, I become like a horse with blinders, able to see only the narrowest view. Missing the big picture, I also miss the context and broader implications.
Coarse language has no place, and bearing false witness has been a sin for a long time. We are too often complicit in the problem.
Glenn Leach
St. Ann Parish, Long Grove


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