As we all know, there is more than one way to fall into sin.

Even for a particular sin.

You can actually COMMIT that sin yourself, or you can advise or encourage someone else to do so.

So let's take anger for an example.

Does everyone realize that inciting someone else to anger is a sin? Because you don't know what they'll do when they're angry -- they might sin. Stoking the passions of another person for no good reason is being the opposite of a "peacemaker", and is sinful.

Therefore, being a "button-pusher", a teaser, troll, etc. on a forum would also be sinful. You're inciting HUMAN BEINGS to anger. As a far-from-perfect men said in the past,
"There are actual human beings behind the screen names. The screen names on here aren't items of artificial intelligence. This isn't a video game."

I think we all need to keep this in mind. Each screen name you read on here represents a real, living, breathing person. Someone God created for the sole purpose of loving and glorifying Him forever in Heaven. An immortal soul for whom Christ shed His Blood and died on the cross.

Matthew

I should say though - I have encountered people on other forums who deliberately say things because they intend to hurt and draw people into arguments.

I know how they can make a forum uncomfortable or too vexing to linger in. Not because people (like me) were drawn into arguments, but because it seemed like every thread was a continuation of the same argument.

At which point I do agree, people should try to imagine they are talking face to face with the other person, with children, priests, and nice little old ladies possibly listening in to the conversation.

What about playful teasing?

Does telling the truth constitute inciting to anger?

It all depends, roscoe. I'm from the Midwest, lived for many years in Latin America, and now reside in the South. These three places all have at least one thing in common:  in general, their inhabitants try to avoid conflicts, especially in spoken conversations. Have you ever heard of "Minnesota Nice," or "Southern Hospitality?" Those stereotypes are well-founded in the fact that those of us from those areas generally try to be tactful when informing others of their faults, which we do only from necessity. We tend to overlook and "let slide" others' shortcomings whenever possible, in the interest of preserving the peace. I have noticed that some (not all) people from some (not all) other areas of the country tend to be more blunt and aggressive in their speech. They like to "call a spade a spade" as they say and often mask what to me would be rude or tactless comments by saying, "I was only telling him the truth! What, is telling the truth against the law these days?" To me, there is a certain amount of facetiousness in those words. Those people usually know darn well that they're being offensive but they like to cover it with the "well, somebody has to tell the truth around here" routine.

I think that how you say something is just as important as what you say. Anyone who has ever been in the hands of a tactless teacher, doctor, confessor, etc. knows what I mean.

I don't think saying something that just happens to make another person angry is the same as "inciting to anger".

In any dispute, one party might eventually say "I don't agree, so let's just drop it."  Now, if I were to persist beyond that point, then I think I would be committing the sin  of "inciting to anger", also the same as if my only reason for raising a discussion is private knowledge that one of the parties is likely to become especially angry.

As far as convincing another of truth, that is not for us to do. Once we have said something, we can only pray about it because it is the work of the Holy Spirit to see what kind of soil the seeds have landed on.

The NO Mass incites me to anger, so are NO Priests sinning? Bishops too!