Passage
Responsibility to correct
City of God
by Saint Augustine · Chapter 9
Passage
If anyone refrains from reproof and correction of ill-doers because he looks for a more suitable occasion, or because he fears that this will make them worse, or fears that they will hinder the instruction of others, who are weak, in a good and godly way of life, and that they will oppress them, and turn them away from the faith, in such a case the action seems to be prompted not by self-interest but by counsels of charity. What is culpable is when those whose life is different and who abhor the deeds of the wicked are nevertheless indulgent to the sins of others, which they ought to reprehend and reprove, because they are concerned to avoid giving offence to them, in case they should harm themselves in respect of things which may be rightly and innocently enjoyed by good men, but which they desire more than is right for those who are strangers in this world and who fix their hope on a heavenly country.
My note
Saint Augustine explains that we as Christians are often faced with actions and lifestyles that we abhor. Correcting this behaviour can be good or bad depending on the context, as can choosing not to engage this behaviour. It is possible that our posture towards the other person may be counterproductive to correcting them when we may turn people away from the faith by our hostility and other issues of optics. However if we choose not to correct others out of fear of offending them or losing their respect or losing our comfort we are living as if those things are worth more to us than the kingdom of God. Ultimately if we love our neighbor, we should seek to correct them when they exhibit detestable behaviour and to bring them closer to the faith, but we must not do this with such hostility as to turn them away from the faith because of the fruit of our character as faithful followers of Christ.