Defense Of The Church?

[Island_Oak]

We recently attended a dinner party hosted by new acquaintances who have been very kind to us by including/introducing us to their circle of friends (we recently moved to another state) all of whom we have enjoyed. As we were sitting around visiting with several couples we had just met–one of the other guests (a member of our parish) launched into a story about a terrible experience he had had while in Catholic high school related to the conduct of the brothers who ran the school.

I didn’t know how to react. I barely knew these people–so felt very ill at ease “rebuking” anyone. If the story was true, and I have no reason to think otherwise, what happened was reprehensible. But it seemed neither a good choice of topic for dinner party conversation among new acquaintances nor an appropriate launch into the inevitable jokes at the expense of the Church/religious communities. Am I being overly sensitive? Has anyone had a similar experience and handled it better than I–who felt disturbed but sat mute?

 

[Jayson]

I feel the same way when people in my family (not immediate - aunts and uncles) tell jokes about priests and nuns or priests and altar boys.

I just try to ignore them. I know if I say anything it’ll just escalate into something worse.

 

[jlw]

Sometimes, when that happens, I don’t say anything, but my discomfort is obvious, thereby communicating to the loudmouth that he/she ought to change the subject reeeeally soon.

Or I deflate the whole thing by having sympathy for him/her, making it about his/her individual experience, not the Church as a whole.

 

[EsclavoDeCristo]

jlw:

Sometimes, when that happens, I don’t say anything, but my discomfort is obvious, thereby communicating to the loudmouth that he/she ought to change the subject reeeeally soon.

Or I deflate the whole thing by having sympathy for him/her, making it about his/her individual experience, not the Church as a whole.

Great point, I concur!