The Sounds of Silence
Google Image In a recent issue, Matt Malone, editor of America Magazine, passed along a joke about his religious order, the Jesuits, who have a reputation for being highly educated, sophisticated and presumably, religious. “If you buy a Jesuit a drink, he’ll talk to you about anything,” wrote Malone. “If you buy him two, he’ll talk to you about Jesus.” Most of us have the notion that religion is, and should be, a private matter. We’re irritated, and even embarrassed, if someone brings religion into an otherwise secular conversation. The more society becomes estranged from religion, the more likely that is. As indicated by Malone’s joke, even religious professionals hesitate to bring faith into a conversation. Why are we so reluctant to talk about our faith, or even faith in general? May Cause Discomfort There are lots of answers. Among them is the traditional reluctance to bring up religion or politics because they’re controversial and may cause discomfort or con...