Dear Fernie:

I applaud and praise God for your courage to openly confront this behavior. We have a duty and obligation before God to be the "salt and light of the earth". Jesus tells us:

(Matthew 5:13-16)  "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

As Edmund Burke famously said, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

The Catechism teaches:

2480 Every word or attitude is forbidden which by flattery, adulation, or complaisance (go along) encourages and confirms another in malicious acts and perverse conduct.

If we "go along" with the sinful behavior because we fear confrontation or hurting someone's feeling we actaully encourage them to behave wrongly and we, in essence, become an accomplice to their behavior.

The Catechism speaks on this point:

1868 Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them:

- by participating directly and voluntarily in them;

- by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them;

- by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so;

- by protecting evil-doers.

1869 Thus sin makes men accomplices of one another and causes concupiscence, violence, and injustice to reign among them...

What all this means is that if we are in position to do or say something about the sin we witness, we have a duty to respond to what we witness.

There are many situations in which we are in position to directly respond to what we witness. In those cases we need to offer prayer for all parties involved.

Also, direct verbal confrontation is not always needed. If a person already knows our position, we do not necessary need to nag them about it. They already know. In such a case a grimaced gesture is enough to express your disapproval.

There is a sister-topic that involves respect. If friends talk in such sinful ways all the time, it is perfectly permissible to ask those friends not to use such language around you. If they respect you they will cease in your presence (and not make fun of you because of your request). If they do not respect your request, they are not your friends and you should find new friends.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary