Just watching a show on TV, and a priest was a friend of the family (in addition to being their priest). That got me to thinking: Would I have a priest as a friend, or at least invite one to dinner?
There are lots of religious people (Protestants and Catholics) in my family (and some pastors and such), but my upbringing was strictly secular. Still, there’s no reason not to be social with people just because you disagree with them. Opposing philosophies may lead to stimulating conversation. But I’d like to think that visits would not revolve around religious debate. There are lots of other things to chat about. So, yeah. If I were to meet a priest, I’d have no worries inviting him over and sharing dinner or drinks with him. The caveat, of course, is that a pedophile would definitely not be welcome. (Not to imply that most priests are pedophiles; just saying.)
Ok, I’ll bite - with fava beans and a nice chianti?
Seriously, I have had a priest to dinner. A friend from school days - he came in mufti and a female roommate was an outrageous flirt at dinner. When I asked him how is new parish was working out… her expression was, well as they say in the ad, Priceless.
Sure, although having gone to a Jesuit high school and having a brother who is a coach at the same school (not a priest), we have some friends who are Jesuits that we wouldn’t hesitate to have over.
Well, if he chars, hes probably not the sort of priest you want around. On the other hand, if he doesnt, dinner will woefully underdone if not delayed indefinitely.
My cousins a priest, though I dont know what order. He likes telling slightly ribald jokes at functions.
Would probably be very interesting to have a priest for dinner (visiting for dinner, not eaten for dinner ). If he offered to say a blessing I would let him; out of respect I would sit quietly while he gave it; I’ve never eaten in a small group with any clergy but I have with religious believers - I respect their desire to say grace if they want to. The ongoing controversy over paedophilia wouldn’t enter into my decision; that’s a problem with the church as an organization, not with individual members of that organization (other than the culprits and those that hide them, of course).
Plus, they tend to be older guys. Tough and stringy.
Anyway, to answer the OP, no. First, I prefer to eat alone; and second, I don’t want to invite someone whose profession I dislike so much.
A kid I went to Grade school and University with is presently at the Dominican College here in town training to be a priest. He’s alright. I’ve had coffee with him and a beer on several occasions. He’s a good guy, no question. But I can’t see myself being bestest buddies with him.
And my next door neighbors at my mum’s are Claretians. Again, nice guys, but I honestly never thought of inviting them over for dinner. Iunno, once I’m not at Mass, I’m kind of a slob. And I swear a lot. And make truly tasteless jokes. I just…can’t see myself being good dinner company for them. If I try to be all quite and polite, it would just feel awkward! :smack:
Sure, why not? If he was a decent guy and a good conversationalist, why wouldnt you invite him?
I knew a priest some years ago, and he was a good guy. Maybe because I’m Protestant, we got along pretty well–I simply didn’t have the Roman Catholic attitude that he was somehow different from or more special than the rest of us. Every now and then, he’d want a break from the church, so he’d call, suggesting a couple of beers at a sports bar. And so we’d go, usually to a place outside of the parish so his parishoners wouldn’t likely be around, and we’d drink beer and eat bar food while cheering on the team. He left the collar back at the church, and wouldn’t look any different than anybody else–T-shirt and jeans, usually. Good times, and the closest we ever got to talking religion involved the Saints, the Padres, or the Cardinals.
Yeah, that might have something to do with it for me. I did get half in the bag at pub crawl with an Anglican priest all of last week, and it didn’t feel as awkward or weird, if truth be told!
I’m no longer Catholic (or even particularly religious in any manner), but I agree that I wouldn’t have a problem with someone coming over who had different ideas than I did. I also went to a Jesuit high school and have a fairly high respect for that bunch, so I really wouldn’t have any hesitation.
Have you priced chainsaws lately? They are actually quite reasonably priced!
Some kidding aside, I play cards with a priest (Although he is a married priest with grown children - his calling came later in life.). I don’t see anything wrong with having dinner with one. I might have a slight hesitance to having a Jewish or Islaamic holyman over, but only because I would have to resist the overwhelming urge to feed them pork just to see if they actually explode or something!
Kidding!! (About feeding them pork, not about the urge to… I am a pastor’s kid and often have naughty thoughts about religious proscriptions.)
I wouldn’t have any issues having a rabbi or an imam to dinner. It wouldn’t be good for them to just drop by, as I eat as much pork as any other meat. But I’d plan an appropriate menu, in the event, just as I do when my vegetarian friends visit. (Of course, I don’t have kosher/Muslim equivalent dishes or cookware.)
Sure. When I was a kid, I remember going to my aunt and uncle’s, and they had a priest over from our church, who was my cousin’s confirmation teacher.
Seriously, it’s not like priests are aliens or anything. (Well, unless you’re David Icke.)
Yes I have socialized with pastors from more than one United Methodist Church outside of the narrowest confines of their role as Pastor of said church.
In particular, my mother became good friends with one-- we joined that congregation about the same time she did, she was my mother’s age, and they generally related very well as people. Several years later, both have moved to other states, but the pastor has stayed under my mother’s roof, and offered to pay for my mother’s hotel room near the pastor’s present residence (no space for guests).
