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Tom,
Very good question.
This is something every person trying
to please God must struggle with.
Since this isn't doctrinal I'll offer you my opinion.
We live in the world, which is filled
with secular and hedonistic attitudes
and lifestyles. Usually, these conversations
involve illicit sex or drugs, as
yours did with alcohol.
Prudence is the virtue to pray for
here, which is the gift of discerning
how to act and handle concrete situations in the here and now as they arise.
You have to discern
whether or not saying anything would
be prudent and, if not, perhaps
a disinterested non-condoning nod
of the head a couple times might
communicate you're respectfully listening,
but don't approve.
But perhaps you will think of the
right thing to say. I often speak
to people in question form,
as in:
Was your headache and the
way you acted worth all that drinking
last night?
Or perhaps you could counter with
something positive you did last night
to subtly make him think about his
own behavior.
Each individual situation is different
and calls for a different response
but, whatever is chosen, try to make
sure God would be pleased. To
that end, keep in mind the modern
day phrase:
WWJD — What Would Jesus
Do?
Paul
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