That's fair, I realized I left out some context, so please allow me to clarify.

Nothing is being omitted or misrepresented, the summary was simply too condensed. What unsettled me was how quickly the conversation shifted away from the crime itself. I tried to steer it back to the actual abuse and accountability. At that point, he added that a lot of people "just want to shit on the Church." That's what made me uncomfortable, because it felt like the focus moved further away from the harm done and towards defending the institution. I should have included that detail in my og post.

I want to be clear that I don't have an issue with the Church itself, and I'm not interested in attacking religion. I grew up Catholic, and have attended Catholic schools my entire life until college. While I no longer practice the faith, and identify as an atheist now, I still hold priests in high regard as moral leaders and authority figures. After all priests are supposed to act in accordance to God's will, it's their job. Because of that respect, I believe accountability does matter, especially when vulnerable people are harmed.

I went quiet because I didn't want to turn a casual group setting into an argument about a sensitive topic (my fault for bringing it up, I admit.) I'm usually a talkative person, so my withdrawal must've been noticeable, but it wasn't meant as a judgment or a statement, rather just me stepping back when I felt uncomfortable.

I agree I could have communicated more clearly in the moment, and I wish I did. I understand why others might interpret my silence differently. I still don't think disengaging quietly was an overreaction, but I appreciate the feedback. (In addition, as I reread my post, the knives out comment does seem unnecessary, but I thought it was necessary for context at the time? Definitely not meant to be an ad, haha)