I give a lecture in one of my courses on medieval nuns’ religious practices. At one section meeting, the students lit into the TA, saying, “This isn’t a religion we’re talking about! This is a cult! We should be criticizing it, not just studying it like it was something normal.”

“It was normal for Catholics,” said the TA.

“No!” they said. “This is sick stuff. Christians don’t do this.”

My TA had, however, a perfect (and true) come-back: “Well, my father was a priest and my mother was a nun, so I think I know what Catholics do.”