Apologizing

I have often found myself being faced with the choice of whether or not to defend the Catholic faith. The opening dialogue goes something like this:

Friend: So, you're Catholic?
Me: Yup, I was baptized about a year and a half ago.
Friend: Oh, yeah. I just really don't think I should have to confess to a priest. I believe that everyone should just talk to God directly.
Me: Uh huh.

There are probably three very common responses, wherein the friend or other launches into a speech about how he/she does not believe in either confession, the church's stance on birth control, or the papacy...With the exception of the latter (right?), those aren't paramount beliefs of the Catholic faith. The essence of being a Catholic is believing in one God, the Holy Spirit, and His son Jesus. Also, that it's important to help your neighbor. Birth control, confession, and the papacy are waaaaay down the list of important issues.

I believe that, in general, people tend to latch onto stereotypes and don't really have much interest in learning that those stereotypes are just that--stereotypes. Thus, I usually reply with "uh huh," and then listen for about 5 minutes as the "friend" character rambles off the usual stereotypical information about how there is a corrupt power system in the Catholic church, that priests are into young boys, that there shouldn't be intermediaries (priests, saints, etc.) and gauge whether or not it's worth correcting the other person about what they have heard about the church.

I haven't yet found a worthy occasion to be an apologetic, to defend my faith, to be a sole spokesperson in that moment for the entire Catholic faith. I allow the other person to air their stereotypical views and then change the subject.

However, if someone were to ask me, "I heard that Catholics believe such-and-such...Is that true?" I would definitely respond with information and engage in a dialogue. However, I've yet to experience this and instead am flooded with offensive accusations towards the Catholic church.

I used to be one of "those people," so I know how hard and surprising it can be to face stereotypes about a church. I have also had it pointed out to me lately that I tend to have a similar attitude towards Jehovah's witnesses and Mormons (I've not spoken "to" either directly, just "about" their beliefs to people of other faiths). Still, I would like to learn more about those particular religions, if only to avoid the pitfall of pointing at others' ignorance while ignoring the log in my own eye. I would hate to fall into the following scenario:

Me: Oh, so you're a Jehovah's witness?
New friend: Yup.
Me: So, you don't believe in receiving blood transfusions?
New Friend: Right....

Instead, I would prefer to be able to have an intellectual discussion with a Mormon one day about the metaphysical implications of the belief that God has a physical body but is also unlimited in power. Doesn't that sound like a more interesting discussion?