gistfile1.rb

class Foo

  def hello
    do_something_really_destructive!
  end

  protected

    def bar
      do_something_really_destructive!
    end

end

class Object
  def really_respond_to?(method)
    begin
      self.send(method)
      return true
    rescue NoMethodError
      return false
    end
  end
end

x = Foo.new
x.respond_to?(:hello) # => true
x.respond_to?(:bar) # => false
x.really_respond_to?(:bar) # => true, but something really destructive happened!