Dear Josh:

Dr. Geraghty is correct, but incomplete. It is true that there is no sin in a homosexual having another homosexual as a roommate as long as there is no sexual relationship. There is no sin for a man and woman not married to each other to be roommates if there is no sexual relationship.

But, we cannot leave the issue with that. There is more to it of which Dr. Geraghty should have explained. While there may not be any sexual sin, there can be gross imprudence and/or the presence of the sin of scandal.

For example, while it is technically not sin for two unmarried people to sleep in the same bedroom, or even in the same bed, as long as no sex is involved, or to run around the house half-naked as might a married couple, it is grossly imprudent. For the persons to present themselves to each other in such manner is asking for temptation and a significant risk of sin (of lust as well as sexual involvement).

If the persons are to be roommates, then they need to live as roommates. That means separate bedrooms and being dressed in front of each other in the same manner as if the roommate is a stranger. That is the prudent thing to do.

St. Paul states the clear Biblical principle,

1 Corinthians 6:12  "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful (prudent). "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.

St. Paul also said that we are not to have even the appearance of evil (1 Thess 5:22). For homosexuals to live together in the manner we are talking about may give an "appearance of evil." It may not be evil in itself if no sex is involved, but it can give an impression of evil (sin).

The bottomline is just because no sin is involved, just because we can technically do the thing, does not mean we ought to do it. We need to avoid even the "appearance of evil" in addition to evil itself. In addition, Jesus teaches us a principle when he taught about "looking upon a woman with lust" -- we have an obligation to practice a spirit of purity, not just literal physical purity.

St. Paul tells us that while something might be lawful, we are not to be enslaved by it. If these homosexual persons resist the principles of St. Paul and Jesus mentioned here, that is a clue they have enslaved themselves to this idea that they can be roommates with no problems. This also goes for men and women living together as roommates.

The Corinthians were using this fact of what is technically lawful as an excuse for improper behavior. St. Paul chastised them for it. We, today, make this same rationalization a lot.

St. Paul, however, advances this teaching a step further in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 when he repeats his teaching: "All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up (edify)" with the additional statement of  "Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor."

As Christians we are to pay attention to how our actions effect our neighbors. While we might be doing something that is technically okay to do, the appearance of things may cause scandal. Not only are we to avoid the "appearance of evil", but we are to to avoid being a stumblingblock and/or a scandal to our weaker brethren.

St. Paul talks of this extensively on the issue of eating meat offering to idols when he says that we are free to eat the meat, but if we are in a household that does not believe in eating such meat that we are to refrain. We should not be a stumblingblock to our neighbor.

What this means in this context, is that living together in the manner we are discussing can give the "appearance" of sin, but more importantly, it can give an appearance to those weak in the faith that such sin is okay in the Church and the observer may decide to not make a profession of faith, or perhaps leave the faith. While these people may be committing rash judgment, nevertheless our actions may become a stumblingblock to them. Those of us who are spiritual, as St. Paul says, must "...take care lest this liberty of (ours) somehow become(s) a stumbling block to the weak" (1 Cor 8:9).

Scandal is another danger. Scandal is not being shocked at another's behavior. Scandal is when our actions provoke or encourage others to sin. This is normally in the context of committed a sin that engenders other to sin, but scandal also takes place when we live imprudently and our neighbors may think we are living in sin. While this is rash judgment on their part, we nevertheless cause scandal to our weaker brethren through our actions by making it appear that it is okay to do what they think we are doing. To excuse their own behavior they may look to us and say, "Look, so and so is doing it, and receiving communion and such, so it must be okay."

While we cannot be slaves to other people's conscience, we must be prudent and cautious about how our actions affect other's conscience. In the worse case, St. Paul says, "Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ" (1 Cor 8:12). 

For a man or woman to live together as roommates in such a way that it appears they are living in sin, for a homosexual to live with another homosexual in such a way that it appears they are living in sin, then those persons may indeed be sinning in another way -- the sin of scandal.

Bottomline: Dr. Geraghty is correct, but incomplete. While he gives the technical answer correctly, we must also consider 1) the personal prudence of the actions of the persons involved in terms of their own souls, 2) more importantly, we must consider our weaker neighbors who may misunderstand our actions and thus, while our actions may be technically okay, we become a stumblingblock to the weaker brother, and 3) even more important than that is when our actions gives rise to scandal and thus influences others to sin or to use our behavior to justify their own sin.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary