Cohabitation is fornication

[Tom317]

If you look in the dictionary…the third…ergo the least common use…is that of differing species, religions or races living together in harmony.
The most common meaning, albeit the least understood…, is referenced first…two people living together in an illicit sexual relation.
Sheesh…common everybody!

The dictionary won’t cause hives…but it well may dispel ignorance…note the correct meaning of ignorance. It does NOT mean stupidity…so no ranting and raving over assumed name calling or finger pointing.
The whole issue is as simple as A B C …1 2 3…
There is a primary ( first in common usage) meaning to cohabitate…a sexual relation that is wrong.
THIS IS THE USAGE REFERED TO IN THIS THREAD.
There is a secondary meaning …not so common…probably could be construed as a conjugal cohabitation.
The third and least common is that of the differing species, religions, or races living in harmony.

Nowhere, in the definition that is current, does it mean a simple living arrangement.
What ya’ll keep referring to is know as rooming together, having a roommate…or even boarding together…house sharing, etc…etc…ad nauseum!

Catholic definitions, not secular–please.

 

[epostle]

Tom is correct. Couples who live together and abstaining from sex are not doing anything wrong. It does happen. If there is any hanky-panky going on, it is between the couple and God, guided by the priest, not gossiping parishioners.

The “Betrothal Proposal” is just that, a proposal for discussion. No one is challenging the infalliblity of the Church, and no one is seeking a change in Church teaching, but a return to a former one. Archbishop Chaput is true to Catholic teaching as it is now.

Moral sins always have consequences, and the consequence for cohabitation is obvious, even the secular world recognizes the high divorce rates as a consequence of cohabitation.

The point I am trying to make has nothing to do with couples who are cohabitating with no commitment to permanence. It has to do with the thousands of Catholic couples who are committed to each other, and the recent research shows that they have the same consequence as any other Catholic couple who don’t cohabitate. This is significant because it is the same scenario that was in accordance with Catholic teaching a long time ago. If the consequencres are not the same, then the morality of formal betrothal, followed by sex, followed by consummation in the ceremony needs to be examined once again by the wisdom of the Church.

Maybe if good Catholics could show these couples a bit of mercy instead of beating them over the head with Church teaching, they wouldn’t be so quick become Protestants.

 

[gmarie21]

I am curious how people who think cohabitation =fornication explain the above qoute…

They won’t address your quote because it doesn’t support their arguement. Better to ignore it and hope it goes away than to actually admit one is wrong about their narrow view about the definition of the word “cohabitation”. Pride is a difficult thing to swallow and many on these forums who are more worried about being right and winning the arguement than about actually listening and admitting they are wrong (or the reasoning behind their arguing is sinful) is a sin they must face (and will hopefully confess before recieving the Eucharist). I say this as someone who has also struggled with the deadly sin of Pride when I look at my motives behind arguing.

 

[homewardbound]

Siblings living together will be thought to be doing something sexual together? Wow, some people sure do have sick twisted minds.

I suppose the same is true of my boyfriend and his widowed mother. He’s been raised by just her since he was 6 years old. So I guess, in the opinion of the person quoted in the first post, they have been having a sexual relationship for quite some time.

What a sicko. I think that person needs to go to confession for their disgusting thoughts and fantasies about other people’s lives.

Cohabitation does not equal fornication. The only reason people like that quoted in the OP think so is because they themselves know they would not be able to cohabitate without sinning. Thats not anyones problem but their own. They should keep their own weaknesses and sick thoughts to themselves. One persons weakness is not everyones weakness.

 

[homewardbound]

First off, to co-habitat means that there is a sexual relationship going on, so co-habitation in and of itself is sinful. I am simply stating that to co-habitat is gravely sinful and should be avoided at all costs.
I will say, however, I was a little too over zealous about the siblings situation so let me clarify. Living together just to make ends meet, or to help with rent, or because you need a roommate, that is really not a necessity for a brother and sister to live together outside of the family life, it would be improper and and could potentially lead to immodesty, temptation and sin. It could be very easily mistaken for something it is not, such as co-habitation because people do not know thats your sibling.

I seem to confuse people very easily, so let me correct myself about my earlier posts. These particular situations deal with a case by case basis,
i.e for the previous OP’s particular situation, where to live with a sibling would be completely fine and the best option, since out of necessity it is the safest thing for that person right now, they are also in a society where the cultural norms are very different. i.e woman hold hands while shopping completely normal, people don’t assume they’re homosexual.
I live in the US and I know that living with a sibling of the opposite sex here has the potential to lead to scandal. So I will state again that it is a case by case basis, and in no way am telling the OP to not live with her siblings. Just don’t co-habitat with the siblings, which is a completely different thing.
God Bless
finis

Please see my post. Just because you know you would 100% chance of having sex with whomever you live with (even your own siblings!) Does not mean fornication is a weakness for everyone. Stop being such a jugdemental child, get help for your own sins of judging others with no basis or reason for your stupidity, and shut up. You know nothing of others private lives. So why not try focusing your time on your own relationship with God instead of committing the sin of judging others for something you have no proof they are doing to begin with. I suppose you are without sin, so therefore feel just fne about casting stones all over the place.



You disgust me with your sick judgemental mind. Thank God for real Christians. Thank God not everyone are fake ones who get pleasure out of nothing but judging others for fantasies you create in your on mind.

 

[gmarie21]

Please see my post. Just because you know you would 100% chance of having sex with whomever you live with (even your own siblings!) Does not mean fornication is a weakness for everyone. Stop being such a jugdemental child, get help for your own sins of judging others with no basis or reason for your stupidity, and shut up. You know nothing of others private lives. So why not try focusing your time on your own relationship with God instead of committing the sin of judging others for something you have no proof they are doing to begin with. I suppose you are without sin, so therefore feel just fne about casting stones all over the place.



You disgust me with your sick judgemental mind. Thank God for real Christians. Thank God not everyone are fake ones who get pleasure out of nothing but judging others for fantasies you create in your on mind.

Um, since you OBVIOUSLY DID NOT READ THE ENTIRE THREAD, Truelove corrected herself about the whole sibling thing. Also, name calling and telling others to “shut up” is completely unnecessary and frankly unChristian and downright RUDE. Next time before you make such rude comments read the whole thread to see if someone corrects themselves first.

I don’t agree with Truelove’s insistance that cohabitation means fornication (which it doesn’t) and is therefore a sin. However, opinions are allowed and charity is required so that threads aren’t closed. Maybe you should review the rules again before commenting again on any thread.

 

[Mary_Henley]

Please see my post. Just because you know you would 100% chance of having sex with whomever you live with (even your own siblings!) Does not mean fornication is a weakness for everyone. Stop being such a jugdemental child, get help for your own sins of judging others with no basis or reason for your stupidity, and shut up. You know nothing of others private lives. So why not try focusing your time on your own relationship with God instead of committing the sin of judging others for something you have no proof they are doing to begin with. I suppose you are without sin, so therefore feel just fne about casting stones all over the place.



You disgust me with your sick judgemental mind. Thank God for real Christians. Thank God not everyone are fake ones who get pleasure out of nothing but judging others for fantasies you create in your on mind.

Shame, shame, shame on you! ALL THE SMILEY FACES IN THE WORLD CAN’T ERASE THE VITROLIC SARCASM AND SMARMINESS THAT IS OOZING FROM THIS POST.
I am asking you in a spirit of Christian charity to refrain from this type of posting!
I am having an exceedingly difficult time believing that this is a Catholic forum.
As for those of you who will not accept the definition that is in the dictionary because it is a secular dictionary…please show me a dictionary that is exclusively for us Catholics…the way some of you post it seems you think we speak a secret language that is alien to English…shh …some one out there might find out:blush: MUSN’T BREAK OUR SECRET CODE LANGUAGE.
The definitions for a Catholic are the same as for a Protestant, Mormon, Muslim or Atheist…we all speak the same English Language.

 

[Mary_Henley]

Just read your personal profile Homwardbound…hmmm
you should take your post and have IT anylized.

 

[Mary_Henley]

They won’t address your quote because it doesn’t support their arguement. Better to ignore it and hope it goes away than to actually admit one is wrong about their narrow view about the definition of the word “cohabitation”. Pride is a difficult thing to swallow and many on these forums who are more worried about being right and winning the arguement than about actually listening and admitting they are wrong (or the reasoning behind their arguing is sinful) is a sin they must face (and will hopefully confess before recieving the Eucharist). I say this as someone who has also struggled with the deadly sin of Pride when I look at my motives behind arguing.

Hmm…
Speaking of reading post all the way through and not jumping to conclusions…try post # 139.
And what was that you were saying about pride m’dear?
Please pick up a dictionary and do the referencing yourself…you might be surprised.
The word cohabitate is what it is…queer means odd…gay means happy…nards are gourds…and a ****** is still a dried up bundle of sticks…tis the beauty of the English language…tis what it tis.

From a majority of post on this thread some of you could really benefit from downloading a friendly version of spell check:thumbsup:

oh…that is a dictionary too…sorry …

 

[Mary_Henley]

Catholic definitions, not secular–please.

I tell you what my dear Tom317,
since you seem to have such a hard time with definitions from a "secular"dictionary how about you doing a little research for me…?
Find me a Catholic Dictionary that has all the words in the English Language and tell me where I can purchase it!
Good luck in your hunt
And just out of curiosity…where did you ever come up with the idea that the Catholic Church has different definitions than the ones found in the secular dictionary…to date you still have not provided an authoritative definition of your own:shrug:

 

[Mary_Henley]

Point one…no one is disputing the statement that if people are rooming together, boarding together, sharing apartments and living a chaste life they are not sinning.
But, as Catholic we MUST be careful about giving or causing scandal…Tom is correct. Couples who live together and abstaining from sex are not doing anything wrong. It does happen. If there is any hanky-panky going on, it is between the couple and God, guided by the priest, not gossiping parishioners.
Point two…please direct me to the Church Document that supports this statement…
The “Betrothal Proposal” is just that, a proposal for discussion. No one is challenging the infalliblity of the Church, and no one is seeking a change in Church teaching, but a return to a former one. Archbishop Chaput is true to Catholic teaching as it is now.
Point three…please explain this to me! To date I have found no previous tradition in the Catholic Church that entails a living arrangement you describe. Please do not just refer to it. I need to see the source.
The point I am trying to make has nothing to do with couples who are cohabitating with no commitment to permanence. It has to do with the thousands of Catholic couples who are committed to each other, and the recent research shows that they have the same consequence as any other Catholic couple who don’t cohabitate. This is significant because it is the same scenario that was in accordance with Catholic teaching a long time ago. If the consequencres are not the same, then the morality of formal betrothal, followed by sex, followed by consummation in the ceremony needs to be examined once again by the wisdom of the Church.

Maybe if good Catholics could show these couples a bit of mercy instead of beating them over the head with Church teaching, they wouldn’t be so quick become Protestants.

 

[Mary_Henley]

Mercy…let us see if as Catholics we are really practicing mercy

• To feed the hungry;
• To give drink to the thirsty;
• To clothe the naked;
• To harbour the harbourless;
• To visit the sick;
• To ransom the captive;
• To bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy are:

• To instruct the ignorant;
• To counsel the doubtful;
• To admonish sinners;
• To bear wrongs patiently;
• To forgive offences willingly;
• To comfort the afflicted;
• To pray for the living and the dead.
  If we were there would definitely be a much clearer understanding of our Faith!

 

[Julian_Peters]

Thank you to all who have participated. This thread is now closed.