Morality in Dorms

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EpicGrizzlyBear

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I’m a male Catholic college student with all Catholic roomates. Is it immoral for me to be shirtless when hanging out in my dorm?
 
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I don’t know about immoral ,but it would be a lack of respect I would think.
Welcome to the forums OP:)
 
Thanks. All of us go shirtless and none of us care, so we don’t find it disrespectful.
 
As a man, I personally find it distasteful that some men seem to love walking around shirtless… don’t get it and never did… but in all male straight company I wouldn’t think it’s immoral, unless done out of some sort of vanity.
 
These forums aren’t a place where people come to ask if something that they want to do or something that they have done is a sin, or immoral. In fact, because so many people are trying to use the forum in that way, that is one reason the forum is being shut down. The fact that regular members here are still continuing to reply with their “council” to these types of threads is mystifying to me.
 
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In general, I find it a little odd when people go around wearing less than the normal amount of clothing. If I turned up at a friend’s house, for example, I would find it a little odd if she opened the door and was, say, just wearing a bra or was topless, unless there was some compelling explanation such as, “You must forgive my state of undress. Just as you rang the bell, the baby was sick over my top. If you’d hold the baby for me, I’ll go and put on something clean.” If my husband told me that he’d been hanging out with some male friends and one or more off them had been shirtless, I’d consider that a little odd too, unless there was some explanation such as that they were on a beach.

Anyway, since you are asking about morality, rather than what is socially acceptable in my specific culture, I honestly have no idea. It doesn’t sound immoral so much as a bit odd. Again, I’m sure this is very much a cultural thing. It could well be that if I were Danish I would think it was completely normal for a female friend to go around topless on a social visit.
 
As a Catholic, it’s a good practice to do a morning offering to God before you start your day. Offer your joys, sorrows, and sufferings, in union with Christ, for the conversion of sinners and peace in this world as our Blessed Mother asked at Fatima. This is how we come into adulthood in the faith. It’s more than ‘bless mom and day and grandma’. This is how we grab onto the faith and begin to impact the world for good.

Part of this is to offer little sacrifices through the day. There are those things we have no control over, like waiting in line, being impatient with something. Having an awareness of it being a moment of grace when you can say ‘Jesus I love you, please save souls!’

Then there are those things we do have control over. St Therese I believe used to decide ‘I won’t cross my legs’ when she was sitting. She wouldn’t ask for a candy, but would accept one if it was offered to her. When someone is willing to take their will and bend it like this, God can use this person!

Why did I write all of this? Can you make the resolve that ‘today I’m going to wear a shirt even though I’m warm’. It’s a small thing, a small discomfort, but it shows God you are willing to put in an effort that takes you closer to Him.

Being December, this is a wonderful time to offer up small things and thank Jesus for taking on human flesh and emptying himself to be a baby. You know, Jesus could have just shown up as an adult to be baptized by John and Baptist, but he was born as a baby and knew what it was to be hungry, to be cold, to be limited in our humanity. It’s a great time to appreciate this tremendous gift offered to us.
 
It’s not sinful for someone to be shirtless in the presence of people of the same gender. When you live in a group setting like a dorm, it’s expected that you’re going to be in proximity to people changing/showering, etc. That said, if you’re just lounging around shirtless for no reason, people might well start thinking you’re weird.
 
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