Paul's effort is to protect the weak not from being offended, but from imitating the behavior of others to their own hurt. Fear of offending others unfortunately has often made some church people tiptoe through life. They have catered to the whims of every moralist or legalist who raised a voice. They have kept silent in the face of injustices and enjoyed their freedom only in priate. They have not wanted to cause offense. In doing so, they have missed the point of 1 Corinthians 8. The text never hints that conflict is to be avoided, that discussion of the issue of eating of food offered to idols should be skirted. Paul's letters, in fact, consistently argue for the church as the forum for moral discouse. The scenario from 1 Corinthians 8 simply asks that every member of the community be taken seriously (even those without "knowledge") as a person for whom Christ died, and that one's actions reflect a compassionate and even restraining consideration for fellow members of the body of Christ.On the other hand, if your own religion is strong enough not to be hampered in any way by some practice that you consider a scruple, shouldn't you just go ahead and to what's easiest on everybody?
It's not just the unbelievers that see what you do; the believers are watching, too.
Paul says to them (to us?): It's not only your conscience; think about how what you do will affect someone else's conscience.
How this passage intrudes on my own life: I stay out of casinos. I am opposed to state lotteries.
Lectio Divina: 1 Corinthians 8:9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
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