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Is it ok to use bad language?

T

ThisShouldMakeSense

Active Member
I have freinds of various religions, including christian, who quite freely use bad language, swearing, cursing, whatever you want to call it, and think nothing of it.
But is it ok for a christian to use bad language and think of it as something trivial or is it something that is to be avoided. How do you feel?
 
jeffrey

jeffrey

†ßig Dog†
ThisShouldMakeSense said:
I have freinds of various religions, including christian, who quite freely use bad language, swearing, cursing, whatever you want to call it, and think nothing of it.
But is it ok for a christian to use bad language and think of it as something trivial or is it something that is to be avoided. How do you feel?
Click to expand...
The Book of James talks about that. Basically it states that out of the mouth that praises God should not come profanity. Out of a tap you do not get both fresh water and salt water. Read the book of James and You'll find what I'm talking about.Take you all of ten minutes to read it. I'm driving so can't reach my Bible.
 
michel

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
ThisShouldMakeSense said:
I have freinds of various religions, including christian, who quite freely use bad language, swearing, cursing, whatever you want to call it, and think nothing of it.
But is it ok for a christian to use bad language and think of it as something trivial or is it something that is to be avoided. How do you feel?
Click to expand...

jgallandt's response is that of a Roman Catholic, and I admire someone who can stick to his religion's dictates.

I notice, however that you do not claim any affiliation with a faith; my take on this is obvously different from jgalandt - although I, too, believe in no profanities.

My reason is a simpler one; a) I find profanities just don't 'sit right' with me; apart from anything else, I am always conscious that they may well offend people within earshot. Perhaps the fact that I was brought up in a family in which profanities were never used may well have contributed to my attitude.

The choice is yours - as with any other topic - do what you feel is acceptable; the descision is yours.:)
 
njcl

njcl

Active Member
before i say what i say i cuss quite often though dependant on the company i keep,i find cussing to indicate a lack of intelligence using profanity than civil intellectual words,if your a christian swearing has no place in your life but as said i swear although those days are coming to an end
 
Peace

Peace

Quran & Sunnah
I don't use profanities either, it's forbidden in my religion to use it. It's also against morality and good behavior.

Peace be with you
Peace
 
CaptainXeroid

CaptainXeroid

Following Christ
Peace said:
I don't use profanities either, it's forbidden in my religion to use it. It's also against morality and good behavior.

Peace be with you
Peace
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I concur, but I'm out of Frubals for a couple of hours.:)

I let one slip maybe once in a blue moon, so when people who know me hear one, they KNOW I'm serious about what ever we're talking about. When someone starts off a conversation with profanity or use a bunch of them, they lose their impact as exclamations.

I know it's common for people to use bad language (profanities) these days, and some people use them quite frequently in all forms of communication regardless of who is receiving the message, but that doesn't make it right, proper, or acceptable. IMHO, people who curse often demonstrate a lack of education, self-control, and class.:mad:
 
Melody

Melody

Well-Known Member
9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
~James 3:9-12

While I think this particular verse has more to do with perhaps verbally reviling others than it does with say...hitting your thumb with a hammer and letting fly with a 4 letter word, it does still speak to a state of mind.

16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
~Matthew 5:16

If a christian uses profanity, it does not glorify God. In fact, it is far more likely to cause people to think "wow...if that's a christian...."

I'll go further. A group of letters is not profanity. It's the "idea" behind the word that makes it profane. When some christians substitute "gosh" or "golly" for the word God in expletives, they may just as well say God because their intent is clear.
 
James the Persian

James the Persian

Dreptcredincios Crestin
I swear more than I'd like (I grew up amongst soldiers who seem to use it as punctuation mark and picked it up there) but less than I used to. I definitely don't think it's right (and I don't blaspheme) so I'm working on it. I'm slowly getting there, particularly since recently my 3 year old son has begun saying 'Daddy, don't say that. It's bad' every time I even mildly curse. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be chastised by your own child? I'll tell you, it's mortifying.

James
 
jeffrey

jeffrey

†ßig Dog†
Thank you Melody. My wife switched Bibles with me and never put the other Bible in my bag. UGH! LOL. I agree with you assessment too!
 
Fluffy

Fluffy

A fool
Bad language is fine. In my personal opinion, if I cannot see why something causes harm to another, then it should not be defined as wrong. Swearing offends others in a similar way, also in my opinion, to that of a homosexual couple offending a homophobic. In other words there is no logical basis for being offended by a swear word, it is a product of how you were brought up which is identical to that of being homophobic.

I fail to equate swearing with a lack of intelligence. This is, again, a social stereotype that has been placed on people who swear and has no basis in fact.

Additionally, blaspheming is fine by me too. I look at it this way, would I really be offended if the goddess took my name "in vain"? Little bit weird but that isn't any reason to consider it wrong. As it is, I find I rarely blaspheme anyway since swearing is a much more common occurance in my exclamations.

Also I am fully comfortable with having people view me as uneducated and stupid as long as I am able to exercise my right to free speech.
 
Druidus

Druidus

Keeper of the Grove
I think when "swearing" is prohibited in the Bible, it refers to swearing on something, like "swearing on the moon". Probably wrong though.

Either way, I can see nothing wrong with a word. It's a mere vocalization, sound waves moving through the air. The meaning can be taken as you want it to be, but the word itself means nothing until heard. Even when it is heard, often, amonst friends, it is not an offensive word. Why then, should it not be used?

****, for example, was a common word describing any thrusting movement (like a punch), and the common name for the "kestrel" was "wind****er".

Words mean what you make them.

And very good points, Fluffy. There is no basis for the word to be considered offensive, unless used in an offensive manner.
 
L

Loki

Member
In the Uk, swearing isn't seen as too much of a bad thing. At formal occasions, one should not swear, obviously, but you can say pretty much anything aside from c**t and get away with it. i know that on the internet, yo uget a cultural clash, so I'll try not to swear, but I see it becoming more lax. There was a time when saying "bloody" was seen as a bad thing. Now, you can use it all you like. "Where's the bloody dog got to - Oh, there he is!"

I think it will be a matter of time before the current roster of offensive words become mild, and we'll have no swear words left.

The lesson is: The more you use swear words, the less offensive they will be, and eventually the idea of swear words will disappear.
 
Melody

Melody

Well-Known Member
IacobPersul said:
I swear more than I'd like (I grew up amongst soldiers who seem to use it as punctuation mark and picked it up there) but less than I used to. I definitely don't think it's right (and I don't blaspheme) so I'm working on it. I'm slowly getting there, particularly since recently my 3 year old son has begun saying 'Daddy, don't say that. It's bad' every time I even mildly curse. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be chastised by your own child? I'll tell you, it's mortifying.

James
Click to expand...
James,
Make a deal with your 3 year old. Everytime he catches you swearing, you have to pay him a quarter. If you're like I used to be, swearing was such a habit that I didn't even realize I was doing it most of the time. I'm embarrased to admit it but when my son was 4, he earned enough off me...25 cents at a time....to buy his own Sega machine.

Eventually, when I'd slip, I'd catch myself. Then I'd actually self-correct before I said it.

Breaking habits can be very difficult...especially when they are learned as a child from your parents and guardians.
 
The Black Whirlwind

The Black Whirlwind

Well-Known Member
Well, theres this fun game me and my best friend play called the 'swearing game', where you walk on the street, and when you see a mother and her child (not a father, he might beat you up), start swearing like crazy at each other right in front of them. its really quite amusing to see how mortified the mother is. Sometimes, if shes a Christian or something, she'll give you a lecture.

My dad swore a lot when i was young, so i probabaly picked it up from him. I try to not swear often, and i usually don't. but the swearing game is pretty fun.
 
James the Persian

James the Persian

Dreptcredincios Crestin
Melody said:
James,
Make a deal with your 3 year old. Everytime he catches you swearing, you have to pay him a quarter. If you're like I used to be, swearing was such a habit that I didn't even realize I was doing it most of the time. I'm embarrased to admit it but when my son was 4, he earned enough off me...25 cents at a time....to buy his own Sega machine.

Eventually, when I'd slip, I'd catch myself. Then I'd actually self-correct before I said it.

Breaking habits can be very difficult...especially when they are learned as a child from your parents and guardians.
Click to expand...
OK, but where do I get quarters from? :)

Seriously, though, it's probably not a bad idea (just substituting 20p or something). I'm just worried he might bankrupt me before I get myself sorted.

James
 
EnhancedSpirit

EnhancedSpirit

High Priestess
Words are man made. A group of letters to describe something. No word of itself is bad.

What matters is the intention behind it, and what feelings does it cause in someone else. My son loves watching dog shows, he thinks it's so funny that they say the word B**** alot.

In this case it's not a bad word, it's a female dog. The reason it bacame labeled a bad word is because it was used to cause harm (bad feelings) to others.

I've had a hard time explaining 'bad words' with my children. I don't want to say 'that's a bad word, don't say it', because that is not true, there is no such thing as a bad word, they are just words.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I dont find anything wrong with bad language. They are mearly just words used to describe something like any other words. I do swear quite abit, but I refraine from swearing if I must.
My question is, how do some words become inappropriate, while others arent?
 
ch'ang

ch'ang

artist in training
I really don't see what the problem with cussing is, all swear words are are words that some people a long time ago decieded were foul and should not be used. I think they just express emtion a little better then " Oh golly i hit my thumb." so i see no problem with them
 
S

Saw11_2000

Well-Known Member
What the $#*(? Is it okay to use $#*(ing language? It's a piece of $#*( word! It's $#*(ing perfect thing to do! Why do people even take offense to this $#*(?
 
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