Is It Sin?

[DNB]

Sorry, but I'm not buying that "r-pe" would somehow be less offensive or humiliating to a rape victim than "rape."

Regarding euphemisms, I share George's sentiments:

Spoiler: Adult Language

Who said 'r-pe', or anything even remotely close?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I don't know why it is, but I just don't tend to swear very much. If I do, every friend I have reacts with huge shock, because coming from me, it's just completely surprising.

And maybe, I haven't really thought about it, that might be one of the reasons I actually don't swear -- so that if I do, you know without further clues that I'm really angry.

Much the same reason I don't yell.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Who said 'r-pe', or anything even remotely close?

You used rape as an example for the need to censor one's vocabulary. The only censorship we were discussing in this thread was dropping letters from words and replacing them with symbols.

If your rape example wasn't intended to make a point that censoring words by replacing with symbols somehow makes that word less offensive, what was the purpose of this example you presented in response to my OP?

 

[Muffled]

Another thread with the same title asks if watching pornography is a sin. This isn't really about that.

What I found curious was the author did not type out the word (allowing for some fun interpretation on my part), and instead typed p-graphy.

The word "pornography" isn't a profanity, and certainly isn't in our language filter. It's just a word to describe a thing.

Which leads my to my question. Is typing out a word that suggests something you consider morally or ethically questionable a sin?

I believe not. Take ***** for example. It is a dog that gets pregnant without the owners permission. That happened to our dog but it wasn't her fault. Who knew a great dane could leap over a seven foot fence?

 

[Muffled]

Maybe it comes down to our intention of the words we use?

Is words in themselves a sin? Or the meaning we put behind those words when we use it.

I believe that is so. I hear people say the name Jesus Christ as emphasis and some think that is taking the name in vain. I believe that would be so if the person were actually taking the name instead of just spouting it. I do have issues with Jesus mother ****ing Christ, since that is blasphemy. Looks like I found a banned word, lol.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I believe that is so. I hear people say the name Jesus Christ as emphasis and some think that is taking the name in vain. I believe that would be so if the person were actually taking the name instead of just spouting it. I do have issues with Jesus mother ****ing Christ, since that is blasphemy. Looks like I found a banned word, lol.

I have the same view as you on this.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Take ***** for example. It is a dog that gets pregnant without the owners permission.

No, it’s not. A ***** is simply a female dog.

 

[Muffled]

That's basically the question asked in the OP. Is use of certain words, such as pornography, even when they aren't a profanity, a sin? If so, why? Is this based on any scripture?

I believe pornography could be considered profane. If you can't use the word ****, then why would it not be profane to use a word that contains such actions.

 

[Fallen Prophet]

The filter catches just about everything unless one is trying to circumvent the filter intentionally. If "pornography" was a flagged word, it would appear as "***********" when typed.

Not necessarily.

I used a word that went through fine - but moderators contacted me and informed me that my post had been modified.

When I looked at the post afterward s- the word had been filtered.

You sometimes don't know if the word you used is going to be filtered until you use it.

Some people would rather not use any word they believe may trigger a filter or cause moderators to respond.

 

[Sheldon]

I believe not. Take ***** for example. It is a dog that gets pregnant without the owners permission. That happened to our dog but it wasn't her fault. Who knew a great dane could leap over a seven foot fence?

Is this a very clever piece of irony, I can't tell?

 

[Sheldon]

I believe that is so. I hear people say the name Jesus Christ as emphasis and some think that is taking the name in vain. I believe that would be so if the person were actually taking the name instead of just spouting it. I do have issues with Jesus mother ****ing Christ, since that is blasphemy. Looks like I found a banned word, lol.

I think blasphemy is a victimless crime.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I believe pornography could be considered profane.

The word or the act?

 

[SalixIncendium]

I think blasphemy is a victimless crime.

Perhaps for atheists and transtheists, but for many theists, it's not.

For many theists, especially those who believe in and worship a personal god, blasphemy would be akin to a personal attack against one's mother.

 

[DNB]

You used rape as an example for the need to censor one's vocabulary. The only censorship we were discussing in this thread was dropping letters from words and replacing them with symbols.

If your rape example wasn't intended to make a point that censoring words by replacing with symbols somehow makes that word less offensive, what was the purpose of this example you presented in response to my OP?

The need for discretion in any manner possible. I don't believe that the OP was isolating the issue to specifically misspelling, or cryptically writing a word. It was about not using the actual word in one manner or another. You asked the question: is saying or spelling the entire word a sin, I'm saying that any deferral is preferred whether a cryptic spelling or a euphemism.

 

[Clara Tea]

Another thread with the same title asks if watching pornography is a sin. This isn't really about that.

What I found curious was the author did not type out the word (allowing for some fun interpretation on my part), and instead typed p-graphy.

The word "pornography" isn't a profanity, and certainly isn't in our language filter. It's just a word to describe a thing.

Which leads my to my question. Is typing out a word that suggests something you consider morally or ethically questionable a sin?

Cussing is in the intent, not the word. Similarly, dirty words are the same whether spelled or abbreviated.

Archie Bunker used to shield his hand from God before pointing to God. Does he suppose that He, who sees all, doesn't see all?

 

[Hold]

That's basically the question asked in the OP. Is use of certain words, such as pornography, even when they aren't a profanity, a sin? If so, why? Is this based on any scripture?

We were taught that sin 'is in the will'. If you believe it is sinful to use a word and you use that word,it is sinful. The inverse is; you don't believe it is sinful and you use that word it is not a sin.

 

[Brian2]

I think blasphemy is a victimless crime.

If you blaspheme God you may be offending theists even if you do not believe in a God. So the victim would be the theist.
That would be a different question than the one about whether there should be a law against blasphemy in a secular society.
We are entitled to give offense as much as we like, but there is a victim usually.

 

[Sheldon]

If you blaspheme God you may be offending theists even if you do not believe in a God. So the victim would be the theist.

Well while I don't go out of my way to offend, I also believe in freedom of speech and expression as a vital part of any free society, and theists like everybody else, are entitled to be offended, but taking offence doesn't grant anyone anything.

That would be a different question than the one about whether there should be a law against blasphemy in a secular society.
We are entitled to give offense as much as we like, but there is a victim usually.

In this case I think their offence isn't real, since I don't believe in any deity, and of course if one existed it can demonstrably fend for itself. I believe as I said in free speech and freedom of expression, it is the price we sometimes pay for living in a free society that we must sometimes here things we don't like, or even find morally repugnant. Of course there are sometimes consequences to that freedom of expression, defamation, or open discrimination are rightly prohibited by laws, but a belief can never be ringfenced from scrutiny or criticism.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Well while I don't go out of my way to offend, I also believe in freedom of speech and expression as a vital part of any free society, and theists like everybody else, are entitled to be offended, but taking offence doesn't grant anyone anything.



In this case I think their offence isn't real, since I don't believe in any deity, and of course if one existed it can demonstrably fend for itself. I believe as I said in free speech and freedom of expression, it is the price we sometimes pay for living in a free society that we must sometimes here things we don't like, or even find morally repugnant. Of course there are sometimes consequences to that freedom of expression, defamation, or open discrimination are rightly prohibited by laws, but a belief can never be ringfenced from scrutiny or criticism.

Does the freedom of speech goes the other way around too? That any theist has freedom to express their views and belief both in God and about those who ridicule and mocking God? Or should a theist be tied and gaged in their free speech?

And yes as an atheist you are free to speak your mind.

 

[Brian2]

Well while I don't go out of my way to offend, I also believe in freedom of speech and expression as a vital part of any free society, and theists like everybody else, are entitled to be offended, but taking offence doesn't grant anyone anything.

Yes the whole idea of giving and taking offense is a touchy one, and more so these days when society is changing and normal speech of the past it seems now offends someone. It can be hard to not offend and it can be hard to not want to offend at times.

In this case I think their offence isn't real, since I don't believe in any deity, and of course if one existed it can demonstrably fend for itself. I believe as I said in free speech and freedom of expression, it is the price we sometimes pay for living in a free society that we must sometimes here things we don't like, or even find morally repugnant. Of course there are sometimes consequences to that freedom of expression, defamation, or open discrimination are rightly prohibited by laws, but a belief can never be ringfenced from scrutiny or criticism.

Comedians seems to be able to get away with offending most anyone. But even that can be borderline and depends on the audience.
In real life if you think blasphemy is not going to hurt a God then the target is probably the believers, if aimed at them.
I don't know if their offense is real or not. I might get angry more than offended but I guess that is part of being offended.
But you are right that a real God can defend itself if it wants to.
I was reading a story in the Bible yesterday about Gideon who tore down an altar to Baals and an Asherah pole. He was giving offense and people were angry and his father told the people that Baal can fight his own fights and they should not fight the fight for him/them.
Thought you might like that bit of the Bible.
PS: I don't think it is right for Christians to want to retaliate in the face of blasphemy however and I personally do not take offense further than just considering what has been said and trying to understand what was said and why.