A Christian by the name of Erik Rigney has written a fascinating essay on the ethics of cussing (HT: Internet Monk).
Listed under “Poor Reasons not to Cuss,” he writes:
B. You shouldn’t cuss because those words are just wrong –
I mean, look at their filthy meanings!
Well, okay, I will sort of give you that one: the literal, original meanings of cuss words are usually pretty raunchy or insulting. You have your defecation, your fornication, your eternal punishment, and a smorgasbord of otherwise sordid actions and bodily functions. Not exactly a Miss Manners primer of politeness and good thoughts, right? So isn’t this the proof, the proverbial smoking gun, the final straw that settles the issue? If their meanings are so filthy and crude, shouldn’t we avoid saying them under any circumstances?
Well, again, no – not necessarily. Let’s face it: meaning is what we’re talking about here, and what we mean when we say a word is far more important than what the word itself is. This concept is not really all that foreign – we use words this way all the time. Here, I’ll show you. Quiz: when I say, Will you pass me that pot?, do I mean a) Hand me the cooking implement, or b) Don’t bogart that doobie?
The answer, of course, is: It depends.
He goes on to say:
So my question is: Why don’t we allow words that are traditionally regarded as cuss words the same flexibility? After all, people certainly do not always mean the same thing when they cuss. Take, for example, the word “sh*t.” In its base, literal context, that word means defecation, as in, “I stepped in dog sh*t.” Due to the vulgarity of this meaning, I suppose the argument could be made that a person should not say that word. But what if I wake up in the middle of the night, stub my toe on the door jamb, and yell, “Oh, sh*t!” What do I mean then? I mean, “Ow, that hurts!” I am neither talking about, referring to, nor thinking about defecation. “Sh*t!” literally means the exact same thing as “Ow!” Curiously enough, however, “Ow!” won’t land me in the doghouse with most of my Christian brothers and sisters nearly as fast as “Sh*t!” will. What a bunch of sh*t that is!
I think he makes a good point. But I’m still not convinced. Of course, it would take a whole lot to convince anyone who had been taught something for more than 20 years to change their mind.
What do you think?
Tags: Christianity, Language, Cussing
It’s all a fucking load of bullshit. What are words? Why can I say “penis” but not “cock”? What is the difference? Why can I say “have sex” but not “fuck”? What is the difference. Absurd.
If meaning is what’s most important, then shouldn’t you mean what you say? If you mean “Ouch!”, shouldn’t you simply say “Ouch!”?? As Christians, we should be concerned about the impression we make on others.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that wich is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
I’m a bit of a fence-sitter here, but I’m sure my objection to swearwords is mostly cultural. When we were in Germany, many years ago, we saw a canned drink by the name of ‘pschitt’ (or something of the sort)… evidently the word there wouldn’t have the connotations it does in English. But I’d still find it odd if someone says it.
I tend to agree that ‘ouch’ is the best thing to say when feeling pain, but if someone needs to express something stronger then we shouldn’t judge them. If they say, ‘Oh sugar!’ the word may be technically fine, but they’re probably only just avoiding the other word, which came to their mind.
And what if they say, ‘Oh poop!’ – which is a generally acceptable slang word for the same idea?
In the end I can only speak for myself. I don’t use known swearwords because I don’t like them, don’t find them necessary, and have cultural bias against them. But if someone else does, that’s between them and God.
Simon–
If you cared to read the article, you would have noticed that a lot of what he was talking about was the motivation behind the words.
Anonymous–
The problem with that is that legalism quickly becomes rampant.
Sue–
Thank you. I pretty much have the same view you do. I’m not going to condemn someone to hell for saying a cuss word, but I’m not going to say them myself. In the end, it is between you and God.
From a recent post on the subject:
“…people will defend their poor choice in words by saying “it’s just a word, words don’t mean anything.” I say “yeah, and ‘love’ is just a word. If someone says ‘I love you’, that must not mean anything either.”
It is also disturbing to hear some of the language I hear coming from the mouths of Christians these days. I mean words like “suck” or “pissed” are just not pretty words and I really can’t picture my Savior ever saying these things, so why should I? And if as Christians, we allow these terms to slip into our vocabulary, where do we draw the line?
James 3:10
“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”
Proverbs 16:23
“A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.”
Matthew 15:18
“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’”
Psalm 19:14
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Matthew 12:34
“…For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Ephesians 6:19
“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…”
Post: http://susanlprince.truepath.com/2006_05_01_newarchive.html#114678855345517396
One of the problems when discussing this issue is that for some cussing is seen as a clear and indentifable sin. So if somebody says a “bad” word then something is wrong with their spiritual life. Yet most have a double standard because they have their own vocabulary of Christian swear words: crap, dang, gosh, heck, etc. They are basically the same word, but they don’t carry the same stigma. So is it the word of the motivation?
On the other hand every time I read or listen to a Christian try to explain why it is okay to use these words it comes across as if they are trying to justify their behavior. As if they were trying to convince themselves along with me that cussing is okay.
This ultimately isn’t about saying certain words, but it is about controlling our tongues. James writes: “We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in evey other way” (James 2:2; NLT). Being able to control what we say, whether that be cussing or gossip, is a mark of spiritual growth. It is easy to let our tongues run wild, but it takes self-control to think before we speak.