This is the second part of the question from my friend Kyle. My tattoo answer is here.
I have two [questions].... tattoos and swearing..... I have my biblical ideas about them but wanted to see what someone else has on those two subjects.....
the idea that some words are bad to say vs. other words ex: holy shit vs. holy crap. the ever forbidden F word....
There is a strange balance when it comes to cussing. Nearly everyone agrees that it is a bad thing, and nearly everyone does it anyway. So, what can we glean from looking at this with a biblical perspective?
Just to clarify, when I say cussing I mean cussing, cursing, swearing, and any other way you want to say it. I will start with what is probably the most common biblical reference used against cussing, the 4th Commandment. I will go to the ever popular King James version for this one.
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord Thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who taketh his name in vain.”- Exodus 20:7
At some point I will do a post on the greater meaning of this commandment. Suffice it to say for now that spoken word is one part of a much larger meaning, but it is the part we are focused on today There is a reason for the Jewish practice of never speaking the Lord’s name when reading scripture. Misusing the name of God, and any variation thereof, is a sin. The reason for this is that such misuse shows disrespect for God. It is safer to never say the name rather than risk using it in vain.
“Oh my God!”
“Jesus!”
“Jesus Christ!”
Etc.
It is very common for people to exclaim one of these at a moment of anger, surprise, or other heightened emotional state, and it is wrong. Any use of God’s name that is not respectful of God is a sin. By far this is one of the most popular ways to cuss. Even people who admit this is wrong still have their own ways of trying to get by it, those sneaky little tricks where we toe the line and believe we haven’t crossed it. Now I am not innocent on this part, I slip up and say things sometimes as well.
“OMG!”
“Oh geez!”
“Cheese and rice!”
And others.
These are tame, but we don’t fool anyone when we say them. Most of these are thinly veiled ways to twist the name Jesus. There are others. Geez is by far the most common, and is generally considered pretty tame by cultural standards. Ask yourself though, why is it so popular? At this point I am going to quote the show Firefly.
“Simon, the whole point of swearing is that it ain’t appropriate.”
We all get a little rush from doing things that we know are not right, but we also have a sense of self preservation that often prevents us from fully committing to such things. Cussing in its various tame forms is considered a safe way to get a mild rush of endorphins while still staying safe. It may just be a western culture thing, but there is a reason why cursing in this way only ever seems to involve the name of God. Unless the person is deliberately being absurd or joking, you rarely hear cursing such as:
“Oh my Thor!”
“Buddha!”
I would be willing to bet that it is because of the ingrained sense in western culture that misusing the name of God is wrong, while figures from other religions are fair game.
Now, let’s move on and talk about cussing in other forms.
The bible was not written in English, therefore it technically doesn’t say anything about which English words are inappropriate (this goes for every other language not used in the bible). However, there are many places where the bible tells us to be wary of what we say.
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”- Ephesians 4:29
“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”- Colossians 3:8
“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”- James 3:10
“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak”- Matthew 12:36
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”- Proverbs 18:21
“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”- Matthew 5:22
These are only a handful of times where the Bible warns against the words we say. Every culture has an ever evolving list of bad words. There is an understood loose hierarchy for which words are the worst and which ones are tame. The words themselves are not the problem. As Jesus pointed out to his disciples when discussing hatred and lust, it is the heart that matters. The intention behind the words spoken is what makes them a sin. There are uses which are obviously wrong, and then there are uses where the distinction is much more gray and requires discernment and time with God. Cussing as a vocal sign of frustration, probably one of the most common uses, is not itself bad. We use it as a way to relieve some of the stress of the situation, potentially allowing us to refocus or otherwise move past what happened. However it can slide into sin depending on our own hearts. Discernment is key.
So what are some times when cussing is obviously a sin? When it is done with hatred, or malice, or any other ill intent against another person. If you know that someone has an issue with cussing, and you insist on doing it around them without a care to their feelings, that is a sin.
I will end this with the same verses from the tattoo post, because it is a similar issue that requires us to examine it in similar ways. Paul is discussing eating meat sacrificed to idols, but he extends the discussion to broader subjects. The entire chapter is well worth reading and contemplating.
“I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.” - Romans 14:14
“So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”- Romans 14:22-23
About the Author:
Stephen Mayo lives in Montana with his wife, daughter, corgi, and three cats.
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