Swearing
We had a brief conversation about swearing at Bible study last night, and I've been reflecting on it ever since. Then I had Ephesians 4:29 land in my inbox today:
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Somehow this doesn't feel like a coincidence, so I'm taking it as prodding to raise the subject here.
I would consider myself as having a lower tolerance for swearing than most other people my age. An example: although I can understand that cr-p is now totally acceptable in many environments, I don't often use it myself, I feel 'dirty' when I do, and it does bother me when I hear it from my Christian friends.
What I'm wondering is,
- am I just being hyper-sensitive, and should I be more willing to engage in the world
- or should we as Christians watch what we say more carefully, so as not to offend people with anything but the gospel
- or is it just a matter of 'it doesn't really matter, stick with what you feel comfortable with' (eg Romans 14)
posted by Petrina @ 12:09 pm
2 comments
2 Comments:
Thanks for dropping by, John.
And thanks, Petrina, for the post.
I've been thinking alot about this since I read it yesterday. No answers, but a few thoughts.
1. I think that language is a fluid thing - what is considered 'obscene' in one generation or context may be merely 'course'in another or even perfectly acceptable in another still. And I don't think we need to take a 'what is the world coming to!' posture when we notice changes happening in our language. It's how language works.
2. I think that 'swear' words fit into 3 categories: those with their roots in God/Jesus/Lord/heaven type ideas (blasphemy?), alternate terms for rubbish (often related to the toilet), and sexual terms. I will not use terms from the third category, but I'll use an occasional milder word from the second category. Apparently the word 'golly' belongs to the first category and some Christians I know will not say it for that reason. And perhaps if I had lived 4 generations ago I wouldn't have said it. I don't have trouble with it now.
3. There is a veneer of godliness that many of us apply over the top of our christian lives to make us seem righteous and hide from others what's happening underneath. Having an especially clean mouth (which is often a result of having been carefully raised - praise God!) can be a part of this veneer. This veneer sees godliness more as the absence of any obvious sin than as the presence of particular virtues. I think we need to work hard to loose the christian veneer. It confuses us and others about what the christian life is really about. Perhaps an occasional 'on the edge' word could help in this. [Though it would probably be more helpful if we just learnt to relate more honestly with eachother...]
What do others think?
I agree Helen, most often I decide by whether or not I'd like to hear a child use the word.
For some reason I've started using 'My Giddy Aunt' recently, which is not something that I really want to get into the habit of. So if you hear me use it, please stop me! And perhaps suggest an alternative that is neither a swear word nor something that only my great-grandmother would have used...
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