bad words
I can say anything I want to say. Language that is labeled as explicit is merely that set of words that society has identified as taboo—off limits, or at least outside the limits of pious or polite conversation. They are just words. What we identify as ‘swearing’ is not what Jesus had in mind when he said, “Do not swear….” What we identify as cursing is not what the Paul was referring to when he wrote, “…do not curse….” They are simply words to which our social group has given special status. They are not what is prohibited in the Bible.
What is prohibited in the Bible has to do with dishonesty and malice invoking the identity and power of God (or gods). When Jesus says, “Do not swear,” the rest of what he said was, “do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” He was saying that we ought to be the kind of people who don’t need to invoke God’s identity and power to convince people. We ought to be the kind of people who speak without manipulating people by invoking some other authority.
When Paul says, “Do not curse,” he was referring to malice toward others. He was referring to bad words like, “I wish you were dead.” Paul wrote, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” For me to curse someone is to intend injury or death on them, which is often an open door to inflict injury or death on them if sufficient opportunity arises.
For me, language used to be a marker of godliness. Godly people did not speak words that were off limits. In recent years, some of my closest allies in the Church have found a kind of freedom in their use of words that are taboo. I think bad words are words that are spoken with an intent to destroy someone or to be dishonest to someone. So I am not too offended when someone uses a word that our society has given ‘off limits’ status. They are just words.
The thing is that these words usually suffer from guilt by association. They are usually found hanging around attitudes of meanness, malice, and violence. They are usually skulking around hatred, anger, and ill will. Often they are standing out in front of these attitudes, hiding something more horrible behind them.
What concerns me is what is in our hearts. What concerns me is what makes bad words bad when I say them or hear them. Avoiding the use of certain words does not protect your heart from evil. A person might never utter a ‘taboo’ word and still be full of malice, anger, rage, and hatred. A person is able to ‘curse’ and ‘swear’ without using what we call ‘foul language.’
I can say anything I want to say. That said, I do also need to take into consideration what effect my words have on the people I am addressing. Will what I say help or hurt someone else? If I use words that are deemed ‘off limits’ by that person’s culture (which may also be my culture), and it injures them, I have misused language—I have made those words bad. I am for purity of speech, but I am more for purity of heart—which makes all speech pure.
What is prohibited in the Bible has to do with dishonesty and malice invoking the identity and power of God (or gods). When Jesus says, “Do not swear,” the rest of what he said was, “do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” He was saying that we ought to be the kind of people who don’t need to invoke God’s identity and power to convince people. We ought to be the kind of people who speak without manipulating people by invoking some other authority.
When Paul says, “Do not curse,” he was referring to malice toward others. He was referring to bad words like, “I wish you were dead.” Paul wrote, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” For me to curse someone is to intend injury or death on them, which is often an open door to inflict injury or death on them if sufficient opportunity arises.
For me, language used to be a marker of godliness. Godly people did not speak words that were off limits. In recent years, some of my closest allies in the Church have found a kind of freedom in their use of words that are taboo. I think bad words are words that are spoken with an intent to destroy someone or to be dishonest to someone. So I am not too offended when someone uses a word that our society has given ‘off limits’ status. They are just words.
The thing is that these words usually suffer from guilt by association. They are usually found hanging around attitudes of meanness, malice, and violence. They are usually skulking around hatred, anger, and ill will. Often they are standing out in front of these attitudes, hiding something more horrible behind them.
What concerns me is what is in our hearts. What concerns me is what makes bad words bad when I say them or hear them. Avoiding the use of certain words does not protect your heart from evil. A person might never utter a ‘taboo’ word and still be full of malice, anger, rage, and hatred. A person is able to ‘curse’ and ‘swear’ without using what we call ‘foul language.’
I can say anything I want to say. That said, I do also need to take into consideration what effect my words have on the people I am addressing. Will what I say help or hurt someone else? If I use words that are deemed ‘off limits’ by that person’s culture (which may also be my culture), and it injures them, I have misused language—I have made those words bad. I am for purity of speech, but I am more for purity of heart—which makes all speech pure.
posted by joel at 2:29 AM
1 Comments:
I find that in an emotionally open situation, particularly with men, when they are reaching far into the parts of their hearts that have been frozen... the 'off limits" words are versatile placeholders... they communicate complex emotions without disrupting the flow of having to formulate other less familiar words. In the flow of a conversation, the statement, "We were f**ked." is much easier and flows better than to stop the flow and say, "I became inextricably mired in a complex set of vaiables that made it impossible for me to even SEE a way out, much less make forward progress in that direction."
So many people, who value societal based norms over heart based relationship, cause those who would open up to walk away in disgust and frustration. They have mistaken the Gospel for an outward change that they themselves are honest enough to admit they cannot achieve... so they leave.
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