Thursday, 11 June 2009
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Featured Comment: Curse Words in the Bible?
In response to Curse Words in the Bible? posted yesterday, roadkill-spatula@xanga commented:In regard to language, both Jesus and Paul have strong things to say about language that tears people down. Jesus indicates that cursing people puts you in danger of judgment. Paul ranks gossip and slander with murder and sexual perversion. But both were earthy in their language. It makes me wonder if Jesus ever hit himself in the thumb with a hammer, and what Paul might have said if he stabbed himself in the thumb with a needle.
We have a spectrum of words for each delicate concept, from most civilized or acceptable to earthiest or crudest: excrement--poop--crap--sh*t, for instance, or copulation/sexual intercourse--making love--making whoopee--screwing--f*cking. While we have freedom within these spectra, we also have Paul's admonition: 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. This probably refers more to content than to vocabulary, but we don't need to be unnecessarily coarse.
I disagree with Pashe@xanga that one has to use profanity to maintain the respect of blue-collar workers who use it. People admire confident, secure people who know their jobs and are personable, regardless of whether those people talk like they do.
Profanity is sometimes a cover for insecurity. When I was in college, freshmen in my dorm used "f*ck" all the time. The seniors didn't.
Sometimes it's more effective to use educated language among those who don't, and conversely, to shake up the stuffed-shirts by using earthy language. Jesus and John the Baptist both shook up the people around them by calling the big-wigs things like "brood of vipers," "whitewashed tombs," and "that fox," but Jesus didn't call the Samaritan woman "whore," nor the woman taken in adultery, "slut," even though those were accurate descriptions. He was respectful to those who had been disrespected their whole lives.
Thanks to roadkill-spatula@xanga for their valuable input to the discussion!
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Comments (14)
Is poop any less unwholesome than shit? You spelled out poop, but wouldn't spell out shit, so in your reasoning, it must be. So tell us, why is shit more unwholesome than poop?
And then you're gonna respond with some answer about how because people think the word "shit" is worse that we shouldn't say it. But wasn't that the point of the author, that inherently shit is the same as poop, but subjectively people have made "shit" out to be some terrible word, when really it's not any worse than poop.
Christians need to become educated about "shit", and need to focus on more important issues.
mainly because it is just one of those words that has, through popular culture and overuse, been denigrated to such a status. If "poop" had undergone the same (over)(mis)use, then it too would also be considered a part of foul language. That, at least, is my understanding of what makes a word a "curse" or just a synonym.
Jesus did use the harsh word "rakkah" (I think that's it) in an example. Also, different translations of the Bible refer to prostitutes as "whores" (such as "The Whore of Babylon").
Well, I like this post! Well explained.
comment .
@BIGPHILLY82@xanga - Any *sterisks in this post are a Revelife edit, not mine.
I agree that it is more effective to use educated language as opposed to the opposite.
But is this comment just an addition to the post "Curse words in the Bible"? Or is it meant as an argument?
Because I'm pretty sure that post was not to encourage us to run around using profanity. But if this is just adding on to it, then that's great.
@Roadkill_Spatula@xanga - Lol, I love how the first commenter told you how you were going to respond. And then reading your very simple response to their "mini-attack".
"Profanity is sometimes a cover for insecurity. When I was in
college, freshmen in my dorm used "f*ck" all the time. The seniors
didn't."
So is using "educated" speech. Honestly anything can be used to cover for insecurity. I don't understand how profanity is somehow lesser simply because it can cover for insecurity when human beings use educated speech to not only distance themselves from other people, but historically used "educated" speech to deny some the right to vote, places to live... Let's not delude ourselves here and give some level of legitimacy to something that really is culturally relative.
p
I love what you are saying here. I just wanted to add a few of my own thoughts. Paticular words are deemed "curse" words by the cultural society. A word is not a curse word because of the letters that make it up, but because of how the people in that society specifically view the meaning of that word. These words are considered offensive to the general public, therefore I feel like Christians should be extra cautious to keep them out of their vocabulary. Basically, "out of the heart, the mouth speaks." Keeping these things out of your heart will surely keep them from coming out of your mouth.
@chosenandblessed@xanga - So by keeping shit(or fuck, or ass) out of your heart, you keep shit(or fuck, or ass) from coming out of your mouth...! So no fecal matter, intercourse or buttocks in my heart, no sir!
That reminds me....anyone see that Southpark Episode about Atheists...?
@subSacred@xanga - I wasn't speaking literally. Just wanted to clarify. If you are exposing yourself to obscenities, or any unwholsome thing for that matter, you will begin to think these things. Pretty soon you will be saying these things. It becomes natural and acceptable. If you are a person who uses profanity regularly it is hard to stop. Why? Its rooted in your thoughts, and ultimately your heart/spirit. The words will slip out unintentionally, and you probably won't even notice.
i would just like to point out that "whore" and "slut", unlike the other words you mention, are not merely considered foul language in some circles, but they are in themselves demeaning and dehumanizing to women. you have no way of knowing whether those women "deserved" those labels or not. you have to rely on the word of other people, of rumor mills. not the same as generic curse words. these words are used to demean and hurt only women.