#&^$*#(@ !!

For me it's something I have to confess I've picked up lately. My parents never swore or let us swear. I'll often let out dirty words, although I'll watch where and when I use them. Spiritually related words almost never come out, though. I'll let myself say dirty-ish words as filler, but not spiritual words, as those have meaning. It's the same with the Québecois "sacre" vocabulary, which is a lot of words related to communion and sacraments. I don't use those, except for one word that'll occasionally slip out if I'm not careful.

Oddly, it was being with other Christians who use some dirty words that normalized it for me. For sure it's not a clean habit, but I don't think it's destroying me or anything.

alldatndensum wrote:

I take magnesium daily.  It helps with circulation, too.  My arms and hands don't go numb as much at night when I sleep.

That probably has to do with nerve help. The mag supports the nerves. Weirdly, I found taking calcium in the evening caused my hands to go numb. Doc said it was my body telling me I no longer needed to take calcium.

We are complex creatures us humans.   

Driven wrote:

For me it's something I have to confess I've picked up lately. My parents never swore or let us swear. I'll often let out dirty words, although I'll watch where and when I use them. Spiritually related words almost never come out, though. I'll let myself say dirty-ish words as filler, but not spiritual words, as those have meaning. It's the same with the Québecois "sacre" vocabulary, which is a lot of words related to communion and sacraments. I don't use those, except for one word that'll occasionally slip out if I'm not careful.

Oddly, it was being with other Christians who use some dirty words that normalized it for me. For sure it's not a clean habit, but I don't think it's destroying me or anything.

My mouth runs absolutely foul when I'm recording. If I'm having trouble singing something, the profanity flies. In that case though, it's never in anger. It's like a way of laughing at myself and relieving any tension that might be making it hard for me to sing the part. Sometimes I'm not even aware I'm doing it and then I go back and listen to it and I've sung a whole verse of f***s (usually in a variety of voices or maybe running through a scale). It's hysterically funny. I can't see the Lord being offended by it...a man made word with a man made meaning assigned to it said in the privacy of one's home. I think where things get offensive is when we are cursing or when we have lost control of our angry emotions. Then, we are dishonouring. That's how I see it anyway.

Isaiah 6

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
__________________
Praise be to our God for atoning for our foul unclean mouths !!!!!

Amen. Brilliant verse and so so SO relevant here

Raca, Raca!

Staybrite wrote:

I also still use several vulgar words/phrases that many of my more conservative Christians really frown on. Such as "crap, pissed off, sucks, dang it".

I can understand the reaction to most of them, as they are minced oaths for the most part. If the "real" word is bad, and all you're doing is using a very similar word to express the same exact thing, is it really improvement? Somehow, using this word for feces in an emotional moment is intolerable, but using that word is acceptable...hmmm.

The one I don't understand is "sucks". How can people be offended by that? Unless it's the public display of negative emotion itself, like "get control of yourself and don't have childish outbursts".

Jen5 wrote:

Driven wrote:

For me it's something I have to confess I've picked up lately. My parents never swore or let us swear. I'll often let out dirty words, although I'll watch where and when I use them. Spiritually related words almost never come out, though. I'll let myself say dirty-ish words as filler, but not spiritual words, as those have meaning. It's the same with the Québecois "sacre" vocabulary, which is a lot of words related to communion and sacraments. I don't use those, except for one word that'll occasionally slip out if I'm not careful.

Oddly, it was being with other Christians who use some dirty words that normalized it for me. For sure it's not a clean habit, but I don't think it's destroying me or anything.

My mouth runs absolutely foul when I'm recording. If I'm having trouble singing something, the profanity flies. In that case though, it's never in anger. It's like a way of laughing at myself and relieving any tension that might be making it hard for me to sing the part. Sometimes I'm not even aware I'm doing it and then I go back and listen to it and I've sung a whole verse of f***s (usually in a variety of voices or maybe running through a scale). It's hysterically funny. I can't see the Lord being offended by it...a man made word with a man made meaning assigned to it said in the privacy of one's home. I think where things get offensive is when we are cursing or when we have lost control of our angry emotions. Then, we are dishonouring. That's how I see it anyway.

I don't do this when I am singing.  I just do another take until I get it right as I have no auto-tune.  I will do it when I am trying to get guitar parts right as I am not really a lead player.  I am doing my own leads out of necessity.  I'd be happy to turn this over to a much more seasoned player if I had one.

I also am more likely to swear if I am running late and get stuck in traffic.

I used to be of the same mindset that many folks here subscribe to: that foul language is simply man-made and therefore it’s the intent/context that really matters.  I think there’s some validity to that, though in general I’d disagree now.  If as Christians we’re to…
 
a)    Glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 1:10, etc.)
b)    Love God (1 John 5:3, Luke 10:27, etc.)
c)     Love others (1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:21, John 13:34, etc.)
d)    Represent Christ and take part in the Great Commission (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Ephesians 5, Matthew 28:16-20)
 
…and taking into account Colossians 3:5-10:
 

Colossians 3:5-10 wrote:

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

 
…then it seems to me like we shouldn’t be using language that’s been deemed as foul no matter the context or intent.  Is it inherently sinful to swear?  I’d say probably, though maybe not.  But why even go there?  Is it glorifying to God?  Most certainly not.  By swearing, are you loving God?  Depending on your interpretation of Colossians 3, no, since you’re not following His commands.  Is it loving to others?  Again, no.  Are you being a good representation/ambassador of Christ?  I don’t think so either.  It could be argued that it’s not bad to swear… but it’d be one extremely thin argument to suggest that it’s at all good.  However, I believe there’s a pretty strong argument against using foul language.  As humans, we like to push the boundaries and go right up to the edge.  So as [Christian] humans, we like to draw distinct lines between what’s sinful and what’s not, but how is even approaching that line – even if you don’t pass it – any good?
 
That begs the question of words like “darn” or the like.  While not edifying or honoring any, I don’t think those would fall under the “filthy language” umbrella.
 
I’ll also add that the people I’ve known in my life who I consider to be the most wise, godly, and good role models also happen to generally not swear.
 
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve definitely let some pretty foul and crude things come from my mouth, though it’s something that I don’t ever want to encourage, for:
 

Isaiah 5:20 wrote:

²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.

ChristTrekker wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

I also still use several vulgar words/phrases that many of my more conservative Christians really frown on. Such as "crap, pissed off, sucks, dang it".

I can understand the reaction to most of them, as they are minced oaths for the most part. If the "real" word is bad, and all you're doing is using a very similar word to express the same exact thing, is it really improvement? Somehow, using this word for feces in an emotional moment is intolerable, but using that word is acceptable...hmmm.

The one I don't understand is "sucks". How can people be offended by that? Unless it's the public display of negative emotion itself, like "get control of yourself and don't have childish outbursts".

I could understand a Christian's repulsion if I used any of those terms in "anger" but that wasn't what I was talking about.  Basically just using them in every day conversation.  I have softened a few of them like using "ticked off".  But when someone tells me something bad happened to them and I respond with a heart-felt "oh man that sucks", I don't expect them to get disgusted with me.

I've also been given the whole "a substitute teacher is still a teacher" argument, but I'm not buying it.  It sounds like someone trying to put their bias on me.  If someone steals my bicycle and I respond with any angry "That really pisses me off", I don't see it as any different from the fellow Christian who responds in anger with "I am sorely vexed".  If the anger is justified (or even unjustified) it looks the same to me. It's not as if I responded with an inappropriate "I'm gonna kill that f@%#&r if I catch him".

Quote :

I also am more likely to swear if I am running late and get stuck in traffic.

Oh man, that is me all the way. I'm so ashamed of my mouth and attitude while driving around what I label as "idiot drivers" - not cool, but I still do it.

Kerrick, yours is the post that balances this thread beautifully. Not what we "feel" or think is good, but what Scripture says. Great post brother. So true in every way

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Kerrick, yours is the post that balances this thread beautifully. Not what we "feel" or think is good, but what Scripture says. Great post brother. So true in every way

But . . . but Joel Osteen says . . . 

Candlemass wrote:

Raca, Raca!

You are in danger of the fires of hell!

When it comes to substitute words, I use the substitute words as words. I'm not autocorrecting from the real word, I'm using the word I mean to use, often without even thinking of the original. But that's me.

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Kerrick, yours is the post that balances this thread beautifully. Not what we "feel" or think is good, but what Scripture says. Great post brother. So true in every way

Haha thanks.    Something important to note too is that you should never go against your conscience.  If the Holy Spirit is convicting you for swearing, heed His convictions!  Remember Romans 14 that includes, "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."  This is in reference to food, but I think the same logic applies here as well.  Even *if* foul language isn't universally sinful, but if the Holy Spirit is telling you that for you it is, you should probably stop.  That section in Romans goes on to warn believers sternly NOT to do anything that causes others stumble -which is a good reminder for us all that if foul language is a stumbling block for Jim (or any of the rest of us), to not encourage him in swearing.  My two cents anyways (or is that four cents by now?).



Coincidentally (or not??? ), our Bible study last night was going through James 3:1-12: the taming of the tongue. 

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Kerrick, yours is the post that balances this thread beautifully. Not what we "feel" or think is good, but what Scripture says. Great post brother. So true in every way

But . . . but Joel Osteen says . . .  

kerrick wrote:

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Kerrick, yours is the post that balances this thread beautifully. Not what we "feel" or think is good, but what Scripture says. Great post brother. So true in every way

...and the one after was even better. Brilliant verses and so relevant.

This thread has really helped. Thank you everyone

Honestly, when it comes to matters of "unclean lips" I'm much more concerned about the cruel, unloving, mean-spirited, demeaning things we say than words we consider profanity.  That doesn't mean I'm gonna start talking like a rap video, but if the dreaded hammer-strikes-thumb expletive pops out, I'm not gonna sweat it.

Driven wrote:

When it comes to substitute words, I use the substitute words as words. I'm not autocorrecting from the real word, I'm using the word I mean to use, often without even thinking of the original. But that's me.

That's basically what it has become for me.  I have done it so often that when I exclaim "Son of a Biscuit"....I really mean Biscuit, not some other word.

Staybrite wrote:

Driven wrote:

When it comes to substitute words, I use the substitute words as words. I'm not autocorrecting from the real word, I'm using the word I mean to use, often without even thinking of the original. But that's me.

That's basically what it has become for me.  I have done it so often that when I exclaim "Son of a Biscuit"....I really mean Biscuit, not some other word.

Me three. 

kerrick wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

Driven wrote:

When it comes to substitute words, I use the substitute words as words. I'm not autocorrecting from the real word, I'm using the word I mean to use, often without even thinking of the original. But that's me.

That's basically what it has become for me.  I have done it so often that when I exclaim "Son of a Biscuit"....I really mean Biscuit, not some other word.

Me three. 

Me four!!!

Quote :

Honestly, when it comes to matters of "unclean lips" I'm much more concerned about the cruel, unloving, mean-spirited, demeaning things we say than words we consider profanity.  That doesn't mean I'm gonna start talking like a rap video, but if the dreaded hammer-strikes-thumb expletive pops out, I'm not gonna sweat it.

This, too!