How Do You Handle It When People Misuse God's Name Around You?

[King's Rook's Pawn]

I have a difficulty in figuring out how to deal with this issue. I'm just about the only practicing Christian I know. Many of the people close to me take the Lord's in vain habitually, "Jesus!" this and "Jesus!" that.

Sometimes I try to politely correct them, but it's habitual and since they are not Christians, they have no incentive to stop. If I tried to correct them each and every time, I think they would just be annoyed by all my nagging. They might try to stop in front of me just so I wouldn't say anything, but they wouldn't really change. So would it not backfire to nag them all the time and coming across as an irritating representative of Christianity? Yet when I just let it pass, I feel guilty that I'm just letting it happen. So what do I do?

Does anyone else have these situation, and how do you deal with it?

[Veridicus]

Just tell them you find it insulting and culturally ignorant to use the name of Jesus offensively like that. Explain to them that it is disrespectful and condescending in the same sense that saying "That pawn shop jew'ed me over when I sold them my watch" or using the "N" word to refer to black people. It's insensitive and insulting and they should respect you enough not to say it even if they themselves have no religious reason not to use His name in vain.

[goldenchild17]

[img]http://coloradoright.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/monkey_fingers_in_ears.jpg[/img]

[Slappo]

I say under my breath or in my head "Blessed be the name of Jesus" every time I hear the name of Jesus or God used in vain.

[rhetoricfemme]

I'm still trying to figure this one out. I usually flash people a look. If it's in my house, however, then that's just not okay.

I'm not fond of any bad language used in my house. Sometimes my husband will bring a friend home who hasn't been there before, and doesn't know me. It's just tacky to visit someone's home and use curse words and epithets.

[Marie-Therese]

I try to politely ask them to be respectful of the Lord in my presence. Most people understand and will comply once they know I am a person of faith.

If that doesn't work, I carry a big stick to employ for just such a purpose. Don't mess with a redhead carrying a shillelagh.

[Sternhauser]

[quote name='King's Rook's Pawn' date='06 March 2010 - 09:09 PM' timestamp='1267927757' post='2067733']
I have a difficulty in figuring out how to deal with this issue. I'm just about the only practicing Christian I know. Many of the people close to me take the Lord's in vain habitually, "Jesus!" this and "Jesus!" that.

Sometimes I try to politely correct them, but it's habitual and since they are not Christians, they have no incentive to stop. If I tried to correct them each and every time, I think they would just be annoyed by all my nagging. They might try to stop in front of me just so I wouldn't say anything, but they wouldn't really change. So would it not backfire to nag them all the time and coming across as an irritating representative of Christianity? Yet when I just let it pass, I feel guilty that I'm just letting it happen. So what do I do?

Does anyone else have these situation, and how do you deal with it?
[/quote]

Depending on the circumstances, I sometimes say quite matter-of-factly, "Blessed be His Name." At work, in public, anywhere. They don't have a right to abuse His Name, and I've got every right to stick up for it, no matter where I am. Don't be cowed by people who take His name in vain. Take it back. His name belongs to people who respect it.

~Sternhauser

Edited March 7, 2010 by Sternhauser

[Saint Therese]

I've thought about saying "Amen!" really loudly, and then start a conversation with them about the glories of the Holy Name, as if they were meaning to use the Name in a reverential manner.

[Ed Normile]

My first cousin was baptized catholic, his father was a non practising protestant, he casually uses god-d** in every conversation he has with anybody. I have told him about it, and I have asked him to not do this but it is a bad habit he incorporated into his speech pattern. I found this prayer which I have memorized and try to say it to myself each time he spouts this blasphemy from his mouth.

The Golden Arrow

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most mysterious and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in heaven, on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen

(This prayer was revealed by Our Lord to a Carmelite Nun, Sr. Mary of St. Peter of Tours in 1843, "This Golden Arrow will wound My Heart delightfully", He said, "and heal the wounds inflicted by blasphemy."

imprimatur T.J. Toolen, Archbishop of Mobile-Birm.

It makes me feel better at least!

ed

[Thy Geekdom Come]

If the person saying the Holy Name is one of my students, I tell them not to curse. If it's someone else, I usually pray, "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ" quietly.

[KeenanParkerII]

When non-Catholics or non-Christians say "OMG" or "Jesus Christ", I don't say anything. But if a Catholic or Christian says it, especially if they know better, I correct them.

[Deb]

It happens at work now and then and I will tell the person that it offends me greatly when they use the Lord's name in that way. I haven't
had anyone become angry over my comment. I will also say a prayer for that person that they will learn to think before they speak. Praying, "Blessed be the Holy Name of Jesus" out loud, is also a good way to let someone know you don't appreciate their comment, without even addressing it directly.

[Saint Therese]

I think we should distinguish using swear words, cursing, and blasphemy. The topic of this thread is blasphemy, not just using swear words.

[Slappo]

Someone at work actually recently asked me if I was offended when they used God as a word in reference to something other than the God of the Universe. They of course didn't ask me the question with such eloquence... but asked none the less.

I told them that it offends me, but that it isn't something that I would get angry about, and that it more saddens me than angers me. She's working on stopping. She actually said it two or three times in a row the other day, the first time she said it she caught herself, and said it again in reference to her catching herself, "bleep i did it again!"... I had to smile and laugh a little about it because of how thankful I was for her trying to do better, and I think that was much more encouraging then getting upset.

[zunshynn]

Just this other day actually a coworker asked me to "explain using God's name in vain"... I was kind of like, okay, what about it?

As it turns out, he just really did not get what the big deal was... he was kind of like, "well, if I say *** ****, I want him to beaver dam that thing or whatever, so it's really not in vain. "

So I had to start by explaining that God does not beaver dam anyone or anything arbitrarily... and actually that people really beaver dam themselves. He still didn't quite get it, because his understanding of God is that, at least in the Old Testament, God really was all about just damning everything... which gave me an opportunity to talk about how God, even in the Old Testament, has always been both merciful and just... that if you really read the OT, His mercy is overwhelmingly present, that the picture of him as vengeful is really largely motivated by an agenda of things taken out of context. He kind of got that, but still didn't really see the big deal with using the Lord's name in vain.

But what finally made sense to him was that I asked him how he would feel if people constantly used his name advocating behavior or ideas that he didn't approve of. He was like, "yeah, I guess I'd be pissed... so God doesn't like when you ask him to beaver dam things because that isn't what he wants... yeah I guess I get that."

It was interesting, because that just seemed so logical to me... I would not have thought that explanation would have done anything... But actually, when he rephrased what I was saying, I was struck by the paradox that people often think God is obsessed with damnation, when in fact, they are the ones constantly demanding that He do so!