Who Dictates What Is Considered Swearing?

[havok579257]

I have this internal debate with myself and I want to get everyone's opinion on this. Now on this board, people have said swearing(not blasphmy- cause that's to obvious) is a sin. That just swearing in everday conversation is considered a sin. so if this is true, who decides what words are considered a sin/swearing. Do we go off of secular society and what they view as swearing? Cause I have a problem if that is what we are to go off of. I mean look how secular society has changed words in the past, words which weren not considered bad, into so called swear words.

The word f@g used to mean cigerette. Although recently secular soceity has changed the word to be a term used to insult gay men and women.

We all know what word a donkey used to be called back in Jesus's time. Yet once again secular society has changed the menaing of the word to something bad.

The word gay used to mean happy and now look how secular society changed the word.

A female dog used to be called the b word and people said it all the time. Now its considered a horrible insult.

Same with the word hoe. Now its an insult to women.

So my question is, which words are considered words we shouldn't be saying. Or does it even matter so long as the words are not directed at anybody(I am leaning mmore towards this thinking. Unless its blasphmy, i don't think any word is inheretly bad). I mean what if ssecular society turns the word baptisim into a word synonomys(sp?) with orgies. should we not use the word baptism then.

Or is there somewhere the church says that such and such words are considered sinful.

Thoughts are appriciated?

[Galloglasses' Alt]

Swear words are only sinful in context, they're really just means by which to express emotion, its considered sinful when you use it in a delibertely offensive context against your neighbour.

And in response, your parents tell you whats considered swearing.

[havok579257]

[quote name='Galloglasses' Alt' post='1784644' date='Feb 18 2009, 03:10 PM']Swear words are only sinful in context, they're really just means by which to express emotion, its considered sinful when you use it in a delibertely offensive context against your neighbour.

And in response, your parents tell you whats considered swearing.[/quote]


but what if your parents never did, or what if their thoughts have changed over time. when i was a kid in the 80's it was obvious which words i would get in trouble for using. yet now, my parents use those same words. not directed at anybody, but just in general conversation. so that theory doesn't really work. more so if parents don't consider many words to be bad unless directed at someone else.

[Socrates]

[quote name='havok579257' post='1784635' date='Feb 18 2009, 04:01 PM']I have this internal debate with myself and I want to get everyone's opinion on this. Now on this board, people have said swearing(not blasphmy- cause that's to obvious) is a sin. That just swearing in everday conversation is considered a sin. so if this is true, who decides what words are considered a sin/swearing. Do we go off of secular society and what they view as swearing? Cause I have a problem if that is what we are to go off of. I mean look how secular society has changed words in the past, words which weren not considered bad, into so called swear words.

The word f@g used to mean cigerette. Although recently secular soceity has changed the word to be a term used to insult gay men and women.

We all know what word a donkey used to be called back in Jesus's time. Yet once again secular society has changed the menaing of the word to something bad.

The word gay used to mean happy and now look how secular society changed the word.

A female dog used to be called the b word and people said it all the time. Now its considered a horrible insult.

Same with the word hoe. Now its an insult to women.

So my question is, which words are considered words we shouldn't be saying. Or does it even matter so long as the words are not directed at anybody(I am leaning mmore towards this thinking. Unless its blasphmy, i don't think any word is inheretly bad). I mean what if ssecular society turns the word baptisim into a word synonomys(sp?) with orgies. should we not use the word baptism then.

Or is there somewhere the church says that such and such words are considered sinful.

Thoughts are appriciated?[/quote]
Short answer to the title question = "social convention."

Most four-letter cuss words aren't intrinsically evil in themselves, but are words traditionally considered vulgar/obscene and not fit to be heard in civil society.
Not that it's okay to have a potty mouth - as Christian speech should exercise decency and respect, and not be pointlessly offensive.

Most of the words you mention have little do with of religious vs. "secular society," and are actually quite old.
Historically, it goes back to the middle ages after England was conquered by the Normans, and Anglo-Saxon was considered the common or "vulgar" language, while the nobility spoke French. Old Anglo-Saxon words for various body parts and functions became regarded as obscene or vulgar, while equivalent words derived from French or Latin were considered more acceptable. These include most common four-letter dirty words like ass, s***, f***, etc.

"Ass" is actually a variation of "arse" and has a different root from the word from donkey, even though the two words are said and spelled the same.

Not sure of the origin of f@g, but that's been around a long time, and predates more politically-correct terms.

"B[font="Arial"]it[/font]ch" is a proper term for a female dog, but obviously is insulting and degrading when used to refer to a woman.

Nothing wrong with using a [i]hoe[/i] to tend a garden, but the word "ho" is just ghetto-talk for "whore" - obviously not a nice word.

While using these words in most contexts may not be mortally sinful, Christians are supposed to exercise decency in their speech and behavior, and idly using words traditionally regarded as obscene or foul is not good practice, and is a bad habit which should be avoided, being as Christians are supposed to talk of what is good and pure.

[Nihil Obstat]

[havok579257]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1784989' date='Feb 18 2009, 09:18 PM']Short answer to the title question = "social convention."

Most four-letter cuss words aren't intrinsically evil in themselves, but are words traditionally considered vulgar/obscene and not fit to be heard in civil society.
Not that it's okay to have a potty mouth - as Christian speech should exercise decency and respect, and not be pointlessly offensive.

Most of the words you mention have little do with of religious vs. "secular society," and are actually quite old.
Historically, it goes back to the middle ages after England was conquered by the Normans, and Anglo-Saxon was considered the common or "vulgar" language, while the nobility spoke French. Old Anglo-Saxon words for various body parts and functions became regarded as obscene or vulgar, while equivalent words derived from French or Latin were considered more acceptable. These include most common four-letter dirty words like ass, s***, f***, etc.

"Ass" is actually a variation of "arse" and has a different root from the word from donkey, even though the two words are said and spelled the same.

Not sure of the origin of f@g, but that's been around a long time, and predates more politically-correct terms.

"B[font="Arial"]it[/font]ch" is a proper term for a female dog, but obviously is insulting and degrading when used to refer to a woman.

Nothing wrong with using a [i]hoe[/i] to tend a garden, but the word "ho" is just ghetto-talk for "whore" - obviously not a nice word.

While using these words in most contexts may not be mortally sinful, Christians are supposed to exercise decency in their speech and behavior, and idly using words traditionally regarded as obscene or foul is not good practice, and is a bad habit which should be avoided, being as Christians are supposed to talk of what is good and pure.[/quote]


so we are called to not use words based on secular societies views of what makes a bad word. if this is the case words such as ass, ho, and a lot of others are no longer considered bad and are common place on tv and even radio stations. about the only place you will not hear ass is on a childs tv show. so then, by your rational, this is no longer considered a swear word.

[jeffpugh]

In Australia, "root" is a vulgar word. Go figure.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='havok579257' post='1785109' date='Feb 19 2009, 12:07 AM']so we are called to not use words based on secular societies views of what makes a bad word. if this is the case words such as ass, ho, and a lot of others are no longer considered bad and are common place on tv and even radio stations. about the only place you will not hear ass is on a childs tv show. so then, by your rational, this is no longer considered a swear word.[/quote]

Your logic is... if these words are used in secular media then they are no longer swear words.

I guess Jesus Christ isn't a swear word either.

[tinytherese]

In substitute of saying "What the Hell!" should we catholics say "What the Limbo!" or "What the Purgatory!"

[MissyP89]

Culture dictates what's unacceptable. We're to act with charity toward our neighbors, and that would include not offending them; therefore, culturally foul language is not acceptable for Christians.

I'd wouldn't call you an ass. Similarly, I wouldn't say bugger in England.