Maybe I can get some insight here. Is taking the Lord’s name in vain - ie saying or thinking such words as (initializing) GD, JC, JHC, etc. - always a mortal sin, or does it become mortal after a point (as with impure thoughts)? If it is always a mortal sin, what is the justification of putting it on the same level as murder, rape, or other such heinous act? There doesn’t seem to be equal degrees of severity here.
It depends on what you mean…
“Taking the Lords name in vain” is more directly “taking the Lords name” in lying under oath in court …(see the CCC)…or to hide a crime…
But if you mean misuse through “profanity” (like when striking your thumb with a hammer and saying GD or other profane like things or other profane occasions)…while it is bad and should never be done…it can be often not grave …
But we really must avoid such…for we are the disciples of Jesus…and as one reads in the Acts of the Apostles…the Apostles praised God for being worthy to suffer for “the name”…
“Hollowed be thy name…”
Also it is important to note…for mortal sin one needs all three aspects: Grave matter, full knowledge and compete consent…see the Catechism and the Compendium of the Catechism. (such would apply also thoughts…to sexual thoughts, thoughts against God etc…read my post on thoughts)
(blasphemy though is grave matter…see CCC)
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Hi,
I wanted to submit some of the following from the CCC.
Cathechism of the Catholic Church
Paragraph 2143 - Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed name of God. God confied his name to those who believe in him, he reveals himself to them in his personal mystery. The GIFT of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy. “The Lord’s name is holy.” For this reason man must NOT abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He WILL NOT introduce it into his own speech except to BLESS, PRAISE, AND GLORIFY IT.
[empahsis mine.]
Paragraph 2144 - RESPECT FOR HIS NAME IS AN EXPRESSION of the respect OWED to the mystery of God himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes. *
Paragraph 2146 - The second commanment FORBIDS THE ABUSE OF GOD’S NAME, [emphasis CCC’s], i.e. every improper use of the names of God, Jesus Christ, but also the Virgin Mary and all the saints. [So GD, JC< and JHC would go here.]
And Bookcat was referring to this paragraph
Paragraph 2148
BLASPHEMY is directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God - INWARDLY or OUTWARDLY - words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one's speech; IN MISUSING GOD'S NAME. St. James condemns those "who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called." The prohibition of blasphemy extends to langauge against Christ's Church, the saints, and sacred things. It is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce people to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. The misuse of God's name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate religion.
BLASPEHMY IS CONTRARY TO THE RESPECT DUE GOD AND HIS HOLY NAME. IT IS IN ITSELF A GRACE SIN. - [wow and this refers me to Code of Cannon Law no. 1369]
I believe it is ALWAYS a mortal sin becuase the CCC spells it out quite plainly. As to why it is put on the level of murder and all that stuff. It goes against the respect and honor due to God.
What is the greatest commandemnt? To Love God with all your strength, your soul, your mind… ect. You don’t use someon’s name in vain that you love.
He is our Creator. He created us out of nothing. He did not have to create us, but he did. And we owe ALL our adoration and worship to him for this. Taking his name in vain goes against what we owe to him.
God Bless.*
I should add that such profanity could also “possibly” be serious due to scandal at times…(that would be due to some circumstance)…but again one would need full knowledge and complete consent.
Bookcat,
I had always thought that blasphemy and profanity was the same thing when it concerned the Lord’s name. I was thankful that you posted what you did. Thanks for posting the sources. It is always nice to have one’s horizons expanded especially when it fits the Magesterium of Holy Mother Church as your expansion does. Thank you very much.
God Bless.
Your very welcome.
Others too have been confused (including myself once upon a time!) …especially those with a great love for the Name of the Lord!
You will find more as well in texts of moral theology, works on Confession and (though s great deal is of course outdated or surpassed by the CCC) in the older local Catechism’s such as the one from the early 20th century for Rome “The Catechism of Pope Pius X” (named so for it was approved by him as I recall) and the one from the US called the Baltimore Catechism:catholicity.com/baltimore-catechism/lesson18.html (and there can be things that can make the sin worse…even grave…for example perhaps at times scandal …or the anger being directed at God etc…or it being of course blasphemny!)
Of Course no Christian should misuse the Holy Name.
Let us all praise the Holy Name and never ever use it in any sinful way…mortal or venial…for it is the Name of the Lord! The name of he who is God…who loves us and gives us true life. Remember too that New Testament speaks of Christians as those who “call upon the name of the Lord” (1 Cor 1:2) and Jesus taught us to pray …“hallowed be thy name”…
and when we hear others (hopefully not Christians!) misuse it…let us pray “praised be Jesus Christ” or “blessed be the name of the Lord” in reparation and for them…
=Swakachi;7948361]Maybe I can get some insight here. Is taking the Lord’s name in vain - ie saying or thinking such words as (initializing) GD, JC, JHC, etc. - always a mortal sin, or does it become mortal after a point (as with impure thoughts)? If it is always a mortal sin, what is the justification of putting it on the same level as murder, rape, or other such heinous act? There doesn’t seem to be equal degrees of severity here.
MOST OF THE TIME IT COULD NOT BE A MORTAL SIN.
Mortal.Sin .MUST be: 1. serious matter 2. known before hand to be serious matter 3. [freewill] desire to do it anyway.
While this is always a serious matter it is seldom premeditated and used in a manner that would [does] make it a GREVIOUS matter
G.D. “it” is as far as the east as from the west to** G.D. “YOU”** uttered with a plea to God to do just that to you; which is the ONLY way it would be a Mortal sin.
Habit, anger, lack of intent, lack of Pre-Meditiation all reduce this Horrible habit to a lesser sin.
THIS applies to the other profane words you bring up.
HOPE this helps you? If not please PM me and I’ll try again.
God Bless,
Pat
Hi Sweetie,
I think it is horrible to say it any old way. When I hear someone say it, I tell them not to do it. It makes me feel horrible, when I hear someone take our Lord’s name in vain. Praise Jesus!
Love ya’ll,
Sheila
But it is important note that all “misuse” of the name of God is not Blasphemy.
Some have been confused on this point.
Various authors distinguish between “profanity” and “Blasphemy” in using or rather misusing God’s name …or that of the Saints etc.
Profanity in this sense is to take what is holy (like the name of God) and use it in a profane (ordinary) way …often described as a venial sin…(or perhaps not a sin due to habit …or inadvertence etc)… still of course something not to be done!
Blasphemy on the other hand is objectively gravely sinful…which in this sense would be to use the name of God in a way that expresses hatred etc towards God (or similar…see the CCC for more details)
The Catechism notes that Blasphemy “consists in uttering against God - inwardly or outwardly - words of hatred, reproach, or defiance” and then it would seem to note ways which one can do this…like one can murder with a knife, a gun or a bomb…
So if one was to misuse the name of the Lord in a “Blasphemous way” …then that would certainly be grave matter…
Here is the CCC for the full treatment: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7I.HTM and vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7J.HTM (one will also note there that technically what using God’s name in vain is)
Hardon: catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=32193
of course talk with your confessor too as to particular questions that come up for you.
Oh and Mortal and venial sin in general: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6C.HTM
Let us “hallow” his name…let us bless it …praise it… especially the name: Jesus
Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever!
I have actually been confused about this lately.
I have read the section of the CCC on this matter several times - it states that [blasphemy] “consists in uttering against God - inwardly or outwardly - words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one’s speech; in misusing God’s name.”
This seems to be saying that a misuse of God’s name is an example of blasphemy. And yet, the next passage says “Oaths which misuse God’s name, though without the intention of blasphemy, show lack of respect for the Lord,” seeming to imply that not all misuse of God’s name is blasphemous.
Also, the Catholic encyclopedia discusses the force of habit in regards to blasphemy - this seems to suggest that they are discussing the use of God’s name as an expletive (I have never heard of one blaspheming in other ways from the force of habit).
And yet, the BC says that using God’s name to express, for instance, surprise or anger is veniel matter ordinarily.
What is the BC?
God bless.
Yes the misuse in such a manner can be “venial” …(as much as I love the Name of Jesus et al ) as profanity… (but as noted above there are things that can make it worse…and one could blaspheme to in this manner…as noted above )
(but please readers…even if one would commit venial sin here…*please *this is one that must go! Just remove it from such use…for we are Christians …those who “call upon the name of the Lord” (in the right way!))
The Catechism notes that Blasphemy “consists in uttering against God - inwardly or outwardly - words of hatred, reproach, or defiance” and then it would seem to note ways which one can do this…like one can murder with a knife, a gun or a bomb…
Yes it can confuse one until one realizes that the CCC in that paragraph seems to be listing ways one can do such…like as I said one can murder with a knife or a gun or a bomb (all can be used too in good ways or in less seriously sinful ways) (It had me confused once upon a time)
The Second Commandment forbids every misuse of the Name of God et al…Blasphemy is certainly one way to do this…and objectively Blasphemy certainly is one misuse that is grave matter (another is a false oath)…but blasphemy is more than just misusing the name of the Lord.
catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=32193
(one can find this in a recent work by an Opus Dei Priest written to help Priests hear confessions (Guidebook for Confessors)…as well as in works of moral theology ie older manuals etc)
Let us praise and bless the Holy Name!
And never misuse it --for we are disciples Jesus Christ…we are Children of light…Children of God…only praise of the Holy Name should be heard by anyone from our lips…
PS…“the BC” above is not “the Bookcat”…hummm…but I think I like that sound of that…sort of superhero-like…the Bookcat 
…he means “the Baltimore Catechism” which was a local US Catechism from years back before the CCC catholicity.com/baltimore-catechism/lesson18.html
It seems to me that if a person does this so often that it becomes habit, that they’ve dulled their conscience to the point where it is a meaningless word, this seems to me an increase of sin, not a lessening. It’s like allowing a momentary sin to take root and grow so as to make it very difficult to change the habit. Maybe there’s a lack of premeditation, but the sin preceding of allowing it to move into your ‘house’ and make a comfortable home there where the Holy Spirit is to dwell, seems greater. I think this is why confession is so important, to toss out such a habit on its ear and tell it *you have no place here and are not welcome!
*
Yep pull the weeds out of the garden before they completely take over. Many are the graces of frequent Confession. I liked your post, it just reached out and grabbed me because I am struggling with the habit of jumping out of bed and not praying to God in the morning first thing, and then remembering later on in the day. I was wanting to see what would be the best way in breaking this habit of thoughtlessness and carelessness on my part, and I believe that Confession would help.
God bless you.
Bookcat,
I thought he was referring to your post and thought he was abbrevaiting your name lol. So I guess that’s two of us who like the sound of BC being TheBookcat. I love the name by the way. Baltimore Catechism who’d a thunk it?
God bless.
I actually have signed posts or pms at times BC 
so I had to look more than once at the post…
Thanks 