Are Catholics allowed to say bad words?

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Costner said:
I mostly use the Word " sh^t" and the F word, but I never say them to insult anyone like for example, " F you!". I use curse words when I say stuff like " F that Sh^t", “Sh^t happens”, " F no", " this is bullzhiit", " F yeah!" etc. so is this in anyway a sin? Some of my Protestant family members say its a sin.
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Words have meanings. Think about the meanings of the words you’re using, and consider whether you are making any sense.

Most people don’t like to hear those words and would be offended even if you were to use them correctly, but it is a sin against the English language and against your own intelligence to go around using them as stand-ins for, “Well, this is dreadfully inconvenient,” or “Oh wow, that was fun.”
 
Well, I don’t really like bad words. They make me feel uncomfortable (Not that I ever stop anyone around me from saying them), and I always felt bad when I said them when I was a young teenager and wanted to be seen as “cool”. The question I always ask myself is this: If the Pope said this, would I be offended? If so, why am I putting standards on the Pope that I do not give myself? Am I not to strive for holiness just as he is striving for holiness?
 
I once had a friend who liked to use the Lord’s name in vain. So I started using his name everytime I got mad. I’d say XXXXXXXXXXXXX! (where X=his name). He got sooo mad you wouldn’t believe it.

So how do you think God feels?
 
AHapka said:
I once had a friend who liked to use the Lord’s name in vain. So I started using his name everytime I got mad. I’d say XXXXXXXXXXXXX! (where X=his name). He got sooo mad you wouldn’t believe it.

So how do you think God feels?
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It’s a sin. Thats what I was taught. I will say though Jesus would be more forgiving depending on the situation. Say you trip on the ice and say “Oh ****” than if you are just talking with your friends. Granted its still a sin, but not as bad. Sadly we even had a shop teacher in my catholic high school who shot a nail through his foot. The first thing that popped out of his mouth was the f word. We were shocked because he was an extremely holy man who’d never say anything like that normally. So I think there’s a difference between that and just saying “f this” around anybody
 
WildCatholic said:
It’s a sin. Thats what I was taught. I will say though Jesus would be more forgiving depending on the situation. Say you trip on the ice and say “Oh ****” than if you are just talking with your friends. Granted its still a sin, but not as bad. Sadly we even had a shop teacher in my catholic high school who shot a nail through his foot. The first thing that popped out of his mouth was the f word. We were shocked because he was an extremely holy man who’d never say anything like that normally. So I think there’s a difference between that and just saying “f this” around anybody
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What about the phrase “Oh My God!” or OMG as texters put it? My wife says that is sinful. Any ideas?
 
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that those of you who think cussing is a sin don’t come from big, loud Irsh Catholic families from Southie 😃

I don’t think cussing is necessarily sinful. There’s a time and a place. I think intent is everything. If the intent is to insult or harm, then sure. If it’s just part of an expression or casual conversation among friends, I think it’s fine.
 
JackieMom said:
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that those of you who think cussing is a sin don’t come from big, loud Irsh Catholic families from Southie 😃
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Perhaps this is the reason that big loud Catholics from Southie aren’t taken seriously, and don’t get offered important leadership positions.
I don’t think cussing is necessarily sinful. There’s a time and a place. I think intent is everything. If the intent is to insult or harm, then sure. If it’s just part of an expression or casual conversation among friends, I think it’s fine.
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And I will continue to think that for people who want to be taken seriously, and who want to develop their talents and grow them to their full potential, it’s important to communicate effectively - which means that you have to mean what you say, and say what you mean, without using words that mean something completely different from what you are trying to say, or that are likely to distract from the message that you are trying to convey. 🙂
 
Costner said:
I’m not directly insulting anyone when I curse. I don’t say " f you" to anyone or call someone " a F-ing idiot". But yeah I’ll be sure to talk to a Priest about it.
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How old are you?
 
Costner said:
I mostly use the Word " sh^t" and the F word, but I never say them to insult anyone like for example, " F you!". I use curse words when I say stuff like " F that Sh^t", “Sh^t happens”, " F no", " this is bullzhiit", " F yeah!" etc. so is this in anyway a sin? Some of my Protestant family members say its a sin.
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Yes it’s not a sin so long as it is not an attack or misuse of a saint’s or god’s name.
Like using God’s name as an exclamation point or as a cuss word.

Asking God or the devil to curse someone when it is out of hate is a sin as well. If it is more you’re zealous with honor for the Lord for him to punish sinners it is not. I remember an Old Testament prophet (Elijah’s successor?) cursed some people for some sort of disrespect and they were promptly killed by a bear.
 
Cursing is often just color added to speech, in my opinion. If it is every other word though it can get a little annoying and make you look like an idiot. I remember watching a comedy skit in which the guy constantly used curse words. It ruined the whole thing.
 
A prophet cursed in 4 Kings 2:23-24 “And he went up from thence to Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, little boys came out of the city and mocked him, saying: Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. [24] And looking back, he saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord: and there came forth two bears out of the forest, and tore of them two and forty boys.”

Note in bible: [24] Cursed them: This curse, which was followed by so visible a judgment of God, was not the effect of passion, or of a desire of revenging himself; but of zeal for religion, which was insulted by these boys, in the person of the prophet; and of a divine inspiration: God punishing in this manner the inhabitants of Bethel, (the chief seat of the calf worship,) who had trained up their children in a prejudice against the true religion and its ministers.
 
It’s up to your prudential judgment, of course; the Church doesn’t pass judgment on particular words.

I tend to find the usual arguments that cussing is immoral unpersuasive; most either beg the question or are otherwise extremely tenuous. Particularly in the case of a word like “sh*t,” which doesn’t even have an immoral or religious connotation like some obscenities, I’ve never heard a remotely convincing argument that using it is a sin.

patheos.com/blogs/barefootandpregnant/2013/01/those-damn-four-letter-words.html

Maybe I’ll respond to some particular arguments later if I’m feeling chipper.
 
Transformer said:
It’s up to your prudential judgment, of course; the Church doesn’t pass judgment on particular words.

I tend to find the usual arguments that cussing is immoral unpersuasive; most either beg the question or are otherwise extremely tenuous. Particularly in the case of a word like “sh*t,” which doesn’t even have an immoral or religious connotation like some obscenities, I’ve never heard a remotely convincing argument that using it is a sin.

patheos.com/blogs/barefootandpregnant/2013/01/those-damn-four-letter-words.html

Maybe I’ll respond to some particular arguments later if I’m feeling chipper.
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It’s about speaking the truth. Does “sh*t” have anything to do with the truth of the message you are trying to convey? If not, then don’t use that word.

And if it does, consider the audience. Is the use of that word (rather than a more polite synonym) likely to distract from your message? Again, if so, don’t use it.

For example, should your doctor say to you, “If you see blood in your *, come and see me straight away,” or would you rather he say to you, “If you see blood in your bowel movement, come and see me straight away.”

Which phrasing inspires more confidence that he has enough education to be able to fix the problem?
 
jmcrae said:
Perhaps this is the reason that big loud Catholics from Southie aren’t taken seriously, and don’t get offered important leadership positions.

And I will continue to think that for people who want to be taken seriously, and who want to develop their talents and grow them to their full potential, it’s important to communicate effectively - which means that you have to mean what you say, and say what you mean, without using words that mean something completely different from what you are trying to say, or that are likely to distract from the message that you are trying to convey. 🙂
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Not sure what you’re saying. When I choose to use a cuss word, I always make sure it’s in the most unambiguous context. I wouldn’t go to a job interview and drop the “f” word, or use it in casual conversation with strangers, but having a few glasses of wine with my sisters? Telling my husband about something that’s really upsetting me? Coming up with the perfect text response to a friend who is having a rough day? I don’t think I’m misconstruing my meaning there.

I don’t think people who cuss aren’t taken seriously. People who cuss at inappropriate times are. Ever worked in a restaurant or in an operating room? Don’t if you can’t handle some rough language!
 
jmcrae said:
It’s about speaking the truth. Does “sh*t” have anything to do with the truth of the message you are trying to convey? If not, then don’t use that word.

And if it does, consider the audience. Is the use of that word (rather than a more polite synonym) likely to distract from your message? Again, if so, don’t use it.

For example, should your doctor say to you, “If you see blood in your *, come and see me straight away,” or would you rather he say to you, “If you see blood in your bowel movement, come and see me straight away.”

Which phrasing inspires more confidence that he has enough education to be able to fix the problem?
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No one is suggesting we replace clinical terms with cuss words. But no one says, “oh, bowel movement!!” when they stub their toe on the leg of the bed.
 
JackieMom said:
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that those of you who think cussing is a sin don’t come from big, loud Irsh Catholic families from Southie 😃

I don’t think cussing is necessarily sinful. There’s a time and a place. I think intent is everything. If the intent is to insult or harm, then sure. If it’s just part of an expression or casual conversation among friends, I think it’s fine.
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👍
 
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