Cursing a Sin?

[tulips]

I’ve gotten into a bad habit of cursing. I went to confession today & I’ve already cursed since then. It slipped right out before I could stop it. I also said at one point today “Oh my _od” Is that taking the Lord’s name in vain. This mortal versus venial sins thing is sooooo confusing to me as a convert. I feel like such a big huge sinful mess. I might as well live in the confessional. My question is are any of the things I said considered mortal? Thanks.

 

[baltobetsy]

Tulips, you must really mean to commit a mortal sin. When a word just slips out, you have not thought about it long enough, if at all, to be mortally sinful. Apologize to our merciful Lord and move on. Keep trying to clean up your speech, perhaps by consciously choosing something else to say. I had a friend who substituted “begonias” for all the bad words.

Betsy

 

[cecilia97]

Tulips, you must really mean to commit a mortal sin. When a word just slips out, you have not thought about it long enough, if at all, to be mortally sinful. Apologize to our merciful Lord and move on. Keep trying to clean up your speech, perhaps by consciously choosing something else to say. I had a friend who substituted “begonias” for all the bad words.

Betsy

This is something I have to work on all the time too. I recommend “horse puckey”…it’s satisfying to say but cleaner than the alternative. “Rat farts” is a favorite of mine, too, as stupid as it sounds.

 

[kleary]

I’ve gotten into a bad habit of cursing. I went to confession today & I’ve already cursed since then. It slipped right out before I could stop it. I also said at one point today “Oh my _od” Is that taking the Lord’s name in vain. This mortal versus venial sins thing is sooooo confusing to me as a convert. I feel like such a big huge sinful mess. I might as well live in the confessional. My question is are any of the things I said considered mortal? Thanks.

The name of God is told to us in Scripture and He has many names such as Jehovah and Yaweh. He also has a name and His name is “Jesus” in English.

In order for what you say to be “taking the Lord’s name in vein” you would actually have to use His Name in vein, being the way you refer to God- even as “God”.

Now in order for that to be “mortal sin” you have to be in control of yourself I believe…you have to have the ability to say, “No I will not do that” and have the ability to refrain from doing it. Having “G+D dam+ i+” slip out I would not consider “mortal sin”, possibly venial sin since it happened when an announcement came to me that threw me off balance and “God” is not His Name…just his Nature.

As far as “foul language” goes I was always taught it is not mortal sin unless you use it “in malice towards another”. So “hanging out with the guys” and using the " f " word in conversation is not sinful since you are not intending to offend someone by using it.

Ken

 

[tulips]

Thanks you all. I definately didn’t mean to curse. It’s just a horribly bad habit. I like the alternative words you use cecilia97. The words are very funny .

 

[m134e5]

I’ve gotten into a bad habit of cursing. I went to confession today & I’ve already cursed since then. It slipped right out before I could stop it. I also said at one point today “Oh my _od” Is that taking the Lord’s name in vain. This mortal versus venial sins thing is sooooo confusing to me as a convert. I feel like such a big huge sinful mess. I might as well live in the confessional. My question is are any of the things I said considered mortal? Thanks.

Cursing is neither a venial sin nor is it a mortal sin- it isn’t a sin at all. It’s just bad manners. Taking the Lord’s name in vain is a venial sin if you just say it out of surprise or out of habit, but it is a mortal one if you say it any you intend to blaspheme God.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Why don’t you join me in setting up a “swear jar” this Lent, and dropping a dollar in every time you say something off color? Give the money to some charity you consider worthy, or even some person who could use it.

 

[aetratus]

Why don’t you join me in setting up a “swear jar” this Lent, and dropping a dollar in every time you say something off color? Give the money to some charity you consider worthy, or even some person who could use it.

I’ll drop fifty bucks in my own jar every morning, and when Lent’s over, I’ll take the money out and start paying bills again.:whacky:

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Cursing is neither a venial sin nor is it a mortal sin- it isn’t a sin at all. It’s just bad manners.

As kleary pointed out, there are times when foul language can be sinful when there is a sinful intent for using it (to detract, insult, offend, etc.). I have to say this is a hard adjustment for me to make since the nuns drilled into me so well that cursing is a sin that it’s hard for me to bring myself to do it even when quoting someone else. Their innacurate moral theology will affect me the rest of my life.

 

[chevalier]

I don’t buy the idea that cursing is only a sin if maliciously used as an insult. I don’t see that much of a problem with an occasional bad word that just slips, but I refuse to find any theological justifications for the choice to be vulgar. Would Jesus swear? The Pope? The bishop? A monk? A priest most of the time? Why am I getting the feeling they would feel the urge to confess cussing, to say an Ave Maria for each one, whatever?

I suppose even breaking the social taboos about it might already be a sin. I don’t know… could you just repeat the four letter verb a hundred times without feeling bad about it?

 

[kujayhawk]

Cursing is using God’s name and requesting (wishing) that He send someone (or something) to Hell. Period. To do so intentionally is a grave sin. To do so out of some kind of bad habit while not really intenting what was said, has to addressed in the spiritual life of that person.

Swearing is calling upon God to witness the truth of what is said.

Using God’s name when not speaking to Him or about Him, but to show some emotion such as surprise, is taking God’s name in vain. A tacky habit, unbecoming to someone who takes his/her faith seriously. A hard habit to break but it can be done.

One should not confess the sin of cursing when what was done was taking God’s name in vain.

 

[G_S]

Cursing is using God’s name and requesting (wishing) that He send someone (or something) to Hell. Period. To do so intentionally is a grave sin. To do so out of some kind of bad habit while not really intenting what was said, has to addressed in the spiritual life of that person.

Swearing is calling upon God to witness the truth of what is said.

Using God’s name when not speaking to Him or about Him, but to show some emotion such as surprise, is taking God’s name in vain. A tacky habit, unbecoming to someone who takes his/her faith seriously. A hard habit to break but it can be done.

One should not confess the sin of cursing when what was done was taking God’s name in vain.

Cursing could involve a bit less than that. It could be asking that someone drop dead, become ill, lose their mind or their job… Cursing is the opposite of blessing.

To take in vain means to take in empty-ness, without meaning. A casual, meaningless use of God’s name should be taken much more seriously. The post-exilic Jews even refrained from speaking the name of God. Many Jews even today spell God as G-d out of respect for his name. Perhaps an exaggerated reverence… but, then again, perhaps not.

Profanity or foul speech could involve the use of scatological or sexual terms. The context in which they are used would determine their possible sinfulness.

 

[dolphinlove]

I got it…
Put an elastic around your wrist, every time you curse, flick it, it hurts and will remind you QUICKLY not to curse again!