Cursing

[Banff9]

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could help me out here. A good friend of mine constantly swears and the reason he gives why he doesn’t stop is that, “The Bible doesn’t say that the word he spoke is a curse word.” I was wondering if anyone has a good way to counteract the words he said.

 

[Bonnie]

Picky, picky! (Your friend, not you!)

Matthew 5:33-37 and James 5:12. Both would also apply to uncouth words.

 

[Louishacker]

Usually when people speak of swearing cursing or cussinng they mean using filthy words and speach.If your friend has this problem, here is a short article about the problem containing Bible quotes:

Vulgarity and Innuendo

"The final category under consideration is vulgarity and innuendo.Included in this category are: dirty jokes, sexual implications and undertones, filthy language referring to bodily functions or anatomy, and other inappropriate topics, which should not be publicly or lightly discussed. Whereas vulgar speech contains direct and explicit references, innuendo contains hints, winks, gestures, facial expressions, and other subtle forms of communication, which quietly express vulgar thoughts. It is this subtle vulgarity and crude speech that makes up the vast majority of “adult humor”, which often sails over the heads of innocent and naive children. It is this language that causes adults to wrinkle their mouths and snicker softly as another hints at explicit themes without actually articulating them. As before, we find that the Scriptures strongly condemn this type of language:

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. (Ephesians 5:1-4)

"But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

“A Christian is to have his mind set on higher, nobler, spiritual things. Therefore such communication should not be appealing to him. Neither, should it be something upon which he dwells and is therefore even able to imagine, much less utter. Whether spoken directly, or implied through innuendo, the ideas actually communicated by this “filthy language” are the same and are therefore in error.”

 

[Bonnie]

Vulgarity and Innuendo"

Clear and to the point. Who wrote it?

 

[bzkoss236]

The issue of using “curse” words isn’t necessarily the words themselves (IMO), but in how they are used. They are called “curse” words because it would be something you say when you are upset, angry, or likewise, as if you were cursing the person or situation. And I can’t remember particular verses, but I’m fairly certain there are certain passages which speak ill of “cursing”.

 

[MidnightSun12]

If a person wouldn’t say a particular word around a 5 year old son/daughter/cousin because of its vulgarity, then it seems pretty obvious to me that this word shouldn’t be spoken at all. Our conscience tells us that saying these words around children is damaging to their purity and that we rightly should keep our mouths shut. The important question to then ask your friend is this: “why is the purity of an adult less important to protect then that of a child?”

To quote St. John Vianney:

"The man of impure speech is a person whose lips are but an opening and a supply pipe which hell uses to vomit its impurities upon the earth."

 

[Banff9]

Thank you all so much for your feedback it has been an immense help! Thank you all so much!