Dirty words?... Obscene words?

[Luvya]

I can never fathom human hypocrisy. Word are declared “dirty” and “obscene”? On top of that, the words which are declared “unusable” are not the ones, which describe horrible, despicable behavior, like “murder”, “torture”, or “war”. Nope, these are decent words, can be uttered in polite company.

On the other hand, simple words which describe an everyday, healthy human activity (preferably performed every morning) are somehow “dirty”! If we would not perform these two activities periodically, we would die in real horrible pain. Boggles the mind. To add insult to injury, the word describing the most pleasurable activity, the clear expression of mutual love, the activity without which the human race would go extinct is “obscene”?? The human organs which participate in this activity are “unmentionable”? There are zillions of euphemisms for these activities and organs, but there are no simple, everyday English words which describe them and which are allowed to be used in every company. It really boggles the mind.

Where did this distortion come from? Who was the refugee from an insane asylum who came up with this idiocy? And how is it possible that other humans did not put him back into the crazy house where he belongs, but accepted his “teaching” and follow them - religiously?

There are no “dirty” or “obscene” words, there are only dirty minds.

Here is a true story, quoted in Allan Sherman’s wonderful book (The rape of the APE*) about the American sex revolution. In a radio show the host made a random phone call and when the other party picked up the phone, they introduced themselves as “Hello! Big A Cleaners!”. Whereupon the host got the greatest laugh of his life, when he asked: “How much would you charge to clean my Big A?”. Instant “obscenity”? Or the dirty mind on display? You be the judge…

 

[valentino]

a dirty word is vulgar.Using terms such as murder aren’t vulgar one is just using common verbiage for explaining crime or action which took place.

 

[puzzleannie]

words are not dirty and obscene in and of themselves, but actions can be. When a natural action created for a specific natural purpose is misused, it becomes perverted and obscene. When a body part created for a specific natural purpose is used for another, harmful purpose that does not harmonize with natural , that use is perverted and obscene. Now you yourself do not acknowledge an all-knowing Creator who planned the natural law that governs his creation, but the natural law itself is knowable to anyone who follows the rules of science and rational thought and follows them without allowing emotion and personal bias to get in the way. It is people who do wrong actions and people who use words to describe them, and people who use ordinary Anglo-Saxon words to mock the normal intended body parts and their uses. If the word in question is being used in a context that mocks, you have your answer about who the idiot is.

 

[phoooiee]

In English, this distinction actually came from the origin of the word- the words that we have that are considered “curse” words are of Anglo-Saxon origin, since after the Norman conquest the nobles were French-speaking, so the Anglo-Saxon words were considered vulgar.

However, language changes over time, and the reason that they are considered vulgar now is that people tend to use them either in anger or to trivialize what should be sacred- in the case of the “f” word.The “f” word does not express the fullness of the act it refers to, nor does it refer to it in its proper context. Instead it is most often used as an expression of anger, or to refer to a trivialized, casual version of the act, in which the person treats the other as an object. This is the most vulgar as it is a grave distortion of what is in fact holy if used properly.

 

[ZDHayden]

There are no “dirty” or “obscene” words, there are only dirty minds.

I would honestly have to agree with this. HOWEVER – because of dirty minds, we must ensure that we do not allow those dirty minds to fall into their habitual filth, but rather to help lift them out. Thus, words that cause someone to think in a filthy manner should be avoided for that person’s sake.

 

[Luvya]

a dirty word is vulgar.Using terms such as murder aren’t vulgar one is just using common verbiage for explaining crime or action which took place.

“Vulgar” is just another synonym for dirty.

words are not dirty and obscene in and of themselves, but actions can be. When a natural action created for a specific natural purpose is misused, it becomes perverted and obscene.

What is dirty, or obscene or unnatural about our daily removal of our waste products? If I would try to use the word “" or "” for it, it would be removed by the software as a dirty word. So, unfortunately, many people consider words to be filthy, dirty, obscene or vulgar - even when they describe a totally normal, everyday activity, without which we would die in a very painful manner.

When a body part created for a specific natural purpose is used for another, harmful purpose that does not harmonize with natural , that use is perverted and obscene.

It is totally natural to use our procreating organs (“" and "”) for pure pleasure only. There is nothing “perverted” and “obscene” about it.

In English, this distinction actually came from the origin of the word- the words that we have that are considered “curse” words are of Anglo-Saxon origin, since after the Norman conquest the nobles were French-speaking, so the Anglo-Saxon words were considered vulgar.

There is nothing specific about the English language here. Sad to say but the very same attitude is prevalent in all the languages.

However, language changes over time, and the reason that they are considered vulgar now is that people tend to use them either in anger or to trivialize what should be sacred- in the case of the “f” word.The “f” word does not express the fullness of the act it refers to, nor does it refer to it in its proper context. Instead it is most often used as an expression of anger, or to refer to a trivialized, casual version of the act, in which the person treats the other as an object. This is the most vulgar as it is a grave distortion of what is in fact holy if used properly.

Anger is also a normal human activity. If people use a word in anger, or in a stressful situation it does not make that word “dirty”. But you should consider that the rules do not allow the usage of the word “****” even when it would describe the act at its finest. Btw, the euphemism “f-word” is ridiculous, since both you and I and everyone else knows what it stands for! To be forced into using a euphemism is what is unnatural.

I would honestly have to agree with this. HOWEVER – because of dirty minds, we must ensure that we do not allow those dirty minds to fall into their habitual filth, but rather to help lift them out. Thus, words that cause someone to think in a filthy manner should be avoided for that person’s sake.

Unfortunately we disagree somewhat. In my opinion the dirty minds are those who think that it is obscene to talk about our body and or its functions, when those functions are natural. Neither the acts nor their verbal expressions are “dirty” per se.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Sounds like someone looking for justification to talk like a longshoreman crossed with a drunken sailor.

 

[Little_One0307]

Sounds like someone looking for justification to talk like a longshoreman crossed with a drunken sailor.

Arrrghhh I be agreein’ me mateys.

 

[FCEGM]

Three words put the question in perspective: Original Sin - Concupiscence

 

[mark_a]

I can never fathom human hypocrisy. Word are declared “dirty” and “obscene”? On top of that, the words which are declared “unusable” are not the ones, which describe horrible, despicable behavior, like “murder”, “torture”, or “war”. Nope, these are decent words, can be uttered in polite company.

On the other hand, simple words which describe an everyday, healthy human activity (preferably performed every morning) are somehow “dirty”! If we would not perform these two activities periodically, we would die in real horrible pain. Boggles the mind. To add insult to injury, the word describing the most pleasurable activity, the clear expression of mutual love, the activity without which the human race would go extinct is “obscene”?? The human organs which participate in this activity are “unmentionable”? There are zillions of euphemisms for these activities and organs, but there are no simple, everyday English words which describe them and which are allowed to be used in every company. It really boggles the mind.

Where did this distortion come from? Who was the refugee from an insane asylum who came up with this idiocy? And how is it possible that other humans did not put him back into the crazy house where he belongs, but accepted his “teaching” and follow them - religiously?

There are no “dirty” or “obscene” words, there are only dirty minds.

Here is a true story, quoted in Allan Sherman’s wonderful book (The rape of the APE*) about the American sex revolution. In a radio show the host made a random phone call and when the other party picked up the phone, they introduced themselves as “Hello! Big A Cleaners!”. Whereupon the host got the greatest laugh of his life, when he asked: “How much would you charge to clean my Big A?”. Instant “obscenity”? Or the dirty mind on display? You be the judge…

You might change your tune when your five year old daughter starts rattling off these words to your mother.

 

[TrueLight]

I disagree that words are not obscene or dirty in themselves. Yes they are.

If a word is devoid of meaning then it is just a sound - a grunt.

If a society deems a word as vulgar, then it is. And we as Christians are to be the light in the darkness. If most people acknowledge that the f-word or the s-word is vulgar, even if they use it, then we as Christians, have no business using them in conversation.

By the way, most non-Christians do not expect a “church lady” or religious man to use obscenities. So when we walk into work on Ash Wednesday with the cross on our foreheads and later on spout obscenities with the guys, we are acting as horrible witnesses of the Gospel.

James 3:
10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

 

[Luvya]

You might change your tune when your five year old daughter starts rattling off these words to your mother.

Nope. Not just because my grandson is now 6 years old, and my mother has passed away. The proper way to educate is to disregard those words, and if there is no response the kids will drop them real fast. They only want to “test the waters”. The worst thing to do is to show “upset”, to say that those words are “dirty”.

 

[TrueLight]

Nope. Not just because my grandson is now 6 years old, and my mother has passed away. The proper way to educate is to disregard those words, and if there is no response the kids will drop them real fast. They only want to “test the waters”. The worst thing to do is to show “upset”, to say that those words are “dirty”.

Are you a Christian?

 

[ZDHayden]

The proper way to educate is to disregard those words, and if there is no response the kids will drop them real fast. They only want to “test the waters”. The worst thing to do is to show “upset”, to say that those words are “dirty”.

My high school Spanish teacher (a flaming liberal, btw, but an excellent teacher of the language and culture, nonetheless) used to say this quite frequently, as I recall, especially to my AP class. This has no relevance whatsoever, it just prompted a remembrance.

 

[Luvya]

Are you a Christian?

I was baptized. Many people say: “once a Christian, always a Christian”. It depends on your definition of “Christian”. But this thread has NOTHING to do with Christianity. It is about the classification of words.

 

[Luvya]

My high school Spanish teacher (a flaming liberal, btw, but an excellent teacher of the language and culture, nonetheless) used to say this quite frequently, as I recall, especially to my AP class. This has no relevance whatsoever, it just prompted a remembrance.

But it is fine. He must be a smart fellow and a good teacher - as you said.

 

[TrueLight]

I was baptized. Many people say: “once a Christian, always a Christian”. It depends on your definition of “Christian”. But this thread has NOTHING to do with Christianity. It is about the classification of words.

Well it’s on a Christian forum and I’m not going to speak for everyone but my faith affects how I see life in general.

 

[TrueLight]

Even if we disregard religion, society as a whole has an opinion of what is proper.

In general, people do not want to curse around their mothers.
In general, men try not to curse in front of someone they consider a lady.
You are not going to go to an interview and start cursing.
Most responsible parents curb their cursing around their young children

Now we can argue and say why must society see these words as dirty and that words are neutral, etc, but what is the point?

Why must you curse? What do you miss by not cursing? Is your life less complete?

 

[Luvya]

Well it’s on a Christian forum and I’m not going to speak for everyone but my faith affects how I see life in general.

But of course! That is a given. I am simply amazed that the perfectly natural actions of our body, used in the way as intended are classified as “dirty” or “vulgar” or “obscene”.

 

[mark_a]

The proper way to educate is to disregard those words, and if there is no response the kids will drop them real fast.

Please pardon, I misread the op to understand that you favored using these types of words in everyday conversation with total disregard for whoever you are talking to.