Foul language... Grave? Venile? or no sin at all?

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peter1986

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Ever since I was little I have used foul language.

I am around foul language all day and every day… I live in the hood (ghetto, projects, poor part of town, wrong side of the tracks) whatever you want to call it.

To clarify a few things… I don’t use the GD word, havent liked it even before I was a Christian… and I don’t cuss people out… I just use it while talking.

Just Curious…

What do you think? Is it a grave sin? venile sin? or no sin at all?

I know James says to control the tongue… I believe I do because I dont cuss people out and I know when to use it and know when its not appropriate to use… and i definitely dont use the Lord’s name in vain,

Tell me what you think.

Thanks
 
I’ve always thought it was grave matter, but I’m not fully sure. Regardless of the sinfulness, you still shouldn’t do it.
 
peter1986 said:
I am around foul language all day and every day…
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I hear you on this one… I’m around foul language where I work and it can rub off on you without realizing.

IMO i think foul language is more venial than grave dependent on the intent and frequency behind it. It can be a tough one to combat as it’s very easy to slip into other peoples bad habits (well for me it is)

The best way i’ve had it explained to me is that "foul language shows a poor comprehension of the English language.
 
I would think that language which merely, for example, refers to body parts, bodily functions or uses euphemisms for the marital act is not venial matter, for it does not abuse that which is sacred - the names of Our Lord or Our Lady for example.

However - our capacity for speech is a gift, and like all His other gifts is to be used for His glory. It is contrary to this purpose to use it for any foul language.

You might want to study literature - many writers have been well able to achieve any effect that could be wanted and convey any message most powerfully without resorting to swear words. It will help you in future, as many employers and potential friends will be turned off by your use of profanity.
 
Grave or venial, I personally view it as utterly disgusting. I never used foul language in my life and I avoid people who do use it (once when I was 12 I “punished” my dad for cussing by not speaking to him for three whole months; after that I’ve never heard him cuss again :D).

Anyway, it’s probably been said before, but our body shouldn’t be used for any vile doing, even if it’s cussing.
 
LilyM said:
I would think that language which merely, for example, refers to body parts, bodily functions or uses euphemisms for the marital act is not venial matter, for it does not abuse that which is sacred - the names of Our Lord or Our Lady for example.

However - our capacity for speech is a gift, and like all His other gifts is to be used for His glory. It is contrary to this purpose to use it for any foul language.

You might want to study literature - many writers have been well able to achieve any effect that could be wanted and convey any message most powerfully without resorting to swear words. It will help you in future, as many employers and potential friends will be turned off by your use of profanity.
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I have been called a prude by many for not caring for cussing.
I still don’t care to do so.

I like what you said about the gift of speech, and is true all gifts ought to be used for God’s glory.

Peace
 
peter1986 said:
Ever since I was little I have used foul language.

I am around foul language all day and every day… I live in the hood (ghetto, projects, poor part of town, wrong side of the tracks) whatever you want to call it.

To clarify a few things… I don’t use the GD word, havent liked it even before I was a Christian… and I don’t cuss people out… I just use it while talking.

Just Curious…

What do you think? Is it a grave sin? venile sin? or no sin at all?

I know James says to control the tongue… I believe I do because I dont cuss people out and I know when to use it and know when its not appropriate to use… and i definitely dont use the Lord’s name in vain,

Tell me what you think.

Thanks
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It is likely more habit with you than anything since you’ve done it since being very young.
Personally I don’t like it, but have learned to kind of “tune it out” for the most part.
I don’t mean to offend, but to me if the person is saying something relevant, they don’t need to punctuate it with cussing to get the listeners attention, sometimes it detracts from what they’re saying as the focus goes on the shock value instead.

As for being venial or mortal? 🤷

Peace
 
Well, first, HAPPY NEW YEAR !

The two greatest Commandments are 1) Love God, 2) Love others for the love of God.

OK. I paraphrased. But God measures on how sincerely we love.

So always ask this question about any thoughts, words, action, or inaction:

“HOW DOES THIS SHOW MY LOVE FOR GOD AND FOR OTHERS?”

If it does not show love for others, it may be a sin. If it shows contempt, disrespect, or a clear put down it most likely is a sin.

OK. We all sin a lot. Frequent Confession is very good to combat our sinful nature.

But to go beyond venial sin to mortal sin, it has to be 1) grave matter, 2) you have to know it is grave, and 3) you have to will to do it.

“what the F?” may not be grave matter, but "go to H ! very well could be grave matter.

We are around sin all the time, but we are expected to resist temptation to sin just because others are sinning and think it OK.

What to do?
  1. Frequent prayer and confession will gain you God’s good Grace to combat. It may take time, but it can be done.
  2. Make a list of all the foul language you currently use and decide to no longer use the most offensive ones. Write down and use suitable alternatives. Cut a few more out of your daily habit every month.
  3. With constant prayer and effort you can break a bad habit.
 
It is venial, in your case. It can be very hard to get rid of, especially when you hear it all around you. I would recommend investing in one of those rubber bands that people snap themselves with when they cuss. Although, I hope that doesn’t count as beating yourself up:p.

I used to cuss a few years ago. Eventually, I just saw no need for it. There are always better words to use, especially if it is in a conversation with someone else.

Besides, wouldn’t it be great to show your faith when someone asks you why you are wearing a rubber band on your wrist?
 
I heard a priest say once that while it’s vulgar, it’s not a sin if you do not take the Lord’s name in vain.
Makes sense to me, especially if you consider that from generation to generation, “cuss words” change. So what’s considered a rude word, or cursing in one period of time may not be in another. Or even from culture to culture. Great example is the word bloody. Here in the US, it’s not a curse, but in the UK…
 
It is not a sin. It could be in certain situations. Ideally, you’d want to observe a pure tonuge. Foul words can shock, delight, and give one a sense of power or intensity to one’s words, but it’s the language of crude characters. No saint uses this language. St. Dominic abruptly left the company of those kinds of characters. Such language caused Padre Pio to weep when he was a little boy. God Himself does not approve of crude language. I avoid crude language with the certainty that if I ever used it, I would do time in purgatory for it - I majored in theology and have studied mystical theology for quite some time now.
 
My brother and father swear like sailors. I also struggle with this problem.
 
Kasmalim said:
Grave or venial, I personally view it as utterly disgusting. I never used foul language in my life and I avoid people who do use it** (once when I was 12 I “punished” my dad for cussing by not speaking to him for three whole months; after that I’ve never heard him cuss again :D**).

Anyway, it’s probably been said before, but our body shouldn’t be used for any vile doing, even if it’s cussing.
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Lmao, that’s hilarious xD I would never had the strength to do that, when i was little, every time i tried giving someone the silent treatment, i would last 20 minutes at best 😊
 
Cussing has plagued me all my life. I don’t blaspheme, or take the Lord’s name in vain (and scold those close to me when they do,) but otherwise, all bets used to be off. It’s been a frequent and recurrent subject in my examen (I am a follower of Ignatian spirituality,) and recurrently comes up in confession (if I’ve been unusually frequent about using offensive language.) And yeah, I picked it up in junior high school, in Brooklyn, not the most elegant of neighborhoods. It’s come back to bite me a couple of times when trying to impress others in social situations, and once on a job interview:eek:

I’ve tried the rubber band method, the cuss jar (you put a nickel in every time you cuss, and after Mass on Sunday, dump the contents into the poor box,) and all of the suggestions of ways to improve your vocabulary. So far, only prayer works to a degree: In my examen, I ask God for the grace to see myself the way He sees me: A devout but cussing Catholic is a little confusing for most people, and He has brought this to my attention.

When a venial sin becomes a really ingrained bad habit, it somewhat diminishes the responsibility for it, or so I’ve been told by my confessor. I’ve also been cautioned that I must continue to make efforts to improve, and that is evidence of intent to amend my life.

I have noticed that in certain work situations, where cussing is ubiquitous (and unprofessional) my propensity to cuss is usually directly related to my frustration level. I have been advised by my confessor to meditate and ask the Holy Spirit for an increase in the grace of patience. This seems to be helpful, and instead of using foul language to express my frustration, I’m able to use that energy more productively to solve the problem at hand in getting the job done with a minimum of emotional display. A side benefit is that I don’t leave work at the end of the day with a headache.

I at once thought of St. Joseph, the worker: I have a prayer card with him as the subject. I couldn’t really see St. Joseph letting out a couple of cusses if he accidentally hit his thumb with a hammer, so I started praying to him, offering him my frustrations and my temptations to cuss because I am a working person. It seems to have decreased the frequency of the bad language.

My confessor told me to continue to try to work on this, asking for the grace necessary to do so, but realizing all the while that I am a sinner, beloved by God, but a sinner nonetheless, and will probably, like most people, die a sinner. He cautioned me to not succumb to despairing of improving, and told me that Our Lord appreciates our efforts to patiently and consistently improve.

One thing I do, when very frustrated, is to say the Our Father to myself, very slowly, and breathing deeply as I do so. This dissipates the tension and frustration.

My confessor also suggested getting a thesaurus, and looking up some words that would express feelings of anger and frustration acceptably. I did that, and started to amass a better (and more accurate) vocabulary: To say that someone’s behavior is crude, irresponsible, selfish, or boorish is far more accurate (and acceptable) than calling that person a @#$%^&*!

This is my personal opinion, and it’s not based on anything official from the Church: Even though we continue to sin, we can improve, and the real sin is if we give up trying to improve.

Best wishes with this one, I hope some of these ideas might help you, and it is a tough nut to crack!
 
Matthew 12:36 “I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter.”

And Revelation 21:27 “But nothing unclean shall enter [the holy city Jersusalem],”

Col. 3:8
“But now you must get rid of all such things— anger, wrath, malice, slander and filthy language from your mouth.”

Ephesians ch. 4:

29
No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear.

Ephesians Chapter 5:

1
So be imitators of God, as beloved children,
2
and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
3
Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones,
4
no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving.

1st Timothy Chapter 4:

12
Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

2nd Timothy Chapter 2:

16
Avoid profane, idle talk, for such people will become more and more godless,

James 1:

26
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.

Sirach Chapter 23:

7
Give heed, my children, to the instruction that I pronounce, for he who keeps it will not be enslaved.
8
Through his lips is the sinner ensnared; the railer and the arrogant man fall thereby.
9
Let not your mouth form the habit of swearing, or becoming too familiar with the Holy Name.
10
Just as a slave that is constantly under scrutiny will not be without welts, So one who swears continually by the Holy Name will not remain free from sin.
11
A man who often swears heaps up obligations; the scourge will never be far from his house. If he swears in error, he incurs guilt; if he neglects his obligation, his sin is doubly great. If he swears without reason he cannot be found just, and all his house will suffer affliction.
12
There are words which merit death; may they never be heard among Jacob’s heirs. For all such words are foreign to the devout, who do not wallow in sin.
13
Let not your mouth become used to coarse talk, for in it lies sinful matter.
14
Keep your father and mother in mind when you sit among the mighty, Lest in their presence you commit a blunder and disgrace your upbringing, By wishing you had never been born or cursing the day of your birth.
15
A man who has the habit of abusive language will never mature in character as long as he lives.
 
IrishRush said:
I heard a priest say once that while it’s vulgar, it’s not a sin if you do not take the Lord’s name in vain.
Makes sense to me, especially if you consider that from generation to generation, “cuss words” change. So what’s considered a rude word, or cursing in one period of time may not be in another. Or even from culture to culture. Great example is the word bloody. Here in the US, it’s not a curse, but in the UK…
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I concur. Blasphemy is sinful. Mere foul language may be vulgar and inappropriate (depending on the circumstances) but is usually not sinful.

God Bless
 
I must say that I am thankful for all the responses… The guy that quoted all the scripture… now THAT hit me in the gut 🙂 I think I’m going to try to stop… I know it will be hard but I’m gonna try. Thanks everyone 🙂
 
odile53 said:
Cussing has plagued me all my life. I don’t blaspheme, or take the Lord’s name in vain (and scold those close to me when they do,) but otherwise, all bets used to be off. It’s been a frequent and recurrent subject in my examen (I am a follower of Ignatian spirituality,) and recurrently comes up in confession (if I’ve been unusually frequent about using offensive language.) And yeah, I picked it up in junior high school, in Brooklyn, not the most elegant of neighborhoods. It’s come back to bite me a couple of times when trying to impress others in social situations, and once on a job interview:eek:

I’ve tried the rubber band method, the cuss jar (you put a nickel in every time you cuss, and after Mass on Sunday, dump the contents into the poor box,) and all of the suggestions of ways to improve your vocabulary. So far, only prayer works to a degree: In my examen, I ask God for the grace to see myself the way He sees me: A devout but cussing Catholic is a little confusing for most people, and He has brought this to my attention.

When a venial sin becomes a really ingrained bad habit, it somewhat diminishes the responsibility for it, or so I’ve been told by my confessor. I’ve also been cautioned that I must continue to make efforts to improve, and that is evidence of intent to amend my life.

I have noticed that in certain work situations, where cussing is ubiquitous (and unprofessional) my propensity to cuss is usually directly related to my frustration level. I have been advised by my confessor to meditate and ask the Holy Spirit for an increase in the grace of patience. This seems to be helpful, and instead of using foul language to express my frustration, I’m able to use that energy more productively to solve the problem at hand in getting the job done with a minimum of emotional display. A side benefit is that I don’t leave work at the end of the day with a headache.

I at once thought of St. Joseph, the worker: I have a prayer card with him as the subject. I couldn’t really see St. Joseph letting out a couple of cusses if he accidentally hit his thumb with a hammer, so I started praying to him, offering him my frustrations and my temptations to cuss because I am a working person. It seems to have decreased the frequency of the bad language.

My confessor told me to continue to try to work on this, asking for the grace necessary to do so, but realizing all the while that I am a sinner, beloved by God, but a sinner nonetheless, and will probably, like most people, die a sinner. He cautioned me to not succumb to despairing of improving, and told me that Our Lord appreciates our efforts to patiently and consistently improve.

One thing I do, when very frustrated, is to say the Our Father to myself, very slowly, and breathing deeply as I do so. This dissipates the tension and frustration.

My confessor also suggested getting a thesaurus, and looking up some words that would express feelings of anger and frustration acceptably. I did that, and started to amass a better (and more accurate) vocabulary: To say that someone’s behavior is crude, irresponsible, selfish, or boorish is far more accurate (and acceptable) than calling that person a @#$%^&*!

This is my personal opinion, and it’s not based on anything official from the Church: Even though we continue to sin, we can improve, and the real sin is if we give up trying to improve.

Best wishes with this one, I hope some of these ideas might help you, and it is a tough nut to crack!
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Just an observation: I know from somewhere, from reading a bit of hypnotist psychology, that the subconscious does not understand negative commands. For example, I tell myself to not forget something, and somehow I keep on forgetting it - it’s like one of those things you keep consistently forgetting, even though you repeatedly tell yourself not to. That being said, instead of telling yourself I will not say this bad word again, you might try saying, “I will say something else instead.” That may help, but I think it’s great and commendable the efforts you have already been going through to cultivate a clear language, living more in the spirit of Christ, our King.

You have my admiration and my prayers.
 
Why is bad language a sin?
Each of us needs to be careful in our use of language. Objectively, using God’s name in vain, cursing and blasphemy are mortally sinful, although lack of due reflection or habit can diminish culpability. Profanity too can be mortally sinful when done with great anger or viciousness against another person. Each of us needs to control our tongues, and prevent a bad language habit from becoming part of our person.
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