Is cursing a sin?

[Timi_Celcer]

I don’t know but from what i’ve read cursing is a sin if you curse others. But what if you use it in a joke or when you hurt yourself? Because i can’t believe why would cursing be a sin. Im sure most people that curse don’t literally mean what the curse means. As far as i know there is also filthy langague mentioned in the bible. This could mean that curses that are reffering to sexuality are sinful. Is that true? And if you think that cursing is a sin, which words do you think should i classify as curses?

 

[ahs]

“Cursing” and using “foul language” are 2 different things. Both are inappropriate, especially if it will lead to scandal.

You will get better answers in the “Moral Theology” section.

 

[KrazyKat]

Taking the Lord’s name in vain is always sin. As for foul language, crude. Is it a sin, not sure.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

At the very least, we are wrong to utter obscenities toward someone because the Lord said we are to love one another, not curse them. It would be especially evil if we appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group.

 

[Monergistic]

I don’t know but from what i’ve read cursing is a sin if you curse others. But what if you use it in a joke or when you hurt yourself? Because i can’t believe why would cursing be a sin. Im sure most people that curse don’t literally mean what the curse means. As far as i know there is also filthy langague mentioned in the bible. This could mean that curses that are reffering to sexuality are sinful. Is that true? And if you think that cursing is a sin, which words do you think should i classify as curses?

If you want to get into specific words, some of that varies by dialect and is culturally dependent. There are certain words that are considered pretty foul and inappropriate in America, but they can easily be used from the pulpit in any Australian church (whether Protestant or Catholic) with a different meaning and without causing offense or scandal. That’s not an excuse to use words that are offensive in your own country, of course, but it does introduce the idea that any collection of letters and sounds attains a meaning that is agreed upon by whatever group of people is using it and it’s mediated through use and disuse within a people-group.

So it makes sense for there to be no specific list of forbidden words- nothing like that in the Bible, and nothing like that in CC teaching. But there are some more general principles that amount to avoiding outbursts of anger, don’t be hurtful or be inappropriate/cause offense with your speech, and take care that you don’t lead someone else into a position where they can easily do that- even if you aren’t technically doing just that. Certain words come to have exclusively foul connotations and denotations within a particular dialect, but even that can be somewhat fluid.

There certainly is biblical precedent for controlling your speech- the tongue is like a rudder on a ship, out of the heart the mouth speaks, let there be not even a hint of this and that. Not specific words, of course, but of speech that is foul or coarse. We are held to a high standard wrt how we talk- it can be a bit more nebulous than we would like, what with the constant fluidity of language and dialect. But nevertheless, much is expected and there is a high standard.

 

[IvanTheOrthodox]

For me the reason not to curse is that some time later I will pray with the same mouth. Like if an artist paints some filth and then he paints wonderful pictures - it’s hard to combine. So I prefer choosing words to be said.