Is Cussing at something a sin?

[Spyridon]

Attempting to justify foul language reveals a serious problem with your hamartiology.

You are far from the mind of the Church if you are trying to argue that profanity is a okay.

It is not okay. Cussing is sinful. Period.

Argue all you want till you’re blue in the face. Every time you utter a curse word you damage your relationship with God.

I’m guilty of cussing on a daily basis.

But there is a massive difference between being a sinner who acknowledges the sins you commit are sin, and being a sinner who tries to justify sin.

Every soul in hell was a sinner who lived on earth who tried to justify various sins.

Every Saint in heaven was a sinner who lived on earth who tried to fight sin, and acknowledged sin as sin.

 

[guanophore]

He thinks it’s weird that we think it’s bad. The words we avoid are just normal vocabulary there, in a lot of ways. A lot of words that once were vulgar or insulting, here, no longer are. So I wonder about this, as well.

This is an excellent point about how Christians can be contaminated by worldly trends.

In the US, it used to be unlawful for people to kill babies before they were born, and for two people of the same sex to get married. There is a modernism drift that seeps into the Church. The majority of “Catholics” admit to using birth control now.

Scripture is an anchor that can prevent us from drifting into these influences.

“The wise of heart is called perceptive, and pleasant speech increases persuasiveness.” Prov. 16;21

 

[FrDavid96]

…
What matters is what you say in full, not necessarily the words you chose to get there. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in Church teaching that says that individual words are sinful. It’s society that decides what words are appropriate for which situations.

The reason why this is wrong is because you are setting a certain unreasonable standard, and then insisting that everyone else must follow that standard.

The Church does not need to specify a list of words in order to teach that using some words in certain ways is still sinful.

You insist on that point. No matter how many times you repeat it, you’re still completely wrong.

The Church also teaches that stealing is wrong.

The Church does not have to provide a list of things that might be stolen in order to teach that stealing is a sin. We don’t need some official document that says “Stealing money is a sin. Stealing jewelry is a sin. Stealing carpet is a sin…” in order to know that stealing is a sin.

It’s the same with foul language.

It is not necessary for the Church to provide some list of words in order to rightly teach that using bad language is sinful.

 

[FrDavid96]

Yes, I would that it is probably a sin, but probably venial unless the Lord’s name is used in vain. Profanities are probably.venial in most cases, I would think, but using the Lord’s name in such circumstances is probably more serious, I would think.

Right. This sort of thing is usually a venial sin. However, in the extreme it can be a mortal sin.

 

[Brendan_64]

I guess stubbing your toe on a step and uttering a profanity or getting cut up in traffic and doing the same is probably venial, but using graphic sexual language, or deliberately going up to someone and letting rip and turning the air blue, would perhaps be a different matter.

 

[Laura_N]

The Church does not have to provide a list of things that might be stolen in order to teach that stealing is a sin. We don’t need some official document that says “Stealing money is a sin. Stealing jewelry is a sin. Stealing carpet is a sin…” in order to know that stealing is a sin.

This is a terrible example, stealing is stealing. Words in and of themselves aren’t sinfull, it’s the concept in which they are used.

Exactly which commandment is being broken in using a cuss word in a way that is not hurtful to another person or blasphemous?

 

[FrDavid96]

FrDavid96:

The Church does not have to provide a list of things that might be stolen in order to teach that stealing is a sin. We don’t need some official document that says “Stealing money is a sin. Stealing jewelry is a sin. Stealing carpet is a sin…” in order to know that stealing is a sin.

This is a terrible example, stealing is stealing. Words in and of themselves aren’t sinfull, it’s the concept in which they are used.

And “taking something” is not it sinful in and of itself. It’s the concept of taking something that does not belong to you without the permission of the owner that makes it sinful.

What you are typing here, insisting that if the Church doesn’t have some universal “list” of bad words then it’s not a sin is simply wrong. You keep trying to defend it, but it isn’t working. Your position cannot be defended.

Exactly which commandment is being broken in using a cuss word in a way that is not hurtful to another person or blasphemous?

You keep doing the same thing.

You are insisting on your own standard for deciding what is or is not. You don’t get to decide what is or is not a sin.

I’ve explained repeatedly why it is a sin; and why the Church sees it as a sin. I have explained (through the Catechism) how it violates the 10 Commandments. That might not match your exact criteria. That matters not. It matches the Church’s criteria for a sin.

 

[Laura_N]

I would add some references from the catechism

2162, 2480. Just to cite 2.

I actually went back through the thread to see if I missed anything and this was the only post of yours that actually cites any references. Those were your references to the catechism, and they didn’t have any thing to do with the subject at hand. At no point did I say that if the Church didn’t provide a list of bad words than it’s not a sin. That’s not the basis for my argument. You are trying to say that individual words, all by themselves is sinful. Yet you can’t provide me with anything that backs up that claim.

And, no, it would not be impossible to include a phrase such as “the use of words that are considered inappropriate by society is venially sinful” and the Catechism has no such phrase or anything like it. You would think with as something as common place as cussing the Church would feel the need to touch on it, instead of leave it up for debate, if it was in fact sinful.

You also never answered my question. Exactly which commandment does it break?

 

[guanophore]

Exactly which commandment is being broken in using a cuss word in a way that is not hurtful to another person or blasphemous?

Profane language is harmful to the person using it. It is not edifying.
\Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. Eph. 4:29

I suppose that you might try to make a case for a deaf person not hearing himself cuss, and therefore, it does not matter if it is edifying, but that brings us to letting every thought be taken captive by Christ.

You are trying to say that individual words, all by themselves is sinful.

ARe you trying to propose that these cuss words are edifying?