Is it a sin to say "God damn ____" and really mean it?

[Shiranui117]

Hi, and Pax Christi.

To explain my question as I asked it in the title, I’ve heard it said by Lutherans that if we say “God damn _____” and really mean it, then it’s not a sin. Do Catholics hold to the same opinion? Any insight would be helpful!

EDIT: Just fill in the blank with anything you care to think of. It could be “it,” “you,” “him,” etc.

 

[uxordepp]

Of course it’s a sin. Saying GD is casting judgement on someone’s soul, and we are not to do that.

Only God can do that.

 

[PeterMuz]

Hi, and Pax Christi.

To explain my question as I asked it in the title, I’ve heard it said by Lutherans that if we say “God damn _____” and really mean it, then it’s not a sin. Do Catholics hold to the same opinion? Any insight would be helpful!

EDIT: Just fill in the blank with anything you care to think of. It could be “it,” “you,” “him,” etc.

Yes it is still a sin, a serious sin. You are talking God’s name in vain. Here is what the Catechism says about it. vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c1a2.htm

And here is a verse from Ephesians 4:29 that addresses foul language.
biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4%3A29&version=NIV

One last helpful link.
acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2007/02/is-bad-language-sin.html

 

[PJM]

=Shiranui117;6736845]Hi, and Pax Christi.

To explain my question as I asked it in the title, I’ve heard it said by Lutherans that if we say “God damn _____” and really mean it, then it’s not a sin. Do Catholics hold to the same opinion? Any insight would be helpful!

EDIT: Just fill in the blank with anything you care to think of. It could be “it,” “you,” “him,” etc.

You have GOT TO BR KIDDING!

Commandments

Exo. 20:
And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before me.”
"You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day”
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. “
4. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
5. "You shall not kill. “
6. "You shall not commit adultery”.
7. "You shall not steal”.
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
9. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; or property”
10.“you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ***, or anything that is your neighbors.”

ITS GOD; OF COURSE I’S A SIN!

 

[FlyCatcher]

How can anything be a sin if you don’t recognize it as a sin? Are there stealth sins?

 

[vera_dicere]

Of course it’s a sin. Saying GD is casting judgement on someone’s soul, and we are not to do that.

Only God can do that.

Not to mention, its a lot like a curse! To ask God to damn someone is just, well, its a whole new level of repugnance and spiritual danger. I always remember that part in the Gospels when Jesus got mad at a fig tree, and damned it, and teh fig tree never grew figs again. That kind of desolation that can be done when asking in the name of the Lord is some serious business. Even if God won’t do it, the fact one is asking for it and directing it towards another is rather unChristian!

I know a girl who used to say “God damn me” (refering to herself, of course), and sure enough, her life just ended up going the way of all sorts of horrors and personal disasters. One can’t help but wonder if perhaps God did turn His back on her, since she was so often asking Him too.

 

[Shiranui117]

Whoa. Thanks for the heads-up; I was taught that it was fine, and my family was taught that by the Lutheran church as well. Good to know how serious it is! I’ll definitely watch and make sure to avoid saying that… Lord have mercy for every time I’ve ever said it.

How can anything be a sin if you don’t recognize it as a sin? Are there stealth sins?

This is very true, and what I was taught at RCIA; no one commits a sin on accident. Jesus said as He was being crucified, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”

EDIT: Wait, it’s MORTAL sin that you don’t commit on accident.

 

[PJM]

=FlyCatcher;6737501]How can anything be a sin if you don’t recognize it as a sin? Are there stealth sins?

That friend is a fair question.

The answer lies in understanding that God will judge not simply on what we acknowledge, what we accept. God will judge us based on what He God enables us to know.

Taking the name of God in vain ought too, just by application of common sense, be recogonized as improper and sinful. It’s a judgment call by God based on proper applicaton of the mind, intellect and freewill that He gives us. The degree of he sin will vary; the fact that it is a sin will not.

 

[JimG]

Well, if you say it with respect to a person, and really MEAN it, then you are wishing, actually sort of commanding in an imperative tone, that God will send that person to hell. That’s a pretty harsh thing to wish upon a person and really mean it. So that would be serious.

If you’re just using the phrase as a convenient and meaningless expletive, then it’s not so serious; it’s just a careless use of language. Even using the F word carries less theological baggage.

 

[Newbie2]

Well, if you say it with respect to a person, and really MEAN it, then you are wishing, actually sort of commanding in an imperative tone, that God will send that person to hell. That’s a pretty harsh thing to wish upon a person and really mean it. So that would be serious.

If you’re just using the phrase as a convenient and meaningless expletive, then it’s not so serious; it’s just a careless use of language.

You mean like “GD it!” or “GD this F’ing (insert inanimate object name here)” ?

I have experience in this area. Recently, I was working underneath a car, all grimy and dirty trying to get loose a stuck bolt. In my frustration, I urged the Almighty to “damn to hell” this particular bolt that was stuck.

One has to be careful what one wishes for.

About ten seconds later, the bolt sheared off. I had to go to the store and buy a drill (mine was on the fritz) and a new bit to drill the thing out, which added another two hours to my already behind schedule project.

Apparently, God has a sense of humor when teaching lessons on humility.

 

[JimG]

I think there may be a special mitigating factor applicable to automotive work.
Inanimate objects have no fear of hell anyway.

 

[Newbie2]

I think there may be a special mitigating factor applicable to automotive work.
Inanimate objects have no fear of hell anyway.

Seems they don’t fear the wrath of my wrench either.

 

[jk1964]

But don’t you actually have to say the name of God for it to be a sin and God is not God’s name

 

[Lost_Sheep]

On a related note, what about using the abbreviation OMG! when texting? OMG presumably means Oh My God!