Is saying "Oh My God" a mortal sin?

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mommyof4 said:
The Divine Praises

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
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I think you missed out a line there. 🙂
 
reclaimed said:
I guess the title says it all. It’s a hard habit to try and break. I guess I should find out if I’m mortally sinning at every utterance…😊 I don’t say G.D. or take Jesus’ name in vain. “Oh my God” is the extent of that particular vice.
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In reality you could turn it into prayer with a little practice.

such as “Oh my God, have mercy on me”

“Oh my God, give me Strength” etc.

When you find yourself slipping, add a qualifier to it. That way you turn it back to glorifing God.

I get upset when I hear people, saying sustitute cursing. Using otherwise good words, but with the same intent as swearing or gutter language, as if it is nicer. You hear it in children programing all the time.
 
I just want to make note of my bigger peeve with taking the Lord’s name in vain. It’s when you got people only showing up to church to show others they are there, even if they don’t really care about the message of the service. Not that you’d want to extend that judgement to anyone unless you knew forsure, although I think it’s understandable to think it happens. I also remember when I heard a politician on NPR say that he really might not actually believe the religious stuff he says in public, but it’s one of those things you have to day. I find it hard to think of any worse way to take the Lords name in vain than that.

Now I don’t think what we think of taking the Lord’s name in vain such is what is implied in this threads title is near as grave as that. On the other hand, it is a awefully nasty habit once you realize what you are saying. I doubt in your situation it’s mortal, but it is still far better to avoid it even if it is venial. As far as bringing it up in confession, I’d say go for it. If you really want to do battle with a certian sin, going to confession is a good help, not that it is something you have to go directly to the church to find the priest, but the grace does help.

Of course, I think it’s a great idea, once you caught youself saying it, bring it back to the good by added on a quick prayer to it. If something happens that makes you want to say “Oh my God,” chances are you can just add on a bless this or that person in that situation that prompted you to say it. Now, just don’t go telling God to d… anything, even if God wants to do that, God is the one who should be making that judgement.
 
Are you saying “Oh, my God!” or “Oh, my god!”? The latter would not actually be using his name, although his name is God?

I used to say it out of abit and unintentially. I broke the habit as soon as I became aware of it. The last time I said it, I went to confession primarily because I was due for some confessing.
 
I’m trying to break this habit, so if I catch myself saying “Oh my God” then I try to add a prayer to the end, usually either “forgive me my sins” or “give me strength”. If I hear someone else say His name in vain then I say “Sit nomen Domini benedictum,” which means “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

You’d be surprised at how quick people stop using His name in vain around you when they get Latin quoted at them. Which is the answer to the prayer! 👍
 
reclaimed said:
I guess the title says it all. It’s a hard habit to try and break. I guess I should find out if I’m mortally sinning at every utterance…😊 I don’t say G.D. or take Jesus’ name in vain. “Oh my God” is the extent of that particular vice.
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Wear a rubber band around your wrist and whenever you say it snap the rubber band.
 
I’ve had two preists tell me that it isn’t a sin which kind of confused me since I always had the impression that it was.
 
I had a bad habit of saying “Oh My God” . I thought it was like a prayer(I was misguided) and then later I added , “have mercy” but I would say "have mercy"under my breathe because I was embarrassed to say it out in front of everyone.

Then I thought it sounded so bad to others that I just stop using “Oh My God”… Now I say something silly like “Golly Gee”.

Another one that I use to say when perturbed, “Jesus, Joseph and Mary” and under my breathe “pray for us”. I gave this verse up.

In order not to cause confusion or be possibly doing a sinful thing, I just avoid the words but now must remember to pray under breathe.
 
I am constantly using the Lords name in vain without thinking then catch myself as soon as I say it.
Being in Construction and spent six years in the Navy, I developed a very colorful speech pattern when I get upset or mad.
I absolutely hate myself for saying it, but it just comes out, then its too late.

This is one of the reasons I have to go to confession every week.
I cant seem to break this habit!!
I am probably committing a mortal sin everyday!! I wonder if I should pray to St. Augustine for help.
 
reclaimed said:
I guess the title says it all. It’s a hard habit to try and break. I guess I should find out if I’m mortally sinning at every utterance…😊 I don’t say G.D. or take Jesus’ name in vain. “Oh my God” is the extent of that particular vice.
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No
 
I wonder if when you say “OMG” it depends on the sentiments or the context of which it is said, whether or not to consider this a sin. The habit should surely be broken, and I myself have had this bad habit for a great number of years. So I can relate.:o That being said, I have curtailed this habit for the past 6 months or so, almost to the point of being non existent in my vocabulary. :extrahappy: It came to me almost naturally once I started praying the rosary daily.😉 I do come out with this now every once in a great while but usually it is in what I call prayer form: “OMG help us!” when something really tragic or profound has happened. Maybe not such a good prayer form:shrug: but at least much better than my previous "OMG"s almost constantly. I certainly would not consider this a mortal sin, but at the same token I certainly do not think Our Lord appreciates this careless form of speech. Ask Our Blessed Mother to help you, she will!
 
my mother says that and I commanded her to stop immediately if it was blasphemy.But she said she said it because she was talking to God and calling Him.So, if your saying it to talk to God, it is not a sin, but if your saying it in vain, then it is a sin.Do not take the Lords Name in vain.But it is OK to call Him, if you need to.
 
MichaelTDoyle said:
I do not think anything habitual can be considered a mortal sin. The word habitual implies a hampering of free will. To sever willingly your relationship with God it must be a freely given preference. But that’s my thought on the matter; I don’t know if the Church would confirm this opinion.
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That’s a really stupid, dangerous idea. What moral authority informed you that nursing your sins to habit lessens your guilt?

Since everyone is guilty of venial sin at some time or another anyway, the safer thing to do is sin as much as possible so that all of our mortal sins magically become venial and we aren’t as liable for them, hmm? Why try getting into heaven being a saint when being a sinner is so much easier? 🤷

That’s an affront on the sensibilities of all sinners who are in need of reconciliation to the Lord. There are certain sins I have committed on a regular, you might say “habitual” basis, and I find it offensive when people told me it was less important (or even impossible) to stop committing those sins because I was particularly fond of them. Telling me I’m not responsible doesn’t make me feel better, it only makes me feel hopeless.
 
Please excuse my ignorance here, probably due to the way I was raised, but I am surprised that this expression seems so serious to those who posted here. I was always of the impression that taking the Lord’s name in vain meant using it anger or frustration. Since the expression OMG is normally used as an expression of surprise, shock, or amazement please educate me on why this expression is considered to be used “in vain”. I realize that the expression is not one of respect and is best to be avoided, but at the same time it does not seem as offensive as indicated in this thread.
 
Here is one way to turn venial sin into a praise…

When you started saying “Oh my God”… don’t stop there!

You can say “Oh my God…I praise your holy name”
or
“Oh my God… I love you. Have mercy on me a sinner.”

Also, you can get in the habit of saying…

“Praise the Lord” in place of “Oh my God.”

(I actually got the idea from one of our separated brethren.)

I’m sure there and hundreds of possibilities, but you get the point. 😉
 
TruthSkr said:
Please excuse my ignorance here, probably due to the way I was raised, but I am surprised that this expression seems so serious to those who posted here. I was always of the impression that taking the Lord’s name in vain meant using it anger or frustration. Since the expression OMG is normally used as an expression of surprise, shock, or amazement please educate me on why this expression is considered to be used “in vain”. I realize that the expression is not one of respect and is best to be avoided, but at the same time it does not seem as offensive as indicated in this thread.
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Webster Dictionary defines-
Vain: 1. empty, of no real value, idle, worthless.

I’ll try to explain:
Santus! Santus! Santus! :bowdown: Holy,Holy,Holy is God. When we start using the Lord’s holy name without due respect, it can lead us to habit, which can lead us to mortal sin. How? Well, by allowing ourselves to use the Lord’s name repeatedly without thinking of God is not respecting God but rather disrespecting Him. At the name of Jesus, all knees shall bend :bowdown: in Heaven, on the earth and under the earth. That’s why we bow our heads during the Mass at Jesus’ name or even in conversions anywhere else…or at least we’re supposed to.
The expression OMG is **normally used **as an expression of surprise, shock, or amazement…
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Exactly. We have normalized the saying of God’s name, reducing His value in our lives and thus in our society. However, when we look at the Old Testament we see reverence and fear of the Lord at His Holy name punishable by death. The early Christians and Saints also held the name of Jesus in high regard and reverence, though not in fear of Mosaic judgement, but out of true love for our Savior:gopray2: . In our society today we no longer think of God when we say God. Now who do think enjoys that irony. Ahh, could it be…Satan? :hmmm: Ol’Nick loves it when we do this.

Think of it this way. We show respect to our priest by calling him, “Father”, for he is a spiritual father to us. The Lord is an infinitely greater Father to us with infinitely greater love for us. Yet we show less respect for His name and more respect to a priest by addressing him by the proper title and we teach our kids like-wise? As a parent my children call me father or dad and I must remind myself of what that means. In our domestic church I am their spiritual “father”. If they were to call me Scott, I would be offended and feel the need to correct them immediately. Shouldn’t we do the same at the utterance of God’s Holy name in vain?

God is in no way,1. empty, of no real value, idle, worthless. I hope this helps.

Pax Christi

Scott
 
Saying Oh My God is a mortal sin only if you meant to say it with the full knowlege that it is a sin to use god’s name in vain.
 
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