Profanity Devotion

[CatholicSpirit]

So, there are people who use profanity. Then, some people use profanity to describe how much lower they are than God. Like “when I sinned, I was such a p of s, I’m so sorry!” Cab drivers of old who pray could have a slip up. But, isn’t that kind of like a verbal version of whipping yourself… Better than not praying right!

 

[2towers]

we’re you trying to start a discussion?

 

[CatholicSpirit]

Well, I feel sad for people who want to be redeemed and try to use descriptive words for mercy which are poorly selected. I hope someone feels the same way here on Earth…

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Profanity and its variants are VERY culturally based. Except for using the name of God in vain, it’s really all a cultural construct.

Case in point. My friend’s children when they were very young were taught that “stupid” and “idiot” were BAD words. They understood these to be as bad as curse words. To them, they really were. So when they went to confession, they’d confess that they called their brother or sister stupid. It wasn’t until Father asked permission to talk to their Mommy about their “bad words” that he understood what the heck was going on.

He was then able to advise the children not to use those words just as he’d advise someone to avoid swearing. He adjusted his dialogue for that vernacular.

It’s the same way with some cultures. For instance, in ASL where I grew up (ASL varies by region so this may not be true everywhere), there are MANY signs that are “swear” words. But the middle finger was just a funny joke that would be akin to a normal English speaker calling their friend a goof. They didn’t do it in front of hearing, but when it was all deaf, that birdie flew wild.

Now, a priest knowing ASL, who knew the culture, would not walk in and start saying “you are using horrible language”. No, he’d understand those words.

In the same way, swear words are part of the ordinary vocabulary in some professions and people don’t really use them in the same way tender ears may.

So I’d say, then, if it’s you you’re speaking about, work on developing a better vocabulary to express yourself.

If it’s not you, and children are not about, then leave well enough alone.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

Profanity and its variants are VERY culturally based. Except for using the name of God in vain, it’s really all a cultural construct.

There is a book by Melisa Mohr (I can’t post the title here) all about that. She classifies the various types of prohibited language. Class structure is one of the contributors. Using certain words would make it look like one has been hanging with the common folks (which is why “vulgar” can refer to the common person IR a type of language to be avoided). So words that were consider bad before are common place now, and we have some words that are transitioning into the prohibted.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

Profanity and its variants are VERY culturally based. Except for using the name of God in vain, it’s really all a cultural construct.

There is a book by Melisa Mohr (I can’t post the title here) all about that. She classifies the various types of prohibited language. Class structure is one of the contributors. Using certain words would make it look like one has been hanging with the common folks (which is why “vulgar” can refer to the common person IR a type of language to be avoided). So words that were consider bad before are common place now, and we have some words that are transitioning into the prohibted.

A great example of that is fudge. It was once a very terrible and tasteless word for messing something up. But someone made a confectionary and “scandolsy” called it that. Now it’s harmless.

An example of a word going the other way is the word for “a bundle of sticks”. It is literally a unit of measure for a bundle of sticks 3 feet in length and 2 feet in curcumference. Now it is a derogorty term for homosexual people. I have given enough clues that Google can help one find it if truly curious.

Language entomology is amazing.

 

[pianistclare]

Words have power. To destroy and to lift up.
In the beginning was the WORD. God breathed over the heavens.
Uttering profanity is like smashing a feather pillow into the wind, and then seeking to pick every single one up. You can’t. What you say is written on the hearts of all who hear it.
Cuss, and that word is hanging out there.
No bueno.
Excuses are just excuses.
Plus, people who swear are generally not taken very seriously in the professional world. They may all do it, but they don’t think it’s good either.

 

[CatholicSpirit]

The professional world doesn’t have enough appreciation for God to be taken seriously. Some would rather die than contribute to the new Nineveh of Jonah’s time, Babylonian pre-Exodus Egypt. I’m glad some other posters understood that when not directed at God (and instead elsewhere or to ones own self in frustration) it is entirely separate.

I have forgiven many times a man or woman who came to me saying “sorry I fk’d that up” and God is greater than I with his mercy and understanding.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’ve worked in a couple different professions doing different jobs and been deeply involved in a couple of hobbies, as well as working with other cultures, some of whom have English as a second language, and I completely agree with XV that swearing is all relative. There are certain contexts where you do not swear, such as in your formal job interview, in front of the customers, etc but other contexts where it is a normal day at the office (the “entertainment industry”, and I’ve been in engineering labs where most of the people working had 2 degrees and used the F word several times a day). Certain nationalities that speak English as a second language also swear without the same hang up about it that a native speaker would. It’s okay if someone chooses not to swear, but scolding someone for doing it is considered either a power play if they’re lower “class” than you, or else prissy if you’re equals.

The main reasons for avoiding swear words as sinful stems from not wanting to develop a bad habit you can’t turn off in a situation where it’s disallowed (such as job interview, court proceeding) and from the emotion behind the word. If you swear because you’re angry at someone or know swearing will upset them, you’ve sinned; the same would apply if you didn’t swear but just yelled or insulted them without using the bad word. But if you casually refer to something as effed up around a person who you know won’t be offended, no sin is involved, it’s just conversation IMO.

My mother and father were very big on NOT swearing, but they had come up in the world to a professional class from lower working classes. I haven’t had the same class worries in my life.

 

[CatholicSpirit]

Professionally, I have been disgusted with the economic impact of “anti-forgiveness for productivity trade off” because not only is it anti-God but it yields less revenue. Meaning, it is a failed concept that is really only built on the belief that punishment generates fortune. That is not the case.

In the book, which in conjunction with sections of the holy bible should be deeply understood by management everywhere, “How to win friends and influence people” has a short story about a pilot crashing a plane. A perfect example of why our economies are failing.

One of the best Amercan business people ever to live had an airplane which was crashed by the pilot. The pilot was forgiven and became the businessmans best pilot due to the act. The thinking was, “why lose a good pilot after you lose a good airplane?”

Micromanagement yields heart attacks. Forgiveness yields profit. Profanity when expressed towards ones self demonstrates humility and a person that does not see it does not belong in management of any kind.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

An example of a word going the other way is the word for “a bundle of sticks”. It is literally a unit of measure for a bundle of sticks 3 feet in length and 2 feet in curcumference. Now it is a derogorty term for homosexual people. I have given enough clues that Google can help one find it if truly curious.

I understand that words usage is still somewhat related to that in areas of the U.K. referring to cigarettes. Word usage can change a lot over time and region. Lots of prohibited words have been amillierated to being almost innocuous. Within my lifetime the words I’ve seen make the strongest negative transition have been words that are seen as having at least some hint of racism in them. The profane (as in words that are seen as corrupting or speaking negative of the holy) are not as prohibited in much of the west.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

I understand that words usage is still somewhat related to that in areas of the U.K. referring to cigarettes. Word usage can change a lot over time and region. Lots of prohibited words have been amillierated to being almost innocuous. Within my lifetime the words I’ve seen make the strongest negative transition have been words that are seen as having at least some hint of racism in them. The profane (as in words that are seen as corrupting or speaking negative of the holy) are not as prohibited in much of the west.

Cross culturally, there are words with whole different meanings in the US vs UK.
Fanny is actually a cutesy word for butt in the US and is used among children over the word butt. It is a disgusting word in the UK.

 

[Wampa]

This talk of vulgarity being cultural reminded me of one of the most surprising articles I’ve ever read - about how people in Quebec have replaced scatological or sexual terms in their vulgarities with commonplace Catholic terms.

Washington Post: ‘In French-Speaking Canada, the Sacred Is Also Profane’

"‘Oh, tabernacle!’ The man swore in French as a car splashed through a puddle, sending water onto his pants. He could never be quoted in the papers here. It is too profane.

So are other angry oaths that sound innocuous in English: chalice, host, baptism. In French-speaking Quebec, swearing sounds like an inventory being taken at a church."

 

[TechieGuy]

God knows the heart.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

Cross culturally, there are words with whole different meanings in the US vs UK.

Fanny is actually a cutesy word for butt in the US and is used among children over the word butt. It is a disgusting word in the UK.

The same can be said of some gestures that may be considered rude or offensive. Giving someone the middle finger isn’t universally offensive. And the reverse-victory gesture can be seen as an insult or a salutation.

I also just remembered that someone had done a video that appeared to be largely inspired by Melisa Mohr’s book. While this doesn’t contain any actual bad words it contains references to them. It’s all about why bad words are considered bad.

People can take almost any word and make it ugly if they like. The word “retarded” literally meant “slow.” Because of how it was used many schools to using the term “special.” But that word also began to be used in an ugly sense. I’m not sure what word is being used now. But people can add additional connotations to words by how they use them.

So are other angry oaths that sound innocuous in English: chalice, host, baptism. In French-speaking Quebec, swearing sounds like an inventory being taken at a church."

Hmmmm…That kind of sounds similar to someone shouting something referencing the name of Christ or God when something unpleasant happens to them, though when they do this it currently isn’t a prayer or invocation.

I have forgiven many times a man or woman who came to me saying “sorry I fk’d that up” and God is greater than I with his mercy and understanding.

I’ve heard people ask for apologies for saying prohibited words, but most of these apologies to me appear to have been in response to the possibility that a person that heard the word has been made to feel uncomfortable or offended because of it. If/once it’s known that a person doesn’t have this reaction to the words then no apology follows; for the most part words have what ever meaning that we give them.

 

[CatholicSpirit]

I’m trying to make at least one thing clear, if a person really messes up HARDCORE and says “woah I f’d up” that’s one seriously big apology. I think a person who replies with (unless it’s a parent or instructor or whatnot) “now apologize for profanity” it’s kinda not very Christian to do… I would dig deep and be like “woah, more serious on the sincere side” and be like “hey, it’s cool, we will figure it out.” I mean, if I can right, if it’s fixable.

Bummers, problems, and a-holery are totally separate things