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David98
Guest
Hello,
Could you guys tell me if saying “Damn ___, you look good”, etc etc would me a sin?
Could you guys tell me if saying “Damn ___, you look good”, etc etc would me a sin?
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s.cono
Guest
In that context I would think not.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
You’re not actually wishing someone damned, so no, not a sin.
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Fraevo63
Guest
We live in a messed up culture where profanity that used to shock people as inappropriate is now just casual slang. What you describe sounds like it fits that casual slang category. No harm, no foul I would think.
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Dan_Defender
Guest
Personally I still avoid this word. There’s no need for it and could be a bridge to profanity. And you would be surprised that people around you notice and respect you more if your language is always clean, in my experience.
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edward_george1
Guest
Damned if it is… (Kidding)
If you said it to your wife or girlfriend, no, not at all.
If you said it to a random stranger on the street or to someone else’s wife, then it might be, but not because you said “damn…”
There’s nothing magic about profanity that makes those words evil or something. If you walked down the street in Beijing and said all of George Carlin’s 7 Words You Can’t Say on Television, no one would know what you’re saying, still less would they be offended. What makes profanity potentially sinful is the context and the audience. If I drop a four letter word because I was cut off in traffic, then there’s very little intentionality there, it was inadvertant. If I get up on the pulpit and rant and rave and use every curse word in the book, then half of my congregation will be running for the exits, the half that didn’t immediately burst into flames from being scandalized. Only the half dozen or so Marine vets would remain, giving me a standing ovation.
The point is, the context and audience are what make profanity sinful. If you use it in a context and around people that are going to be offended by it, that’s where the sin lay. If in company that doesn’t mind that sort of thing, it might be a little coarse or that might make one inattentive to his thoughts if done habitually, but it’s not sinful.
-Fr ACEGC
If you said it to your wife or girlfriend, no, not at all.
If you said it to a random stranger on the street or to someone else’s wife, then it might be, but not because you said “damn…”
There’s nothing magic about profanity that makes those words evil or something. If you walked down the street in Beijing and said all of George Carlin’s 7 Words You Can’t Say on Television, no one would know what you’re saying, still less would they be offended. What makes profanity potentially sinful is the context and the audience. If I drop a four letter word because I was cut off in traffic, then there’s very little intentionality there, it was inadvertant. If I get up on the pulpit and rant and rave and use every curse word in the book, then half of my congregation will be running for the exits, the half that didn’t immediately burst into flames from being scandalized. Only the half dozen or so Marine vets would remain, giving me a standing ovation.
The point is, the context and audience are what make profanity sinful. If you use it in a context and around people that are going to be offended by it, that’s where the sin lay. If in company that doesn’t mind that sort of thing, it might be a little coarse or that might make one inattentive to his thoughts if done habitually, but it’s not sinful.
-Fr ACEGC
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Fraevo63
Guest
When Clark Gable said, “damn” in the 1939 film, Gone With The Wind, people freaked out. Nobody bats an eye to even much more extreme “profanity”.
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ahs
Guest
I was going to make a smart-alec-y remark about the OP, but when I read this I felt you covered it well enough. Well done, sir!
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Ryan1
Guest
I believe it is what is called a “minced oath,” which would be venially sinful, compared to an oath that met the other conditions of mortal sin. At least, I do not think minced oaths can be mortally sinful.
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Lee1
Guest
Using swear words habitually reduces the associated catharsis in using using them.
Apart from an awful lot of other reasons why one should avoid their use.
As an alternative for damn I use dang online, which doesn’t mean much too me at all. In the UK we have other alternatives too such as ‘fiddlesticks’ which means nothing but is exclaimed, or ‘fudge’ or ‘sugar’. These words can be uttered with the same amount of aggression as more traditional Anglo Saxon commonly heard phrases but are not offensive to the listener, yet still afford catharsis to the user, I think.
Apart from an awful lot of other reasons why one should avoid their use.
As an alternative for damn I use dang online, which doesn’t mean much too me at all. In the UK we have other alternatives too such as ‘fiddlesticks’ which means nothing but is exclaimed, or ‘fudge’ or ‘sugar’. These words can be uttered with the same amount of aggression as more traditional Anglo Saxon commonly heard phrases but are not offensive to the listener, yet still afford catharsis to the user, I think.
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GospelOfMatthew
New member
I don’t think the word ‘damn’ is profane or sinful, unless you mention God in the phrase then it’s very bad, don’t do that.
As to saying ‘damn you look good’ or whatever, I think this could be lustful and not honoring the women (assuming it’s said to a women) as a daughter of God. It’s not something I would ever say
As to saying ‘damn you look good’ or whatever, I think this could be lustful and not honoring the women (assuming it’s said to a women) as a daughter of God. It’s not something I would ever say
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AZ42
Guest
People were very uptight back then.
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on_the_hill
Guest
I’m surprised people take a casual attitude toward it on CAF. Weird.
I don’t talk that way, my wife doesn’t talk that way, I don’t let the kids talk that way.
I blame my upbringing. I grew up in a neighborhood where no one swore like that. Seriously. A neighborhood full of kids and you never heard anything even that mild.
The only person who ever said those things was my grandfather, who casually used the “d-word,” and the “h-word” all the time.
I don’t talk that way, my wife doesn’t talk that way, I don’t let the kids talk that way.
I blame my upbringing. I grew up in a neighborhood where no one swore like that. Seriously. A neighborhood full of kids and you never heard anything even that mild.
The only person who ever said those things was my grandfather, who casually used the “d-word,” and the “h-word” all the time.
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on_the_hill
Guest
We have those in the U.S., too.
Dang, dagbnabbit.
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Lee1
Guest
How about “well I’ll go to the bottom of my stairs!” ?
Now you have to admit that’s unusual?
Or how about this one
“Well butter my derrière and call me a crumpet!” There is a shorter word for derrière but since were in polite company I resisted using it.
Now you have to admit that’s unusual?
Or how about this one
“Well butter my derrière and call me a crumpet!” There is a shorter word for derrière but since were in polite company I resisted using it.
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Lee1
Guest
Me too.
A person sometimes complains about a problem they have and is told they are suffering from self pride or some such nonsense and the next minute it’s fine to swear in church.
Straining a gnat and missing the camel imo.
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