Taking God's Name in Vain in Thoughts

[S_V7]

Sometimes, when not so great things happen, I get thoughts that take the Lord’s name in vain but I usually just swat then away as soon as they pop up. The thing is, when I’m unsure as to wether I consented certain thoughts like this, I go back and replay what happened in my head, which usually includes the part about taking His name in vain. Would the second part be a sin, since I deliberatly had that thought that took His name in vain to see if I consented to it??

sorry if I sound confusing, I’m kind of confused myself at the moment

 

[mommyof4]

Swat those thoughts away, young lady. We are not in complete control of our thoughts, and sometimes things that we don’t want in our mind just pop up anyway. Don’t dwell on this stuff, it just makes it worse. (Trust me).

 

[StCsDavid]

Sounds more like a reflex to use a phrase that sadly has become more common in the vernacular of our culture. I wouldn’t get too worked up over it. Sounds venial at best, but discuss it with your priest the next time you go to confession.

 

[S_V7]

Swat those thoughts away, young lady. We are not in complete control of our thoughts, and sometimes things that we don’t want in our mind just pop up anyway. Don’t dwell on this stuff, it just makes it worse. (Trust me).

Which is what I did and it wasn’t so easy at first:thumbsup:

The thing is, I do usually replay the thought in my head just to make sure I didn’t consent it. Would the actual replay of the thought be a sin since I’m deliberatly bringing it back up to see if it was sinful??

 

[mommyof4]

Which is what I did and it wasn’t so easy at first:thumbsup:

The thing is, I do usually replay the thought in my head just to make sure I didn’t consent it. Would the actual replay of the thought be a sin since I’m deliberatly bringing it back up to see if it was sinful??

No, replay would not be a sin. But, I would suggest that you’re just going to make the scrupulosity worse if you do this. If you have a thought, just turn to God and say “oops, you know I didn’t mean that” and LET IT GO. Don’t replay, because then you’re going to feel that you need to rehash every thought, motive, etc.

 

[ribozyme]

whenever I feel like say God’s name in vain, I always say “ore no kami!!”

I wonder if that’s a sin…

 

[Dempsey1919]

I don’t know why but it always bugs me when people say the Lord’s name in vain. I know it’s only a figure of speech but it still bothers me.

 

[Jesusstreet]

Sometimes, when not so great things happen, I get thoughts that take the Lord’s name in vain but I usually just swat then away as soon as they pop up. The thing is, when I’m unsure as to wether I consented certain thoughts like this, I go back and replay what happened in my head, which usually includes the part about taking His name in vain. Would the second part be a sin, since I deliberatly had that thought that took His name in vain to see if I consented to it??

sorry if I sound confusing, I’m kind of confused myself at the moment

In the Begining when GOD made man, GOD also provided a way to disobey. GOD put the tree of LIFE and the tree of KNOWLEDGE in the garden of PARADISE. GOD then commanded that man should not eat of it. Our measure of LOVE for GOD is the measure of our obedience. This is the meaning of having free will. Because if there is no opportunity to disobey there is no opportunity to LOVE. Moreso, we obey out of fear. That is to say a healthy respect for GOD and HIS power to grant LIFE or to give justice. JESUS we know was obedient unto death, and we see JESUS IS TRUE LOVE.

Now you have free will as well. You are tempted, but in overcoming, it is an act of LOVE for GOD. the temptation isn’t a sin, but overcoming it is LOVE for GOD. We do see some people in this world don’t even try to overcome sin but give in to every impulse, showning they do not care for GOD. I commend you for working to overcome in fear of GOD.

 

[TOP]

Sometimes, when not so great things happen, I get thoughts that take the Lord’s name in vain but I usually just swat then away as soon as they pop up. The thing is, when I’m unsure as to wether I consented certain thoughts like this, I go back and replay what happened in my head, which usually includes the part about taking His name in vain. Would the second part be a sin, since I deliberatly had that thought that took His name in vain to see if I consented to it??

sorry if I sound confusing, I’m kind of confused myself at the moment

This is a huge thorn of mine. Even worse then you describe. I open the door and the door is kicked in. It then seems so foreign and disgusting. But what did the Lord say about thorns? That His grace is sufficent. Maybe allowed to keep you humble. I don’t know. Talk in depth to a Priest about this. get some advise on how to handle this. Tim

 

[Lucania]

I don’t know why but it always bugs me when people say the Lord’s name in vain. I know it’s only a figure of speech but it still bothers me.

It bothers you because it is what it is. It is the Lord’s name taken in vain. It can’t be brushed off as a figure of speech that dosen’t mean anything. Words have meanings & this is one of the Ten Commandments, not Ten Suggestions . It is one of my biggest pet peeves. When I hear someone say it, I quickly say something to myself like Jesus I love you, forgive them! Now I am not perfect either & have probably said everything else in the book:blush: , but in my 52 years I think I have only taken the Lord’s name in vain twice in my life. Long ago I made a concious decision not to say those words, which are wrong IMO.

 

[latinmasslover]

Sometimes, when not so great things happen, I get thoughts that take the Lord’s name in vain but I usually just swat then away as soon as they pop up. The thing is, when I’m unsure as to wether I consented certain thoughts like this, I go back and replay what happened in my head, which usually includes the part about taking His name in vain. Would the second part be a sin, since I deliberatly had that thought that took His name in vain to see if I consented to it??

sorry if I sound confusing, I’m kind of confused myself at the moment

I hear God’s Name in vain a lot, and sometimes it pops into my head every now and then, when thinking of a scene from a movie, replaying a conversation, etc. I immediately say “God be praised, Jesus Christ be praised, Holy Mother of God be praised,” to “counter” the thought. If it was willful, confess it, if not, if it just popped in, “counter it,” but do discuss it with a priest and hear his suggestions on the matter.

 

[Prague]

Well, I took God’s name in vain and it upset me so much I went to confession.
Some dogs were loose in our yard again, and I happened to spot them and I said there are those GD dogs again.
Don’t know where that even came from. I slapped my hand over my mouth and said an act of contrition.
Just could not go to communion with that on my heart.
Told the priest the circumstances, and he busted out laughing.
Gave me absolution and told me to say the Magnificat for penance.
Had to wait until I got home to look that up.
Anyway, I felt much better when I went to mass and communion the next day.
Prague

 

[Sir_Knight]

Interesting that you brought this topic up because I confessed this very sin a few weeks ago. I had been doing it a long time and excused it as not being a sin because it was a reflex action that just “popped into my head”. During confession, the priest told me that it WAS a sin and that I should make a stronger attempt in the future to control what “pops into my head”.

 

[Kevin42]

This doesn’t answer the question, but I was looking through fisheaters.com last night and actually found this (which applies) so I figured I would just go ahead and add to the thread.

**Sit nomen Dómini benedíctum! (Blessed be the Name of the Lord!) **

This prayer is a reparation for blasphemy. If one hears someone take the Name of the Lord in vain, it is good to say this prayer.

**The response to this prayer is “ex hoc nunc, et usque in sæculum!” (“from this time forth for evermore!”) or “per ómnia saecula saeculórum” (“unto ages of ages”). **

 

[mommyof4]

Interesting that you brought this topic up because I confessed this very sin a few weeks ago. I had been doing it a long time and excused it as not being a sin because it was a reflex action that just “popped into my head”. During confession, the priest told me that it WAS a sin and that I should make a stronger attempt in the future to control what “pops into my head”.

Well, that’s a lot easier said than done. We’re not always in complete control of what pops into our head.

 

[Sir_Knight]

I’m well aware of that because I was the one that the priest told that to.

 

[steveandersen]

When I was a boy the nuns would utter what they called ejaculations, little snippets of prayer, when they were startled or surprised.

Naturally as children we tittered at the name BUT thinking about it now it seems fitting that “Oh my God” (the first words of the Act of Contrition) should be uttered in times of fear or astonishment.

While I can see that literally ”cursing” someone or thing by asking God to damn it is wrong but I’m not sure if that means that all reflective uses are necessarily in vain.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Naturally as children we tittered at the name BUT thinking about it now it seems fitting that “Oh my God” (the first words of the Act of Contrition) should be uttered in times of fear or astonishment.

While I can see that literally ”cursing” someone or thing by asking God to damn it is wrong but I’m not sure if that means that all reflective uses are necessarily in vain.

According to the priest in confession, THINKING “Oh my God” is sinful and should be avoided or confessed when done since it violates the 2nd commandment. He pointed out that the punishment in the OT for taking the Lord’s name in vain was the same as for murder. He also mentioned that the commandment does not limit this violation to only VERBAL.

Again, I am repeating what I was told in the confessional a few weeks ago.

 

[steveandersen]

According to the priest in confession, THINKING “Oh my God” is sinful and should be avoided or confessed when done since it violates the 2nd commandment. He pointed out that the punishment in the OT for taking the Lord’s name in vain was the same as for murder. He also mentioned that the commandment does not limit this violation to only VERBAL.

Again, I am repeating what I was told in the confessional a few weeks ago.

So thinking or saying “God” in any context is considered to be in vain?

 

[Sir_Knight]

The priest told me that whenever we say or think of God, we invoke His presence and that should always be done with reverence. To do otherwise is sinful and in violation of the second commandment.