Taking the Lord's name in vain?

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Years ago I was sternly accused of taking the Lord’s Name in vain.

It was a wet Saint Patrick’s Day and I was all set up to trade at a market. Side panels were up against the sheeting rain.

Suddenly something crashed into my stall, shaking it and all but knocking me off my stool … Of course I invoked Divine Help.

The driver of the truck ( yep a supply truck) thereupon came through the chaos and accused me of taking the Lord’s Name in vain.

OH NO. I told him. I was pleading for divine help.

Which plea is the first thing that comes to the heart and tongue in an emergency.

When I saw a car heading for my car and that there was an unavoidable crash ahead? I yelled JESUS!!!

Some swear; we call for help.
 
Rosebud77 said:
When I saw a car heading for my car and that there was an unavoidable crash ahead? I yelled JESUS!!!

Some swear; we call for help.
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I agree, in an emergency or a sudden shock, I tend to see suddenly uttering the Lord’s name as a prayer. In the times when I find myself saying something like “Oh God!” or “Lord!” when I am truly shocked or startled (example: the cat suddenly scratched me, I suddenly see the sink drain clogged and water is overflowing), when I realize I just said “God” or whatever I immediately add “and I mean it as a prayer” and say a prayer. I might still mention it in Confession because I think it’s a bad habit and I do not want to turn into one of those people who says “omg” for every little thing.

Recently there was a terrible accident on icy roads near me involving a tanker truck falling off the overpass and exploding and then multiple other large trucks crashing. A person happened to be filming on his cell phone before the accident and caught it all on video. Following the first explosion and all through the crashes, he screams “Jesus Christ!” at least 10 times. It is clear he himself had to run away from the flames and is just completely horrified by what he is seeing, which likely involves other people being seriously injured or dying. I would definitely see that as a call for help, as you don’t expect to have a disaster like that happen in front of your eyes.
 
I agree that sometimes it’s a prayer… luckily God knows which times. Even when not a great shock, I have seen sadness and found my self whispering My Lord and where usually a prayer would follow I am at a loss for words. Wasn’t it St Therese who said prayer was a surge of the heart.

Anyway this is an interesting post, I had always wondered if the omg and the like were taking the Lord’s name in vain or not…I am thinking it depends on context.

To answer the poster, I’d say it’s a venial sin and I always say the prayer ‘Admirable is the name of God’ after hearing anyone say any such thing to make reparation at the time.
 
Two principles:

Sins of speech must be measured primarily from the intention. (II-II q. 72 a. 2)

Blasphemy requires adverting to a phrase’s blasphemous character. (II-II q. 13 a. 2 rep. 3)

“God” does not at all seem to me to be a Name of God, properly speaking. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, YHWH, Jesus, Paraclete, etc. would seem to qualify. It would seem to make impiety more difficult with the use of “God.”

It is dubious whether the occasional insertion of the Names into every day speech as expletives would necessarily constitute “improper use” of those Names. See the two principles above. If one is already a habitual blasphemer with no regard for God or an outright disdain of Him and the things of Him, his intention might be quite different from a 90 year old church mouse who sometimes says “Jesus Mary and Joseph!” when she is flustered.

The idea that it could be prayer does not seem far off, but it does not seem to hit the nail on the head either, unless one is consciously choosing “to pray.” What it does seem like is a kind of natural proportion between “need” or “distress” or “excitement” and the Names and things of God. Again, compare and contrast the habitual blasphemer who hates God, and the church lady who prays the 20 mysteries every day. The Names and things of God are part of their life, but in a different way, even though the thought and utterance of them are triggered by similar phenomena.

The real problem is indeed “lowering” what is holy (rather than a genuine habitual desire for God’s legitimate condescension to us and our needs, or a kind of picking up one’s heart and mind to God). If one is finding himself perceiving this in his spoken use of the Names, best to change the habit. Scandal must also be avoided in this regard.
 
Whatever the longiwnded theories ( sorry; too tired to cope) I was afterwards relieved that when facing a crash that could have been fatal, ,my only and potentially last word was JESUS, I called on Him . Always and forever JESUS.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
…Following the first explosion and all through the crashes, he screams “Jesus Christ!” at least 10 times…
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That’s of course clear and any believer would call God in sucklike situations.
When my son died, I too called God to be here.
So I did when I thought to be dying in the emergency car.

It’s of course not in the threads meaning of “Taking the Lord’s name in vain”

To scream “Oh my God” when there is no reason, but say “a scratch on the car”, that’s meant.
 
BrunoMaria said:
That’s of course clear and any believer would call God in sucklike situations.
When my son died, I too called God to be here.
So I did when I thought to be dying in the emergency car.

It’s of course not in the threads meaning of “Taking the Lord’s name in vain”

To scream “Oh my God” when there is no reason, but say “a scratch on the car”, that’s meant.
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:console:
 
BrunoMaria said:
How right you are!
But what always stuck me in the English language is, that even Catholics very often, and with the tiniest trifles, call out
“Oh my God!”
This ever since the 50s when I heard it first time, bashed me back.
In England that’s not quite as widely spread as in the USA, where almost nobody seems to think twice, before he screams out Oh, MY GOD at real inanities.
I once asked an American CATHOLIC - why do you say so? He said - Oh, I never really thought twice about it.
But we ought to! Let’s not this simply get to be a habit “everybody does”.

I must admit, here in Germany many too say similar at stupid occations. Not quite as loud though. Not like “Oh, my GOD!”. Rather like MY god… and then the sentence follows like “it’s not all that bad!”
Let’s fight it!

Yours
Bruno
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You are so right!
It has become like a disease in U.S. & is disrespectful to God!
 
BenDavidWest said:
Seems like everybody’s doing it now a days. I cant sit outside my apartment without hearing someone take the Lord’s name in vain. I even read in christian books they recommend taking the Lord’s name in vain by saying “Jesus” whenever you get flustered. I like in St Louis de Montfort’s book* the secret of the rosary *he recommends saying simply “Ave” when your being attacked by demons. This seems much better to me. Our priest told a story about a man who would say “Jesus” before he did anything, this seems very wrong to me. Anytime you hear someone attacking our Lord or our Lady by taking their name in vain or blaspheming them who should correct them on the spot.
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When you say “Jesus” whenever you get flustered or start something is not taking His name in vain. It is really a short prayer for His help.
 
truetofaith said:
When you say “Jesus” whenever you get flustered or start something is not taking His name in vain. It is really a short prayer for His help.
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To be fair it could be either, depending on your/their intent.
 
truetofaith said:
Yes, we know…the issue is when is it taking His name in vain! 🤷
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Is it NOT in vain, if one screams OH MY GOD - by spotting a scratch on his car?
I dare to bet that he who reacts that way on that scratch, doesn’t even think of God. It’s definitely not a short prayer.
 
BrunoMaria said:
Is it NOT in vain, if one screams OH MY GOD - by spotting a scratch on his car?
I dare to bet that he who reacts that way on that scratch, doesn’t even think of God. It’s definitely not a short prayer.
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Yeah, we agree …read my posts …I said what is a short prayer.

All these people saying OMG without a thought is sinful!
 
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