Vulgar Words - sinful?

[Catholig]

Hello everyone - I try to stay pure, but when thinking about certain sins (sexual sins) I can often think of vulgar words for them. I am not positive about the amount of consent I give - but I tend to dwell on it and will even think about the vulgar word which I thought. This of course makes me feel worse.

Just wanted to talk. I don’t know if any advice can be given.

Catholig

 

[rwoehmke]

In my opinion vulgar words popping into ones head if not dwelt on with some mental or physical pleasure in the dwelling would not be sinful. As with any illicit mental picture of a sexual nature to intentionally entertain and roll these thoughts around in one’s mind is sinful.

From a practical viewpoint, it pays dividends to not allow these words to become a part of your active vocabulary. There are sufficient words in any language to allow one to express one’s thoughts without being vulgar. I am an old man and can remember when the F word was rarely spoken, if at all in polite company, now one can hear frequently on the radio and TV, in songs, in the park, on a lark, in the dark and I do not like it any better than green eggs and Ham.

 

[DanteAlighieri]

I think it was in the AAA forum that I read that using curse words is not inherently sinful unless one is belittling or abusing or cursing someone else – in which case, it doesn’t matter whether one uses curse words or not.

However (and this from a habitual cusser ), there’s a lot of truth in the saying “Vulgarity is the crutch of inarticulate f***ers”.



Peace,
Dante

 

[StCsDavid]

I guess it’s like just about every other sin…what’s in the will? I mean let’s say you lock yourself out of your car and upon realizing it let out a string of profanities. You may be guilty of poor taste in your choice of words expressing your frustration, but I don’t see the sin there.

I would consult with a priest to be sure, but just thinking a vulgar word in the context the OP describes would not necessarily be a sin; however, dwelling on it might be a different story. Words have meaning so if one is dwelling on a sexual word…it stands to reason they’re walking on thin ice as far as purity is concerned.

 

[Romans12]

Vulgar words are demeaning and derogatory in nature.

I don’t really know that Churches stand on this. And I guess I don’t really want to spend time looking it up either.

I just think of Christ. Do you think he was walking around with the Deciples using vulgar words??? I think not.

Purity of Heart, Mind and Body… this includes the tongue!

If like mentioned earlier you make the effort to eliminate these words from your vocab it will make a noticable impact on yourself and others who know you in a very SHORT time.

Pray about it… ask for God’s Grace, he will not deny you… when you slip up… say a silent prayer for forgiveness…

I often pray for others silently when they are swearing like a trooper… its amazing how the Lord often just calms them down and it stops…

Just ask for the Grace and God will do the rest!

 

[drafdog]

Vulgarity is just in bad taste. It isn’t a sin.
Most of what we call “swear words” are not in any fashion related to taking an oath (swearing) and are also not sinful.

Matthew

 

[Gizmo]

Hello everyone - I try to stay pure, but when thinking about certain sins (sexual sins) I can often think of vulgar words for them. I am not positive about the amount of consent I give - but I tend to dwell on it and will even think about the vulgar word which I thought. This of course makes me feel worse.

Just wanted to talk. I don’t know if any advice can be given.

Catholig

One thing that you seem to put together which I wonder if you caught is when you said that when thinking about certain sexual sins that you can often think of vulgar words for them. Well, truth be told, any sexual act that is sinful is an act that is vulgar and likewise can only be associated with a vulgar name. You figure there is the nuptial act on the one hand and acts of lust on the other. If the act is a true and pure act of love then there should be nothing vulgar coming to mind but if an image of an act of lust comes to mind then the vulgar language will most likely follow. In other words you must aim to purify the mind of the images before you can purify it of the words associated with the images.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Vulgarity is just in bad taste. It isn’t a sin.
Most of what we call “swear words” are not in any fashion related to taking an oath (swearing) and are also not sinful.

Matthew

I think that if it offends others it is probably a sin against Charity.

 

[Gizmo]

Vulgarity is just in bad taste. It isn’t a sin.
Most of what we call “swear words” are not in any fashion related to taking an oath (swearing) and are also not sinful.

Matthew

Out of curiosity, what do swear words have to do with taking an oath? You seem to conclude that because swear words are not in the act of taking an oath that they are not sinful. But just because making or breaking an oath is not involved does not mean that it is not a sin. For instance, where in the act of abortion are any of the responsible parties making or breaking an oath? How about stealing, there are no oaths necessarily being broken or made there either.

The use of vulgar words or foul speech come from indecency and imprudence. They are much more than just ‘bad taste’. Bad taste refers to the types of things people buy or the cars that people drive not the acts that they perform; the performing of any act - including what we say and how we say it - categorically falls under a virtue or a vice.

CCC 2533 Purity of heart requires the modesty which is patience, decency, and discretion. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person.

 

[paradoxy]

I have often wondered, and still do, about the following:

What words do we use for sexual acts and body parts when talking to one’s spouse? It seems the only choices available are:

1. Latin, medical words - inappropriate, esp. in my (and my husband’s) mother tongue
2. Baby words
3. “Vulgar” words

I don’t find any of them to be appropriate to the husband/wife situation, so I don’t use any! I try to get by without naming anything, and it can get difficult!

What do you do? (no explicit words necessary)

 

[Yerusalyim]

Here’s a test for you…for the next 30 seconds DO NOT think about a red horse.

(30 seconds later)

How many times did you think of a red horse?

By trying to not dwell on these random thoughts and words you actually end up dwelling on them…this is not sin…sin would come in with ENTERTAINING the thoughts…there’s a difference between dwelling on (involuntary) and ENTERTAINING (intentional and brings pleasure)

 

[edwest2]

Read James 3. We are told to bring every thought into submission to Christ. We are also told to bridle our tongues and to excersize control over the words we use.

In Catholic school, I was taught that vulgar words, four letter words that usually refer improperly to sex or some body part, are disrespectful and wrong. It was not OK to use those words. Kids were also told to avoid using ‘bad words.’ And kids are smart. “Mom, Jeff used a bad word.” Also, I was taught that just because I became an adult, those words did not stop being bad.

That’s why I find the term “Adult Language” to be so misleading to the Christian. Do only Adults use such language? These words identified as “Adult” are all bad. It is not OK to be a Christian and use these words. We are to be good role models to all.

God bless,
Ed

 

[Gizmo]

Here’s a test for you…for the next 30 seconds DO NOT think about a red horse.

(30 seconds later)

How many times did you think of a red horse?

By trying to not dwell on these random thoughts and words you actually end up dwelling on them…this is not sin…sin would come in with ENTERTAINING the thoughts…there’s a difference between dwelling on (involuntary) and ENTERTAINING (intentional and brings pleasure)

Doesn’t this draw a very fine line between what is sinful and what is not.

If a person ends up dwelling on something are they not also entertaining it as well? I don’t understand how dwelling on ‘stuff’ and entertaining ‘stuff’ are different.

I think the goal of any person would be not to dwell on or entertain anything impure. Granted all people will be faced with temptations to do so - it will be up to them as to what they do with them. If a person encounters a temptation to think of something vulgar & impure the option isn’t whether or not they dwelt on or entained it but whether they did not give into the temptation by dwelling on or entertaining it.

 

[Yerusalyim]

Gizmo,

No, “dwelling” and “entertaining” are two VERY different things…and remember, we’re dealing with someone here who has an issue of being scrupulous…an issue which can lead to dispair.

Like I said before…for the next 30 seconds do not think about a RED HORSE…and what’s the first thing that pops into your head…a RED HORSE…so, are you ENTERTAINING the idea of a RED HORSE…or is the thought there involuntarily? When you try not to think about something…you end up thinking about it. Thus, the difference between dwelling on something in the sense I think is being used here…and ENTERTAINING something…massaging it in your mind…ENCOURAGING it to grow.

 

[Gizmo]

Gizmo,

No, “dwelling” and “entertaining” are two VERY different things…and remember, we’re dealing with someone here who has an issue of being scrupulous…an issue which can lead to dispair.

Like I said before…for the next 30 seconds do not think about a RED HORSE…and what’s the first thing that pops into your head…a RED HORSE…so, are you ENTERTAINING the idea of a RED HORSE…or is the thought there involuntarily? When you try not to think about something…you end up thinking about it. Thus, the difference between dwelling on something in the sense I think is being used here…and ENTERTAINING something…massaging it in your mind…ENCOURAGING it to grow.

What I do not understand is how someone can dwell on something involuntarily. I think what you are trying to say is that a person should not dwell on the temptation. If a person is tempted to think of Red Horses it is the temptation (in the form of an image of a Red Horse in one’s head) that shows up involuntarily in the brain - not the dwelling of Red Horses.

I know from experience that I will be sitting somewhere and not be dwelling on or thinking of ‘X’. But all of a sudden an image of ‘X’ will introduce itself in my imagination - this is a temptation to think of ‘X’ if I did not voluntarily place that image of ‘X’ there but it is more than a temptation if I am responsible for placing it there. If at the point of temptation - to think of ‘X’ - if I start to dwell on ‘X’ I am beginning to entertain this image of ‘X’. Would I not also be responsible for keeping the image of ‘X’ in my imagination instead of getting rid of it?

I think maybe the other thing is that even though the indivdual who is just simply dwelling on ‘X’ or Red Horses may not be entertaining the image further - however - they are not getting rid of the image that has been presented to their imagination. It is the not getting rid of that image / temptation that I understand what dwelling on it is all about and is very similar to entertaining.

I think if a person is always dwelling on something and thinking that sin is never involved that they are being something other than scrupulous.

 

[Gizmo]

Yerusalyim,

Before we go further into the ‘dwelling’ debate please check out the original post that started this thread. It might shed some light as to why I am answering in the way that I am.

Hello everyone - I try to stay pure, but when thinking about certain sins (sexual sins) I can often think of vulgar words for them.

These words are there because there are impure thoughts there. I don’t think there is real question of whether or not sin was involved in the first place.

Catholig,

If I may try to shed some light on the vulgar words. These words are accompanying the impure thoughts that you are having. The reason is because no one is ever tempted to think about holy sexual things - we are always tempted to think about sinful sexual things and likewise these things (or sins) are only known by these vulgar expressions or words because they are vulgar actions. So really the issue is the impure thoughts - they need to stop then the vulgar words that pop up will stop too.

You are just as culpable (or guilty) for the impure thought if you thought about it for 30 seconds or 30 minutes.

However, do not get confused between the difference of dwelling on something and always being faced with the temptation to think about the same something. We can be tempted all day or all week and not fall into sin but once we choose it on our own - meaning it is no longer a temptation - it becomes something that we perform - then it is a sin.

Do you know what I mean? Is any of this helping? You have not even responded to anything so it is hard to tell.

Either way - good luck - and continue to keep working on purity. I assure you - you’re not alone in your stuggle.