# Poll about taking the lord's name in vain **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 19, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590 "2009-04-19T02:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/81 "2009-04-19T22:06:32Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Y’know, reading this thread provides several interesting examples of childish behavior. Yes. The fact that some people find using Jesus or God in vain think it’s a sin, or disrespectful is childish. It’s like a sandbox conversation. “Wonder Woman stinks!” “No, she doesn’t!” “Yes, she does!” “No, she doesn’t!” Bottom line for me, If “Jesus H. Christ!” offends you, you are childish. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/82 "2009-04-19T23:04:23Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I absolutely disagree with your opinion. If the guy with the mike thinks it’s necessary to speak in public about religion, I feel it’s necessary to halt it. Not a big believer in First Amendment rights, are you? Unfortunately, you’re not the first person to declare that religious speech should be squelched. History has shown that. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/83 "2009-04-19T23:16:45Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I absolutely disagree with your opinion. If the guy with the mike thinks it’s necessary to speak in public about religion, I feel it’s necessary to halt it. I showed a public disagreement towards religion. I think that’s why you call it immature. To me, immature is being religious. Maybe I annoyed other people around me, but more importantly, I SHOWED people not everyone thinks that way. Besides, Mr. Microphone did not exactly have an audience around, and Easter Sunday on Van Nuys Bl. is basically a ghost town. > > Before you use immature, remember, it’d be easier to judge if you were there. He still had a right to do so. You may not like it, but he wasn’t doing anything wrong, per se. (And most people in their houses probably couldn’t even hear.) Pounding on your horn, however, is going to drown out EVERYONE around you, not just him. If you did that here, you’d probably get my dog (and everyone else’s) barking, people cursing, etc. As someone above pointed out-heaven forbid someone exercise their First Amendment rights. But last time I checked, blaring your horn ISN’T a FA right. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/84 "2009-04-19T23:21:21Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Not a big believer in First Amendment rights, are you? > > Unfortunately, you’re not the first person to declare that religious speech should be squelched. History has shown that. If I DIDN’T say anything, honk my horn, show my displeasure, THEN I wouldn’t be a big believer in the First Amendment. By disagreeing, I used the First Amendment effectively. And I think you should’ve said, Fortunately "you’re not the first person to declare that religious speech should be squelched. " What I did was certainly not unfortunate. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/85 "2009-04-19T23:25:08Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > If I DIDN’T say anything, honk my horn, show my displeasure, THEN I wouldn’t be a big believer in the First Amendment. By disagreeing, I used the First Amendment effectively. Okay. So you’re also unaware that the First Amendment guarantees _freedom of speech_, not the freedom to suppress speech. Either that, or you’re pretending otherwise. At least we have a better idea of where you truly stand. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/86 "2009-04-19T23:26:23Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > He still had a right to do so. You may not like it, but he wasn’t doing anything wrong, per se. (And most people in their houses probably couldn’t even hear.) > > Pounding on your horn, however, is going to drown out EVERYONE around you, not just him. If you did that here, you’d probably get my dog (and everyone else’s) barking, people cursing, etc. > > As someone above pointed out-heaven forbid someone exercise their First Amendment rights. But last time I checked, blaring your horn ISN’T a FA right. Of course it is. I’ve seen plenty of people honk their horn during the election when driving by a group of petitioners. That’s showing support, isn’t it? No, it’s not English, but we know when we hear a horn in that case, the honker is saying, “I agree.” Horns aren’t that loud, but it was louder than him, drowning him out, serving a purpose. It’s clear you think it’s good when people preach in public. It’s clear I don’t. It is merely childish. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/87 "2009-04-19T23:29:08Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Okay. So you’re also unaware that the First Amendment guarantees _freedom of speech_, not the freedom to suppress speech. Either that, or you’re pretending otherwise. > > At least we have a better idea of where you truly stand. I wasn’t suppressing speech, I just happened to be louder than the preacher. Plus, if he was speaking English, I would’ve spoken. It guarantees my right to disagree. The first amendment gives the preacher the right to preach, it gives me the right to disagree. You clearly don’t understand the Amendments, but you claim “we have a better idea of where I stand.” So, what’s your better idea, and who’s we? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/88 "2009-04-19T23:31:58Z")
I can (and do) swear like the proverbial drunken sailor but I never felt comfortable with taking the Lord’s name in vain ( or M-fucker either). I’m pretty much an agnostic but I just never could use it myself and cringe a little when people I otherwise respect do it. I don’t know why, can’t explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/89 "2009-04-19T23:34:31Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I can (and do) swear like the proverbial drunken sailor but I never felt comfortable with taking the Lord’s name in vain ( or M-fucker either). I’m pretty much an agnostic but I just never could use it myself and cringe a little when people I otherwise respect do it. > I don’t know why, can’t explain it. I don’t like M-fucker either. It implies a disgraceful act, unless a soccer mom is getting it from the pool boy in Orange County. Then it might be a compliment. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/90 "2009-04-19T23:47:02Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > It’s clear you think it’s good when people preach in public. It’s clear I don’t. It is merely childish. As opposed to leaning on your horn, which is the height of maturity. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/91 "2009-04-19T23:48:07Z")
But the way you described it, you started holding down your horn, thereby just making a nuisance of yourself. You don’t want to listen to it? Turn the radio up. I’m so sick of this, “blah blah blah I hate religion/certain political view/hobby and it’s my duty to be all butthurt and as offended as possible!” The guy wasn’t hurting you. (At dinner, tonight I started to say, “scared the bejesus out of me”, and realized that it offends my mother, so I refrained. Just thought I’d point this out.) ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/92 "2009-04-19T23:54:07Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > But the way you described it, you started holding down your horn, thereby just making a nuisance of yourself. You don’t want to listen to it? Turn the radio up. > > I’m so sick of this, “blah blah blah I hate religion/certain political view/hobby and it’s my duty to be all butthurt and as offended as possible!” The guy wasn’t hurting you. > > (At dinner, tonight I started to say, “scared the bejesus out of me”, and realized that it offends my mother, so I refrained. Just thought I’d point this out.) He was honestly hurting my feelings. I could only wonder what possessed (pun intended) this guy to do this even on easter Sunday. If I turned my radio up, my opinion wouldn’t have been recognized by El Preachero. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/93 "2009-04-19T23:57:59Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > As opposed to leaning on your horn, which is the height of maturity. Like I said, he didn’t speak English. The only other option to express my disagreement would be to exit my car and yell louder than him. Lunacy may be fun, but THAT would’ve been even more immature. I’m surprised how many of you think preaching in public is something we should not speak against, or at least let them do it. Sheesh! It’s not like I sit outside churches and honk my horn during the sermon, that’s fine. The people inside WANT to be there. In public, I don’t want to hear it, and I’m sure others agree on that, even believers. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/94 "2009-04-20T00:01:09Z")
Back to the OP, I simply think it is childish to ask anyone to curb their speech so it doesn’t offend a person’s religion. Period. And if someone does ask politely, if you’re a non-believer (me), TELL THEM! From now on, I’m saying exactly this, “I’ll try, but I do not believe in any god.” ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/95 "2009-04-20T00:08:54Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Like I said, he didn’t speak English. The only other option to express my disagreement would be to exit my car and yell louder than him. Or you could have called the police. After all, if he was truly being a public nuisance, and if silencing him was truly the finest way to apply the First Amendement, then the courts would have been happy to oblige. Indeed, by doing so, you would have sent a messageto all these other evil preachers, thoroughly enshrined as a legal precent, notifying them that their actions were an infringement of your personal rights. Instead, you chose to lean on your horn and disrupt everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/96 "2009-04-20T00:13:25Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Or you could have called the police. After all, if he was truly being a public nuisance, and if silencing him was truly the finest way to apply the First Amendement, then the courts would have been happy to oblige. Indeed, by doing so, you would have sent a messageto all these other evil preachers, thoroughly enshrined as a legal precent, notifying them that their actions were an infringement of your personal rights. > > Instead, you chose to lean on your horn and disrupt everyone else. Actually, good, but no. This was afternoon. There’s no disturbing the peace at this hour. And, yes, I understand that El Preachero also knew these rights. He was allowed to preach, and I was allowed to disagree. That’s it. Neither he nor I were being public nuisances, at least at this hour in Van Nuys. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/97 "2009-04-20T00:14:28Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I wasn’t suppressing speech, I just happened to be louder than the preacher. And why were you leaning on your horn, if not in an attempt to drown out his words? Stop lying to us and to yourself. You were suppressing his speech, plain and simple, and you know it. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/98 "2009-04-20T00:15:34Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Actually, good, but no. This was afternoon. There’s no disturbing the peace at this hour. You really don’t know much about the law, do you? We’ve already established that you’re unfamiliar with the First Amendment. Apparently, you’re also unfamiliar with “disturbing the peace” laws. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/99 "2009-04-20T00:26:16Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Actually, good, but no. This was afternoon. There’s no disturbing the peace at this hour. My dog (and others, probably) would disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590/100 "2009-04-20T01:08:22Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Bottom line for me, If “Jesus H. Christ!” offends you, you are childish. Your behavior–I hope I can say this without violating the rules of the forum–comes across as quintessentially adolescent, as though you’re in a phase of your life in which you’ve just discovered abstract thought, but haven’t mastered the idea that other people also engage in abstract thought, and therefore any damn fool idea that comes to you must be brilliant, and anyone who disagrees with you must be stupid. It’s wonderful that you’ve started thinking for yourself; it’s one of the ways you move from childhood. When you realize that the other adults around you are also thinking for themselves, you’ll be close to completing the transition. As an aside: before you declare yourself a stickler for English, you may want to brush up on your placement of commas and your use of words such as “qualms.” Just a handy hint! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-taking-the-lords-name-in-vain/493590.md?page=6)