Stop Taking the Lord's Name in Vain

In My Humble Opinion
1

You know I just don’t know why this is ever done in the first place other than it makes the devil happy. Why do people say Jesus or Jesus Christ in vain. Or how about oh God, or GD or the one really hacks me is Jesus “fn” Christ. Y’all are talking about a pretty large population of people’s savior whether you believe in him or not. And I just don’t think that is right.

And now I will tell you why no sense for anyone to do it in the first place. Christians or Jews should never do this because it is one of God’s commandments and athiest shouldn’t do it because heck y’all don’t believe in God, right? So why use his name?
Also as just a bit of a flame here. If you do use God’s name in vain, I and alot of other Christians and Jews would appreciate if you would STOP IT!!!. And before you nail me on that one I will give a reason why I yelled that.

To us God and Jesus is someone very special kinda of like your parents or your children are to you. And I don’t go around using your father’s name in vain or saying your kids name “fn” then saying your last name so why should you use our Lord and Savior name in such a duragatory manner.Hmmm? Don’t use his name unless you need’em because some day you might realize you do. Until then have some class ok? I don’t think this is too much to ask and if you think about I think you will see my point.

2

Insert joke here.

3

Manhattan,

Your quick.

4

Actually, when you think aboot it, GD (or Goddamn to some)
isn’t quite as anti-God as one might think. After pondering the word, you come to find out that the word is not saying damn God. It actually means, in a more crude sense, “God, please smite said person/place/thing.” The English, among many others, used to say that all the time. Goddamn (or GD to some) is not much different.

5

The person saying that would anyone really want God to send somebody to Hell? I mean that person(the one that is saying it to or about) would really have to hate someone to want God send them to that place. So unless you “really mean” what you saying I think is still using his name in vain.

6

:rolleyes:

7

Hello there, Wildest Bill. I’ve seen you around quite a bit lately. Nice ta meetcha.

I can tell you why I do this, and that is…habit. I don’t claim that it’s a good habit, nor a good reason, mind you. But it is a habit I picked up from the prevailing Christian atmosphere (read: Christians I hung out with as a teen).

Now then, as a non-Christian/non-Jew, I have no religious reason to change this habit. Belief in something isn’t required for swearwords - or do you actually believe that there are feathered horses somewhere? :slight_smile:

On the other hand, I will usually refrain from offensive language to people whom I know it will offend. IOW, if you and I were chatting and I tossed in a JC-reference, you could certainly say ‘Gosh, redtail, I really dislike that language. Would you mind not using it with me?’ I would henceforth do my best to remember to not say things like that around you. (OTOH, if you yelled at me and told me how awful and evil I was for using those words, chances are extremely high that you would discover that you had no idea those words could be used so often and in so many variations in a single sentence. :stuck_out_tongue: I’m like that.)

In fact, I usually refrain from swearing in general while in conversations with people I don’t know well (including on this MB), in front of children, etc. Of late, particularly those deity phrases - my Jewish & Christian friends’ kids pick up enough of that from school without my help - and I don’t want to take the blame! :eek:

But, if I’m talking to my friends, whom I know use similar language, while walking down a public street and you (a total stranger) happen to overhear…well, sorry, but you’re out of luck. It’s unlikely I’m going to change my swearing habits at this late date. My intent is not to offend, and that’s probably the best response you’ll get from me. You MIGHT get an apology in some circumstances, if you approached me correctly, but it’s not likely.

I realize that this isn’t exactly the answer you were hoping for, but c’est la vie, eh? Perhaps you should stop using the words altogether, in accordance with the original Jewish interpretation of this commandment. (It was their commandment, after all.)

And as far as your swearing habits - please feel free to use any words you wish, including my name if it will make you happy. Won’t bother me in the least. :wink:

8

It’s not likely I would approach you correctly or is it not likely you would give me an apology.

As far as the rest of your reply it was ok other than I wish you would have picked up more than just Jesus’ name.

And it is also nice to meet you.

9

I dunno … Buhdammit just doesn’t sound quite right.

Neither does L. Ron f**in’ Hubbard.

10

Wildest Bill, you say “atheists don’t believe in God so why use his name?” To which I will answer “why not?”

Using the name of God in swearing is well-established in english (and very probably in the languages of other christian countries, e.g. french) for historical reasons, and so people get in the habit of using it as a swear word. I personally don’t think saying “Jesus H. Christ!” is any worse than saying “fuck!” and fuck will offend many people also. You might think it’s worse, but why should I respect your opinion more than anyone else’s? I personally don’t know you.

Now, if you want to argue against foul language in general…

11

Arnold,

While you have a point. Why is it established in the first place?

And I pesonally don’t know you either so can I take your mother’s name in vain?

12

Ut oh I just notice you are a moderator your’re not gonna ban me now for saying something about your mother are ya?

13

But most people I know stick an “it” on the end of the oath.

Would you consider it wrong for me to wish that God would damn my car’s engine, my internet connection, or my golfball to hell?

Wildest Bill: your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find and post the definition of the word “Vain”, as it applies to the commandment.

-David

14

oh boy, when I saw your name beside last reply to post my mind started going what is soulfrost going to say about this post.

Ok Soulfrost I choose to accept the mission even though it might be highly dangerous on what you come back with and I probable won’t get paid enough but here it goes:

Vain - adj. “useless”

I think if you use God’s name when you are not talking or refering to Him is in “vain.”

And as far as your example yes I have been just as hacked off as you at a few motors. But could you just say Damn you to Hell you dodge piece of crap and leave “God’s name” out of it couldn’t ya?

BTW thanks for your advice on the other board. How do you think I am doing over here so far?

15

Why the hell not? She won’t care. In fact I’ll do it myself… Rosalind Damn!
Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
Think I’ll stick to the old way.

16

*Originally posted by lunasea *

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Wildest Bill *

Funny response. But that is exactly the point. She won’t care. God does care otherwise he wouldn’t have instucted us not to do it. Now lets further look at your example what if Rosalind did care if you used her name in vain. Then I guarantee Arnold(unless he is just crappy son not to care about his mother)would also care if you used his mother’s name in vain because it was against her wishes.

17

I thikn I saw a few religious Jews on the board so maybe they can answer this, or Wildest Bill can.

Why, exactly, would Jews take offense to Jesus’s name being taken in vain? I sure don’t, but then again, I’m not very religious.

18

Whoops that would have been a great response if I didn’t screw up on the “quote thing.” But I think you got what I meant to say.

19

Great Flaming Buddhas of Death, what a request. If I don’t believe God exists, why should I not take his name in vain. He can’t be offended, he doesn’t exist. And as Arnold stated, it won’t offend any more people than Fuck.

20

I dunno. I think that has a pretty good ring to it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the whole “Lord’s name in vain” thing lately, and I truly believe that it was intended for those who would the name of God either to substantiate or strengthen their own position–as in “God thinks all homosexuals should die”–Just the words “God Dammit”, as an expletive remark are harmless. But using God’s name in the way I mentioned is usurping his authority and speaking in his name.

Just a thought.

But IRL, I try not to offend people. oldscratch, I agree with you, but let’s face it. There are plenty of people who are offended by the word fuck. Even I’m offended by the “c-word,” and ask people not to use it in my presence, though I am by no means priggish.