# Taking the Lord's (Og's) Name in Vain **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 23, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-the-lords-ogs-name-in-vain/336997 "2005-12-23T18:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-the-lords-ogs-name-in-vain/336997/1 "2005-12-23T18:49:05Z")
In reading [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=6925446#post6925446), in which someone complains about some people’s use of Og to replace “God,” a thought occurred to me: I care far more about avoiding the “Lord’s name in vain” now that I consider myself thoroughly agnostic, than I ever did when I was ardently Christian. I try much harder now to find ways to avoid such phrases. In reasoning out why this is, it turns that it’s kind of complicated: something to do with not wanting to show that those words have any power over me. Even when used as meaningless intensifiers, the words “Lord” “Jesus” and so on carry a rhetorical power that I want to deny. At least as far as my own usage is concerned, that is. I’m fine with most other good, old Anglo-Saxon swear words though. 😃 Anyone else feel this way? Am I a freak? Anyway, I like using Og’s name. Sorry, **Agent Foxtrot** , but I’m not gonna stop using it around here, for Og’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-the-lords-ogs-name-in-vain/336997/2 "2005-12-23T18:53:32Z")
I’m an atheist and I use phrases like ‘jchrist!’ or ‘. . .god’s green earth’ or ‘christ almighty’ or ‘. . .heaven’s name’ and their ilk all the time. Since I’m not a christian, those words mean absolutely nothing to me, so I’m free to have at them if I want. And I do. Og’s just plain annoying and there’s no way on god’s green earth I’m going to start saying it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-the-lords-ogs-name-in-vain/336997/3 "2005-12-23T18:55:49Z")
I like “Og” as a replacement name. It was used in “Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, so I had actually used it before joining SDMB. Actually from various sources, I have used Zog, Bog and Og. So it was nice to see it in common usage here. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-the-lords-ogs-name-in-vain/336997/4 "2005-12-23T18:58:06Z")
Og help me, I sometimes use a euphamism I picked up from an _old_ Dennis the Menace comic-book: When I stub my toe or screw up spectacularly, I holler “SAC-REE-MENTO, CALIFORNIA!” ---
**Author:** ![marque\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taking-the-lords-ogs-name-in-vain/336997/5 "2005-12-23T21:01:18Z")
As a Jew who grew up among a large number of Catholics, I acquired "Jesus’ or for more serious swearing “Jesus Christ” and for when I was really pissed off “Jesus H. Christ” as epithets. Not long ago. it came to me that didn’t make sense and it bothered me a little to use “Jesus” as a swear word. It seemed to give him validity which I didn’t want to give him. And I despise Jews For Jesus. I decided to purge him from my vocabulary. I haven’t been completely successful but I think making the attempt makes me feel a little better. Instead I’ve substituted the British “bloody hell”. Then I learned that “bloody” may have been derived from “God’s blood” which left back where I started. At this point, rather than give up swearing, I just decided to not worry about it anymore. I still use “bloody hell”. I figure most Americans don’t know where it comes from anyhow. And I like the way it sounds.