I was thinking about a habit I have of casually using words and phrases from idealogies I don’t actually believe in. For example, I often say “God damn it,” “Oh my God,” and “Jesus Christ,” but I’m not a Christian and I don’t believe in God. I’ve also been known to say something is good or bad Karma or a good or bad omen, but I don’t genuinely believe in Karma, omens, or any superstitions at all. I guess I just like the way the phrases sound, or, in the case of Karma, I like entertaining the notion that it exists even though I don’t really believe it.
I don’t suppose this habit of mine is unusual (especially the God or Jesus ones), but I thought it was sort of amusing. Does anyone else do this? Any particular examples?
I’ve been known to use both Christian and Muslim phrases at times - “Jesus Christ!”, for instance, as well as “Ya Allah!” and “Inshalla.” It depends on what language I’m speaking - I use Christian imagery when speaking English, and Muslim phrasing when speaking Hebrew. I also use words referring to superstitions and new-age beliefs, like “jinxes,” "the Evil Eye"or “vibrations.” Needless to say, I don’t believe in any of that.
Oddly enough, I don’t use phrases from the Marxist lexicon, even when they are commonly used by non-Marxists. Around here, words like “bourguoise” and “proletarion” are part of everyday use - a legacy of my country’s Socialist past - and I avoid them like the plague.
I find myself doing much the same as the OP, re: god. There’s a reason for this. Obscenities are all about breaking minor social taboos. There are certain words that everyone agrees you really shouldn’t say a whole lot (and the type of words that go into this set is as variant as all the societies on Earth). Whether we believe what the words refer to is irrelevant - they still represent that social taboo.
I’m non-religious but I use all the typical Christian curses. Frankly, I see them as one of the upsides of religion, atheistic cursing tends to be either overly vulgar or a little wordy.
Yep, I do this too. I even say, “Thank God!” sometimes when I’m relieved about something. That one’s pretty stupid – much worse than just swearing “God damn it!” or “Jesus Christ!”
Man, I love that phrase. May I use it in the future if I give proper credit?
I too am an atheist but use all those terms… and more. I often feel the need to say something like “I’m truely blessed” for all the good things in my life but don’t credit these things to a higher power.
I think we don’t have near enough secular cuss words and I for one am open to a program to right this wrong!
Well, even though I don’t belive in him, i’m always saying “Thank Og” or “Oh My Og!” and of course “Og Smite” and “Og Smash”. Yeah, I use that last one a lot.
Conversely, I’ve lately taken to saying “Sodomy!” as a curse word. Hamish asked me why I was doing so, and I answered, “For the same reason Catholics say, ‘Jesus Christ!’”
Sometimes I use the phrase “Blessed be,” although I’m not a Wiccan. I have been identified as such by other Wiccans, though, and then I have to explain that I’m really an Episcopalian, and that they haven’t cornered the market on the words “blessed” or “be.”
