“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” – Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind
From the moment the censors allowed Clark Gable to get away with saying “damn” in the classic film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s epic tale of the South, we have been pushing the envelope to make our language “more realistic.”
Profanity has expanded these days to where the phrase, “There is a lady present,” is as quaint as hoop skirts and boater hats.
It has even seeped into the daily language of those who profess to be followers of Christ.
But is profanity really all that bad? I mean, there are certain four-letter words we hear every day, and most of the time, we think nothing about it. What does the Bible say about cussing?
Some Verses We Think Speak About It but They Really Don’t
“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34-37).
It’s easy to look at these verses and believe that Jesus is talking about profanity. While careless words may mean profanity, it doesn’t necessarily mean that. What Jesus is talking about is how we express ourselves in our unguarded moments. There are times we know we need to watch our language, that we need to be careful how we express ourselves. A person is not going to use an ethnic slur when they know they are speaking to members of that particular ethnic group. It’s the unguarded moment when we don’t worry about our audience that we let loose the words we normally speak.
Years ago, I had gone to a rally for young boys. I was the youth minister. Along with the pastor and the group leader, we had driven the boys to Abilene, Texas, and were on our way back home. We had stopped at a rest stop. A car pulled up, and an older gentleman, probably retired, came up to us and asked us a question. He had a smile on his face, because he was being friendly. He then used a four-letter word. There was an awkward silence for a moment, when the group leader said, “We don’t use that kind of language.” The man’s smile quickly disappeared from his face, and he apologized profusely, adding the words, “I don’t normally use that kind of language.” The probability is that he did use that kind of language regularly, and he felt so comfortable with the language that he felt it was perfectly acceptable to use it in the presence of strangers. We helped him with his directions. He thanked us and hurried back to his car.
In this particular instance, the unguarded word was a profanity, but Jesus is not speaking specifically about cussing. He’s talking about words that truly reflect our inner person. It is these words that will acquit us or condemn us.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name” (Exodus 20:7).
Again, God is not speaking about profanity, although here we can see how using “God” with other words can be seen as taking the Lord’s name in vain (misusing the name of the Lord). Here the issue is about invoking God’s name in ways that are inappropriate and misleading. When the command was given, the idea was the use of a person’s name may imply control over that person. Names meant something in those days, far more so than today. God was reminding His people that He was not to be controlled, or even attempted to be controlled.
Having said that, we can also ask the question about whether the use of the title “God” is really using His name in vain. After all, Moses asked God to tell him His name, and God’s response was a word we transliterate into Yahweh, or YHWH. Is using the title the same as using the name? Well, yes it does. When I was in elementary school, we had a man teaching us PE that we all knew as “Coach.” I never even knew he had a name until several years into my education. My dad mentioned “Coach Roregon,” and I had no idea who was he speaking of. It turns out my coach actually had a real name, but to me, he was always, “Coach.” The title and the name was the same.
When we refer to “God,” we are not using a generic phrase, but a title that equates to His name. That’s why “OMG” is really not a good thing to say or use. More recently, our current president used a seven-letter word that included the title “God” in it that really upset many of his evangelical followers. (We won’t go into how this is like straining out gnats while swallowing a camel. That will come at another time.)
These are usually the two verses/passages that are used to warn against profanity. There are a couple of other verses, however, that do more directly address profanity.
“But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips” (Colossians 3:9).
“Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:25).
The former verse is clearer in condemning profanity. There’s not really many ways one can interpret the phrase, “filthy language,” outside of profanity. “Unwholesome talk” can mean more than just profanity. It can be used to describe cutting remarks, gossip and other ways we can harm others with our words. Nonetheless, the phrase does include profanity in it.
What About Euphemisms?
I was asked once why it’s wrong for someone to say, “damn,” but not “darn” or “dang.” After all, the person reasoned, both darn and dang are merely substitutes for the first word. We use “heck,” “shoot” and “shucks” for other stronger words. Isn’t that really splitting hairs?
The short answer is, yes, it is splitting hairs.
I try to avoid using “but” after making a statement such as the one above this paragraph. However, a “but” does need to be inserted here. My standard for language is: Would these words be acceptable in a pulpit? If what I am about to say would be inappropriate in a pulpit, then I won’t say it. In that context, the milder euphemisms are tolerated by most congregants. I don’t use the words very often, but I have been know to throw a “heck” into a sermon. Maybe a “darn tootin’” if it fits the context. But that’s about the extent of it.
Some people get upset at the euphemisms, and I believe it’s my duty as a disciple to not offend people when I don’t need to. Paul wrote to the Romans and the Corinthians that we need to be aware of our weaker brothers and sisters, and not to set an example that would lead them to sin.
I did use the phrase, “come hell or high water” today in Bible study, but I quickly apologized to those who might be offended and that I was using it in the context of a quote, not as a profanity. Still, I probably should have used a better phrase to make my point.
To the point of how can saying “heck” be better than saying “hell,” when they both mean the same thing, practically speaking, I would say it really doesn’t make a bit of difference. Having said that, I don’t think the attitude of, “Since they both mean the same, may as well use the stronger word,” is correct. Again, look at the example of the weaker brother and sister. If what I say can harm them, then I have to go back to the Matthew 12 passage of thoughtless words, acquittal and condemnation. If I can’t express myself without using “colorful” language, maybe I need to expand my vocabulary.
Personally, my favorite word to use is, “crumb.” As far as I can tell, it isn’t a euphemism for a stronger word, and it really has no bad connotations.
What about Paul’s “Example?”
There are the words Paul wrote to the Philippians that some people like to point contains a profanity. In the passage, Paul recalls his life before Christ, and about how he was on track to be a legalistically pure person. Then he says he considers all his past accomplishments before Christ as a loss. “But whatever was to my profit I know consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8). The word translated “rubbish” in the NIV is the colloquial term for “excrement” or fecal matter. And If Paul can use a word like that, why can’t we?
I would argue that Paul’s use of the phrase must be taken into the context of the times and the place. I don’t know what was considered inappropriate in those days, so I can’t say if Paul used an inappropriate word or not. “But we live in profane times today,” you argue. “Shouldn’t we be allowed to use profanity, just as Paul did?” Again, I think we need to consider what we are trying to communicate.
If we want to present to the world a holiness that comes from God, shouldn’t we then stand in contrast to our world, rather than fitting into it? I’m not saying we should abstain from all things that are deemed “worldly”—certain kinds of music or entertainment—but we should be aware of those around us who are watching and observing. If my words can be used against me, then I need to not use them. If someone uses my words to justify their behavior that is clearly against God’s will, then I need to reassess how I speak and what I say.
Conclusion
One of George Carlin’s most famous comedy bits was the “seven words you can’t say on television.” His riff on what is acceptable and what isn’t, and how words are only words is quite funny. Nonetheless, words do have connotations, and the use of the “f-bomb” is not meant to mildly amuse or to flavor a noun—it’s a shock phrase that has become all too familiar in our world. Words can and do convey an intent and express one’s feelings. To say one word is just like another is to misunderstand how words, while they may not break our bones, can hurt, nonetheless. A reasonable person would never use the “n-word” in front of a black person because of the offensive nature of the word.
So it is with profanity. My personal thought is that God uses the Bible to teach us to elevate ourselves and become holy as we let His Spirit take control of us, shaping and molding us to become more like Him. For some reason, I can’t see Jesus using words we find unacceptable in “polite society.” There is no record of his using earthy terms. It strikes me, then, that it is better, in this instance, to err on the side of caution, and we should abstain from even the mildest of profanities.
© 2019 Glynn Beaty