Are swear words really that bad?

Okay, I don't think that all swear words are bad, only the ones that use Gods name in vain. Like (this sounds childish but I don't want to get myself banned) the D-word after God. We made up the F-word and we associate it with its meaning. God did not make up this word we did.

We associate the words with meanings that we made up. I don't think that the F-Word is really that bad.

What do you guys think?

nah, I mean I have my moments where I do watch my language (behaving a lady and all that when I must lol) but can also come up with some phrases that would make a Hell's Angel blush

The only time I can say I find swearing disturbing is when children are encouraged to. There is absolutely nothing 'cute' about an infant cussing and the adults that encourage it should be slapped and hard.

I agree.
It's the intention, and not the word.

But, in most cases, the use of the word, is the clue to the intention.
SO, it's not the word's fault, it's the user.

You guys obviously never saw the South Park episode where they got to use the S-word. It turns out that curse words, are just that. Curse Words. If you use them often enough a horrible demon is released that will destroy the world.

I saw that! That episode was hilarious

I've never been offended by foul language, and I agree that very young children should not be swearing. It's when they start getting older and testing their boundries that you need to teach them when and where they can swear.

Two ten year olds can swear at each other on the playground, that's fine, but not in front of grandma or me, etc.

Swearing is a valid part of our language, but like anything else, you teach your children how to use it properly. The little monkeys are gonna use the words whether you like it or not.

Have you ever considered that the word 'profane' (from which, of course, we derive 'profanity') means not only:
Vulgar; coarse.
but also:
Marked by contempt or irreverence for what is sacred.
...and considering what is commonly regarded as 'profanity'--specifically, the various four-letter words for somewhat baser physical human activities
(although necessary and not without experiential merit are often best experienced in privacy! hee hee)--

how can we 'profane' such words?


I'm not sure that made sense. Oh well, it's early.

On a more serious note, the idea of 'taking the LORD's name in vain,' I have come to a personal understanding as being not so much using the name (although I don't commit God to damning things on my own)--but is more to do with the ideas of 'labels' and 'void' and 'false pretenses.'

If you can dig what I'm saying...

Back in and around the 12 century A.D., sailors were shipping dry animal dung to be used as fertilizer. It was dried out first, because it weighed less, and took up less room. Then they would load it up in crates and place the crates (usually) in the lowest parts of the ships and disperse the old fashioned fertilizer among numerous islands for use with thier crops, such as vinyards (grapes). However while the dried crates lay in the lowest parts of the ships the water from leaks, rain, and waves would settle in the lowest parts of the ship as well, and that would cause the dried dung to get wet and result in the release of the methane gasses stored in the poop. And since methane is flamable, once in port, or during the trip, when a sailor or deckhand took a lantern into the lower decks where the fertilizer was stored (KA-BOOM!!). So, after some smart Turkish sailor discovered the reason behind the ships blowing up the english speaking world started labelling said crates "Ship High In Transit" or "Store High In Transit". This let the sailors know they should keep the crates off the lower levels's floors, and out of the water that usually accumilated. This is also one of the original phrases acredited to giving birth to the phrases "Mouth like a sailor", "Don't talk like a sailor", because at some point some cranky, over opinionated bitch got upset and offended by the acronym. So, unless it is offensive to elevate or raise waste, S.H.I.T. certainly shouldn't be consrude as an offensive/slang word. When in fact it is a life saving piece of jargon, which aided those rich stuffy opinionated better than anyones in acquiring their wines.

Do any of those words honor God when you say them....specially when the profanity is used in conjunction with the name of God?

You are an incomparable source of priceless information!

...to a person such as myself, that is...

Using God's name vain (in any form) is called 'blaspheming.'

Leviticus 24:16 "...anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. "

(Unless you have trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior!)

Matt. 12:36 "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken."

I forget exactly what it was that got me into this mindset (I think it was Tim Allen's I'm Not Really Here--great book BTW), but words are just "road maps" to an idea, and too frequently we confuse them with the idea itself. For some reason, it's most often more offensive for someone to say "#You and the horse you rode in on" than "I despise you." The underlying concept is (at least somewhat) similar, but the latter is normally laughed at while the former often results in a good bar fight.

Just my two cents...

[edit on 29-11-2005 by Thomas Crowne]

I tend to agree with the person who said that it is the intent of the heart.
You can say anything to someone without using a swear word. If you use curse words often, then you probably have much anger in your heart.

I use to swear alot, (including using God's name in vain) before I gave my life to Christ. Now, He has changed me. Now, I realize how bad I used to be.

James 3: 3-12 "When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

I am perfectly okay with swearing like the S-word and any word but the F-word cause the F-word is pretty bad. I accept it sometimes when its funny when some one says it, but when he is saying it out of anger of frustration its not good. (unless its funny :lol

Hmmmmmm....several of the above posts have mentioned that although they don't find swearing objectionable, they would not swear in front of children. I don't know, it may just be me, but this seems to be a rather "conflicted" statement. If swearing is all right, why not just swear up a storm in front of children, babies, senior citizens, your parents, your school teachers, professionals, etc.? Why not?

The thing is, English is a rich language. That is, there are many, many words that have evolved over the years to express oneself in a socially appropriate manner -- that is, a manner that most people would find inoffensive. By swearing, we are deliberately trying to be offensive. By swearing, we are not expressing ourselves clearly -- certainly not as clearly as we could have using other words.

If you really believe that you have a right to swear, much less a need to swear, please go right ahead. You will find that your vocabulary will quickly cause you to be shunned by society -- or at least that portion of society that is educated, articulate and, for the most part, intelligent.

Yes, there probably is a time and place for one to use vernacular language -- that is, the language of the "common man". The Romans called this language of the everyday man, Vulgate (from which we derived the word vulgar). But shouldn't we strive to be more? Shouldn't we strive to be better? Or is being common enough?

There is a time and place for everything.

These words have entered our lexicon for a reason, the reason to be able to express ourselves. And sure some words are intended to offend.......
That's all part of expessing yourself because sometimes you need to offend another to get your point across.

Esoteric Teacher,
If that's all true about Storing High In Transit, I love it....... I can just see an officer yelling across the deck to,
"STACK THAT S.H.I.T. OVER THERE, THE REST GOES IN THE HOLD......"

I'm going to do some looking to check out the veracity of your post. It sounds almost too good to be true.....

For some reason, I think this thread is going to get us in some uh, trouble, yeah, that's it, some trouble.

I like the officer thing. I know there are different stories of the meaning of the word, and it's origins, but this one is the one I liked the most, and there is validity to it. Let us know what you come up with, I'm always curious.


Well, fornicate under common knowledge ing my store high in transit, I believe you may be right.

[edit on 29-11-2005 by Esoteric Teacher]

Until very recently, I agreed with you. True, you're not to take the Lord's name in vain, but people trying to equate the F-bomb with God just never worked for me. I didn't swear much, but not because I thought it was wrong to do so. I didn't swear because when I did, it caused people to pause and reassess a conversation/situation/etc. When the guy who typically says thing like krump, gosh darn it, what the heck, by golly, or whatever comes out and says, "^%$$ you," it causes people to pause.

Then, one day, I'm sitting and reading through Colossians and came across a verse that kinda killed that mentality... Colossians 3:8 addresses things like the F-bomb directly (emphesis added):



So no, swearing isn't in the same vein of using God's name as a curse, but it ain't good.

Although it has already been stated, I think it is correct that the intent and context of the word is more important than gettinghung up on a word in itself.

Remember all of these "swear" words are merely synonyms for other words. They mean the same thing but contain a harsher implied emphasis to them than their less-maligned vocational cousins. So in reality there would be little semantic difference in saying "this is sh!tty" and "this is very crappy!"

No, just saying "my god says/does/thinks/curses.......,etc." is bad, that is cursing. Swear words just personicatic things to be wrost in that culture of whatever.