Comments on: Christians and Profanity – Another Look http://www.alanhartung.com/2004/12/christians_and_profanity_another_look/ Faith, Art, Politics, and the Emerging Church Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:27:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: awtraughber http://www.alanhartung.com/2004/12/christians_and_profanity_another_look/comment-page-1/#comment-26 awtraughber Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 /?p=18#comment-26 Foul language is a funny thing. I've never been a "cusser," but have found myself wishing to be one often. I crack jokes nowadays about "taking up cussing" just to get people riled up a little. Sure, it's unseemly. I suppose it makes us seem "more human," though really I think we want to because we see it in our popular media. Like Rolheiser says, though, there just might be a difference between being sterile and being virtuous. We like to be "human" any way we can. Even if God calls us to be new kind of "human." Foul language is a funny thing. I’ve never been a “cusser,” but have found myself wishing to be one often. I crack jokes nowadays about “taking up cussing” just to get people riled up a little. Sure, it’s unseemly. I suppose it makes us seem “more human,” though really I think we want to because we see it in our popular media. Like Rolheiser says, though, there just might be a difference between being sterile and being virtuous. We like to be “human” any way we can. Even if God calls us to be new kind of “human.”

]]> By: PropheticZero http://www.alanhartung.com/2004/12/christians_and_profanity_another_look/comment-page-1/#comment-27 PropheticZero Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 /?p=18#comment-27 One of the themes separating Judiaism from Christiainity is that the thought of doing something sinful is just as bad as the act to God. Judiaism was about the law....if I didn't commit adultery..but thought about it all the time...I was still blameless (apparently). But Jesus set the score clear saying the thought/desire of adultery was just as bad.<br /> <br /> So when I stub my toe on a chair leg walking through my house and say any number of curse words (not including using the Lords name in vain). <br /> <br /> What exactly is going on? What emotion is being expressed? Because in essence if I said "Oh Fiddlesticks" with the same core emotion as one of the more "unacceptable" words....then the sin (if it is a sin) must be the same.<br /> <br /> Is anger a sin? pain? annoyance at an inanimate object?<br /> <br /> I think not. One of the themes separating Judiaism from Christiainity is that the thought of doing something sinful is just as bad as the act to God. Judiaism was about the law….if I didn’t commit adultery..but thought about it all the time…I was still blameless (apparently). But Jesus set the score clear saying the thought/desire of adultery was just as bad.

So when I stub my toe on a chair leg walking through my house and say any number of curse words (not including using the Lords name in vain).

What exactly is going on? What emotion is being expressed? Because in essence if I said “Oh Fiddlesticks” with the same core emotion as one of the more “unacceptable” words….then the sin (if it is a sin) must be the same.

Is anger a sin? pain? annoyance at an inanimate object?

I think not.

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