this is one of those subjects where i seemingly get to make up the rules for myself, but everyone else should adhere to a fairly strict use of proper language at all times, which means, keep your curse words to yourself. This really is something I wrestle with quite a bit. I do say curse words (gasp, I know, shocking). However, I do have this law loving side of me that says, bad words= bad person. but i also have this let's be real part of me that says, well, sometimes the four letter word, whichever suits your fancy, is the only one that fits a given situation. what a conundrum.
i think there is something to be said for manners. for taking into consideration your audience. that maybe not laying out one's display of colorful four letter words could be a way of being selfless, loving, God forbid, polite.
and then sometimes, that forbidden word may be the most loving thing you could say.
either way, words matter, they say something about us whether we like it or not, and i think that there is some wisdom in considering the virtue, or lack thereof, of the beloved curse word.
listen, i can be as fundagelical as the next guy. it's alot easier to fool myself into thinking that if I do x,y, and z, then i'm all right with jesus. this is bad.
but to think jesus doesn't care about words, and how i use them, seems foolish, too. for a man who cared so much about man's heart, and used his own words to break ours, well...it just seems like words our connected to what's inside us...and jesus had alot to say about that.
all that to say, sometimes i say shit. and then sometimes, i am sorry for it.
6 comments :
I think you're right. If there is any guidance I can find in scripture about our words, I think it's that we're to use them to love others. That's a huge guideline and our regard for it seems to say so much about what's going on in our heart.
Su
Hey Brooke who is going to win BB?
janelle. at least that's who i want to win.
Shes not my favorite. but a killer competitor. Ithink i would like Erika to win.
Brooke, I used to very fundamentalistically legalistic with regards to swear words. I came to realize that though manners do not equal morals. That was an important realization for me, realizing that people have differing levels of what meets with propriety.
Having said realized that, though, I do still believe that are words are important. They can very quickly coarsen discourse or become hurtful. And I like to think of manners as "programmed kindness," which may help in being loving when we do not feel loving. Of course, if we are using manners merely to supress strong feelings, either ours or, worse, someone elses, then we likely need strong language to get us cease and desist.
That sentence should read, "I used to be very fundamentalistically legalistic with regards to swear words. I came to realize though, that manners do not equal morals.
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