The Bible makes it clear that we are to "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear" in Ephesians 4:29.Confederate General and staunch Presbyterian deacon, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (my favorite Civil War general, by the way) claimed that "there is no excuse for profanity."
I, on the other hand, back in my B.C. days, used to formulate imprecations for various occasions. Fortunately, only vestiges of that total depravity hang on when excuses arise to bring forth the natural man verbiage...usually while injuring myself while working on the Old John Deere.
So...when did curse words become curse words? What makes certain words in English offensive to God and mankind? Why is a consonant/vowel combination in one language simply the name of a city in South Vietnam and in English it is THE big curse word? Why are swear words four letter words, at least in English? Are imprecations always short, not so sweet, and to the point in all languages?
Why are Christian 20 and 30-somethings so afraid to use the four letter word "love" towards each other when everybody around them sees what they apparently don't see or are in denial about because of conditioning by their respective cultures?!!
Oh, yeah...and how is it we let Christians get away with "Christian cursing"...Friggin', Freakin', Shoot...and other euphemisms that were generated by their sinful hearts and only partially translated by their loose lips, and yet cringe mightily when they use the words the world uses so much these days?!! I guess the cringing part is good, at least.
Well, you're expecting some point, I suppose, so I'll have to devise one in the midst of this ramble through the mental ward of my mind. Here it is: "Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..." (I Corinthians 13:4-8)
Howzzat as a checklist for the young and timorous to use to answer their interpersonal relationship questions?!!
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