Swearing

[Annie12]

I was taught in my confirmation class that swearing is a mortal sin because it is used to curse God or his creations; all of which are good.

[Ice_nine]

^^that seems like an extremely simplistic assessment. Not all "swearing" is a literal curse to actual living beings.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1338319607' post='2437273']
Just sayin, I don't like when people throw out the "only less intelligent/less educated people swear and have a poor vocabulary and/or are stupid"

So? It's ok to look down on folks who are less smarter and less schooled than the rest of us? Isn't this argument a veiled case of classist thinking? Lots of words that referred to the "common" people have now been denigrated to have a negative connotation (the word vulgar being the prime example).

I just really don't like that attitude.

hollaz

$^*#!@
[/quote]
Not to mention it's simply false. The way we speak depends on a lot of things, primarily who we wish to identify with. If one wishes to identify with his southie background or be socially accepted as such, he will revert (subconsciously) to his southie speech patterns and vocabulary, even if he is an MIT professor. There is no direct link between the way someone speaks and his intelligence.

Edited May 30, 2012 by USAirwaysIHS

[PhuturePriest]

Life is great for me because cursing helps stutterers for some reason so I have a free pass without worry of even committing a venial sin. However, I do not like cursing, so I never use it. I find it to be un-becoming of people and, quite frankly, classless. That being said everyone in my area speaks curse words first and English second, so if people say them around me I don't mind at all. I know of a few Priests who curse at times and then it's just so funny you can't breath. They're like loose cannons, really. I remember one time Father was saying his homily and he spoke of an older Priest who got an invitation for making sandwiches at this charity thing, and Father said on the holy altar in the midst of God and everybody "And the Priest said 'Make your own dam.n sandwich!'". I've never seen Catholics so awake during Mass in my life.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' timestamp='1338111318' post='2435710']
'Tis always fun seeing old threads.
[/quote]

yeah, it is.

[CatherineM]

I have a new perspective on this. We took in a slightly retarded young man who swore repeatedly. It was a real issue in his group home. I was worried that my cussing would be an issue. We noticed last week that he had practically stopped. We decided that he wasn't getting a rise out of us by cussing, therefore no bad attention, and just stopped. At the group home they constantly rode him about it. Something for my case notes anyway.

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1352734473' post='2508590']

yeah, it is.
[/quote]

That's when I go "Groo, oh Groo, where are you?"

[eagle_eye222001]

I'm of the opinion you should reserve cuss words for dire situations (like war). Although I do think one should try to eliminate all cussing out as it may and can lead you to take a dimmer view of what your cuss words are directed at.

I think the real questions are.....

I wonder if any saints cussed? [b]Can you be really holy and cuss?[/b] I don't think so...



edit: I think people cuss mostly for attention...and to look cool.

Edited November 13, 2012 by eagle_eye222001

[dominicansoul]

i cuss way too much..

[Anastasia13]

[quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1323273928' post='2346490']
I grew up around soldiers and truck drivers. I'm told my language can be interesting at times. If anyone doesn't like it, they can @#$%^&*(.
[/quote]
LOL. You are a woman after my own heart.

[Anastasia13]

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1352780663' post='2508974']
i cuss way too much..
[/quote]
I intentionally took up swearing halfway through college, but mostly in my car because I didn't want to offend people. I work at a place where I hear some cussing. F, why not? Does s*** really mean something that different than stuff or poop? And if those are not offensive, isn't s*** more culturally/socially instilled connotation whose application is sinful only among those who actually offended?

Edited November 13, 2012 by Light and Truth

[Nihil Obstat]

I agree with whatever L_D would say on the subject right now.

One time I argued on the "cussing is not so bad" side, against Cam, and he pwnd me pretty hard, so now I do not get involved in these discussions.

[Beati Pacifici]

[quote name='Light and Truth' timestamp='1352782935' post='2509011']
I intentionally took up swearing halfway through college, but mostly in my car because I didn't want to offend people. I work at a place where I hear some cussing. F, why not? Does s*** really mean something that different than stuff or poop? And if those are not offensive, isn't s*** more culturally/socially instilled connotation whose application is sinful only among those who actually offended?
[/quote]

My thoughts exactly.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

I got home from Basic Training and AIT and went out for dinner with my parents. I asked my mother to pass me the "FN" salt...my parents looked at me with jaws dropped, I was like What??? I had been around it so much I hadn't even realized what I had said.

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='PadrePioOfPietrelcino' timestamp='1352839990' post='2509341']
I got home from Basic Training and AIT and went out for dinner with my parents. I asked my mother to pass me the "FN" salt...my parents looked at me with jaws dropped, I was like What??? I had been around it so much I hadn't even realized what I had said.
[/quote]

Bahaha. That's amesome.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='PadrePioOfPietrelcino' timestamp='1352839990' post='2509341']
I got home from Basic Training and AIT and went out for dinner with my parents. I asked my mother to pass me the "FN" salt...my parents looked at me with jaws dropped, I was like What??? I had been around it so much I hadn't even realized what I had said.
[/quote]
Perhaps do not say the Mass responses out loud until you have gotten back into the habit of talking to non-military types.

[Anastasia13]

[quote name='eagle_eye222001' timestamp='1352779656' post='2508963']
I'm of the opinion you should reserve cuss words for dire situations (like war). Although I do think one should try to eliminate all cussing out as it may and can lead you to take a dimmer view of what your cuss words are directed at.

I think the real questions are.....

I wonder if any saints cussed? [b]Can you be really holy and cuss?[/b] I don't think so... [/quote]
What I really want to know is why saying shoot instead of s*** makes me more holy. The heart is the same, yet we get caught up in the language whether or not others are offended or even around.

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='tinytherese' timestamp='1323551757' post='2348683']
I'm curious to how words become swear words in the first place.
[/quote]

People give them power by using them. The F word is reported to have been a legal term originally employed in England after WW1 to address the increase in cases of rape. The word was taken from initials of the crime they were charged with, Forced Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, that abbreviation has nearly become a household word in many parts of the world especially spread in movies the last few decades.

B**ch is still a term for a female dog, but its use in popular culture, originally as a slur against women and lately almost as a badge of honor in some groups has both lowered it to vulgarity and raised it to an iconic standard.

Any use of a word to demean a human being made in the image of God is of course a vulgarity, not only offensive to the target but also to the Body of Christ.

IMO saying d**mit when for instance hitting your finger with a hammer is not harmful, maybe inappropriate but not really sinful as a souless hammer has no chance of going to hell. The g** d*** is the most offensive vulgarity I have ever had the displeasure of hearing. It is so commonplace that peopel use it regular coversation, " those g** d*** mosquitoes sure are bad this evening " and many other like uses sicken me and I always ask people to stop using that term and when asked I reply, " whether you believe in God or not, too me that is the most offensive use of His holy name and is blasphemous too me "

ed

Edited November 17, 2012 by Ed Normile

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='eagle_eye222001' timestamp='1352779656' post='2508963']
I'm of the opinion you should reserve cuss words for dire situations (like war). Although I do think one should try to eliminate all cussing out as it may and can lead you to take a dimmer view of what your cuss words are directed at.

I think the real questions are.....

I wonder if any saints cussed? [b]Can you be really holy and cuss?[/b] I don't think so...



edit: I think people cuss mostly for attention...and to look cool.
[/quote]


I know there had to be many saints who cussed ! I would dare to say St. Peter the Apostle who was know for his temper did and another apostle St Paul who was going to kill christians when Jesus reeled him in probably uttered a few, I also would say St Francis of Assisi before his conversion during his life as a wealthy young partier and probably St Augustine before his conversion during the time he lived with his mistress and most likely St Benedict the moor a pirate and womanizer and probably even St Sebastian another roman legionaire. These men never started out as Saints, neither did Mary Magdalene, or for that matter Dorothy Day of America who is on her way to being recognized as a saint. That is the greatness of the gift that Jesus purchased for us with His Precious Blood, the ability to be forgiven.

ed

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Ed Normile' timestamp='1353122989' post='2511617']
People give them power by using them. The F word is reported to have been a legal term originally employed in England after WW1 to address the increase in cases of rape. The word was taken from initials of the crime they were charged with, Forced Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, that abbreviation has nearly become a household word in many parts of the world especially spread in movies the last few decades.
[/quote]
This is an urban legend of which there are several equally incorrect variants. The etymology is somewhat more obscure and mundane.

In fact it was used in a Latin-English poem in the 1400s. Flen Flyys.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Nihil Obstat