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Christians using the "F" word?

9/29/2015

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Recently, rushing late to my son's orthodontic appointment, I missed a critical left turn. Much to my surprise, I exhaled a "bad" word by our family's standards. (Please understand, dental receptionists don't suffer tardiness lightly, and my punctuality track record isn't strong.)

"Dad!" exclaimed my children.

"What?" I stammered, feigning innocence, and adding the sin of deception to strong language.

Apparently my mother was right all along. One sin leads to another. And we shouldn't use bad words.

Except … it's cool these days to be a Christian who swears. It gives the curser an "I'm into Jesus, but I'm not legalistic" badge. A recent tweet about a behavioral study that linked swearing and honesty went viral among my church friends (although no one could produce a link to the actual study). Many of these friends point to the arbitrariness of the cuss-word system.

"What if table was a swear word?" asked my daughter. "Or elbow?"

She has a point. There is something absurd about the designation of particular words as profane. And yet, neither table nor elbow is in the curse category, and the majority of swear words have earned their designation according to a certain logic. Other than words associated with deity, most profanity involves associations with biological function in the areas of sexuality and waste elimination. The God-related curses are right off the table, if one takes the third commandment seriously at all. But what is a Christian to do with the remaining "strong language"?

All language is a kind of social contract. We agree—as heirs of centuries of etymological development—to call the pointy thing in our arm an elbow, just like we agree to label things we find despicable with words we identify as profane. The words themselves hold only the power we give them. But curse words tend to be powerful indeed, because to linguistically reduce something or someone to the level of biological functions (and their resultant products) is almost always an act of contempt. And contempt is toxic.

In his book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell describes the work of psychologist John Gottman. In Gottman's lab, spouses were asked to discuss something mildly contentious while sensors recorded their physiological responses. After years of studying the nuances of these exchanges, Gottman became startlingly successful at predicting which couples would divorce. The most telling indicators, he claims, are expressions of contempt. An eye roll or a mildly disdainful put-down was more worrisome than outright conflict. In fact, the presence of contempt in a marriage affects not only the survival of the relationship, but even the immune systems of the parties involved; spouses who live with chronic contempt get more colds than those who don't.

Contempt is a mixture of anger and disgust, expressed from a position of superiority. It denigrates, devalues, and dismisses. It's not hard to understand why even subtle levels of contempt are damaging—not only in marriages but in all human interaction.

If profane language has a privileged place in the lexicon of contempt, then Christians have a unique mandate to avoid profanity. It's not that abstaining from pejorative language outfits us with some holier-than-thou halo. It's that we are called to live with a servant's heart, affirming the dignity of every human and the sacredness of existence.

Theologian John Stackhouse points out that our primary vocation as Christ followers is not to "stay pure," but rather to cultivate shalom. From Isaiah's picture of a wolf living peacefully with a lamb (11:6), to Paul's description of a new reality that obliterates racial, socioeconomic, and gender-based power structures (Gal. 3:28), the biblical vision of shalom dissolves any notion of hierarchy. All of creation joyfully submits to the beautiful rule of its Creator. There's no room for one creature to hold another creature (or creation itself) in contempt; God alone occupies a superior plane.

Of course, it's possible to religiously avoid disdainful language while being seized with contemptuous thoughts. But, as the Book of James reminds us, our tongues are like rudders to the ships of our thought lives. Taming our language, in other words, is a good place to start.

And so I am trying to avoid language that expresses contempt towards people, situations, and yes, even traffic lights that dare to defy my will. Such an endeavor goes beyond comedian George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television"—even the most innocuous words, if uttered from a contemptuous heart, can mutate into curses. Conversely, certain evils can indeed be worthy of contempt and there are times when "adult language" is appropriate. But in every case, our words should reflect our calling to participate in hallowing, rather than profaning, the world. If it's truly strong language that we're after—language with power and impact—what could be stronger than the language we use to cultivate shalom?

This post was written by C Arends from Christianity Today.  You can find her original post here:  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/april/what.html


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A conversation about swearing...

9/28/2015

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Here at Ironstrikes, we have had posts about swearing.  We have discussed the justification of POD to swear in their album Murdered Love.  We have also had a guest post by The Seeking Disciple who gave three reasons why he no longer swears.

I was recently in a Facebook conversation in a theology discussion room and the conversation was heading pretty much to the idea that to prohibit swearing was a form of legalism.  Some even stated that swearing showed people that you were a Christian who could relate to "normal" people.  ​(My contention is that Christianity is what is normal, that the world is "abnormal.")  

However, I was pleasantly  encouraged by a gentleman named "Mason Calloway" who pretty much put an end to the conversation.  And....Mason did it in a godly fashion.  Mason said that I could reprint his statement here, unedited, written exactly as he posted:

 I would be wary of using profanity (speaking of good things as if they are not good) or cursing (expressing the desire that something be damned), even in informal contexts. For cursing, the Christian should not allow himself to become angry enough to want to damn something. And "damn" need not be literal. When you hit your thumb with a hammer, whatever comes out of your mouth, whether G**Dammit, F*ck, or something else, the emotion you're expressing is "oh this thing that just happened can go right straight to hell." We should take what we are given, even suffering, in stride. And certainly, we should never damn people or creation. (Not that our words have power to do so, but the Christian should not entertain the desire for such to be the case).

And in cases of profanity, the goal should be to always show proper reverence for the good. We don't talk about the intimate moments with our wives in the street because the intimacy of that relationship is a holy thing. Likewise the sexual act in general should not be debased with crass euphemism. In short, we should act like the nobility and priests that we are, our words are not to be worthless.

And now, story time. I was working on a carpentry project with my church and it happened that I was the only person there under 50. The other 5 or so men there were the elders of our church (currently serving and off-rotation). It was a delight to be with these men, in part because they had been friends for years. They had the same collection of stories and inside jokes which any group of friends have. It was a joy to laugh with them. But, even when discussion strayed to their wives, their demeanor, no matter how much we were laughing, was one of respect.

The next day it was just me and two other elders at the work site. I was outside cutting boards (like a proper man) while the two elders were inside nailing a frame together. In a moment of ill attention, one of the elders shot the other in the hand with the nail gun they were using. Two inches of the nail sank into his palm down toward his wrist. The shot elder didn't cuss, didn't even shout. He pulled the nail out of his hand, finished hammering up the frame, and put a bandaid on it once they were done with the last couple of nails.

If that doesn't sound like a more manly and impressive way to handle pain than shouting out S**t, I don't know what could.


BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.


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Don't Christians @#J*!!?

7/17/2012

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BRIEF THOUGHTS ON OBSCENITY

I had a co-worker ask me yesterday why I don’t use cuss words.  He said to me, “I noticed that you don’t use any language that the other workers use.  You don’t say any obscene words nor do you talk about anything obscene.”  This opened the door for me to talk about Christ and how He transformed me when I was 17 years old.  I am no where near perfect (just ask my sweet wife) but I do love Jesus and I do long for the Spirit of God to transform me from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).  I praise God that He has changed me by His grace (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Why don’t I use obscene language?  I have many reasons but I will give briefly just a few reasons why I don’t.

1.  The Old Man Is Gone

I did use to cuss.  I cussed like a sailor.  I would use the Lord’s name in swear words and would blaspheme Him.  I got so use to cussing that I would often slip up at home in front of my parents and cuss when I was mad or made a mistake.  Cussing was a part of who I was.  But then Jesus saved and life was not the same.  He washed away my sins by His blood (Matthew 26:28) and He baptized me into His kingdom (1 Corinthians 12:13).  I became His disciple (Matthew 28:19-20) and my heart was to follow Him wherever He went and do all that He did (Luke 14:25-35).  He completely transformed me (2 Corinthians 5:17).  My mind was different (Romans 12:1-2; cf. Psalm 1:1-3).  My heart was different (Ezekiel 36:25-27).  My desires were different (Matthew 6:33).  My passion was for the Lord Jesus and for His glory (Philippians 1:20-21).  I immediately stopped cussing.  To me, cussing was what the old man did.  He was now dead.  I was now in Christ Jesus and was born again in Him (John 3:3-7).  The old man was gone (Ephesians 4:17-24).

2.  Let No Corrupt Word Proceed Out of Your Mouths

Ephesians 4:29.  That was what sealed the deal for me and cussing or any filthy language.  What is viewed as obscene words changes from culture to culture and from generation to generation.  It is not uncommon for people to say “hate” about all kinds of things or “stupid” to other people.  In our home, those words are almost not allowed unless used properly.  We don’t watch television in our home so my boys know nothing of filthy talking.  I rejoice in that.  I want my boys to follow my example and see that I don’t use the talk of the world.  My citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).  I am an alien and stranger to this land (1 Peter 2:11-12).  I don’t want the things this world wants nor do I want to talk like this world talks (1 John 2:15-17).

3.  Let The Words of My Mouth Exalt You

Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”  I want my words to glorify Christ.  I am not perfect and I know that I say things that are not always pleasing to the Lord but my goal is perfection.  I want to exalt Jesus Christ in all that I say and do.  I want Him to be what the One that others see and hear when they see me (1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 5:1-2).

I know these were brief thoughts but I pray that if you use obscene language, run to the Lord and ask Him to give you a new tongue that exalts Him.  Acts 2:4 says that on the day of Pentecost the disciples spoke in other tongues.  I am not getting into the Pentecostal debate here but there is something to be said about the fact that after the Spirit came the disciples spoke with other tongues.  I pray that all of us speak in a new tongue when we get saved.  I pray that the filthy talk that once was part of our lives is completely gone as the Spirit of Christ comes to abide in us.  I pray that our language is God-centered and exalts Jesus to others.  We are not reformed people but we are regenerated people by the Spirit of God (Titus 3:5-7).  Let us praise God in all that we say or do.

This post is written by my friend The Seeking Disciple.  You can find the original post with comments, here:  http://arminiantoday.com/2012/07/10/brief-thoughts-on-obsenity/

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Murdered Love:  P.O.D. uses the F word

7/16/2012

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Musicians rarely use the “F” word if they want to receive radio play. The group Insane Clown Posse, when they wrote the song, “F--- the World” knew that it would never achieve popular status, using the “F” word 93 times in that song alone.  Of course, the members of ICP don’t claim to be Christians.

The first popular Christian musician who used the “F” word was Bono from U2 with his statement on national TV that the stage at the Golden Globe Awards was “f---ing brilliant.”  His statement raised a firestorm of controversy.  Because his statement was on live American TV, the FCC was involved and ruled that Bono did not violate FCC standards.  They concluded that the wording “f---ing” was used as an adjective not a verb, making it in the same classification as “bloody” which is commonly used on British TV. 

Next, there is Brian “Head” Welch who recently left Korn and started his own band because of his conversion to Christianity.  His song, Flush, has a very controversial video attached to it.  The video has lesbian behavior, scantily clad women and drug use in it.  The song makes no mention of Christ, just a dark, nihilistic portrayal of a sinful lifestyle.  The last line, “come on, get up, let’s change” is a reference to the life changing behavior that can occur when one opens his/her life up to the saving power of Christ.

I read Head’s autobiography and am impressed with his undying allegiance to our Savior and his commitment to reach an audience that would not normally listen to Christian music.  He’s dying to bring his Korn fans to Christ. 

Arguably, that’s where P.O.D. is coming from on this new album, Murdered Love.  P.O.D. has  a large Christian fan base but has always had a wider appeal to the secular world since the albums Southtown and Satellite. There have been rumors that P.O.D. has given up their Christian beliefs.  Many believe that P.O.D. will alienate their Christian audience.  There have been statements that a Christian should never use the “F” word.  The Christian world, from my observation, has not been terribly charitable to P.O.D.

Nevertheless, P.O.D. keeps cranking out terrific music.  This new album, Murdered Love, is no exception.  The title track, of Jesus’ crucifixion, is an absolute masterpiece and representative of P.O.D.’s finest.  However, my favorite track, “I Am” is just mind-blowing.  This is the song that has gotten P.O.D. into some hot water.  This is the track that uses the “F” word.  My heart breaks when I hear this song and it has nothing to do with the fact that P.O.D. uses the “F” word.  This song is meaningful to me because it is clear that P.O.D. understands the hurting sinfulness of our world.

Some people are saying that P.O.D. is just trying to reach a wider audience.  However, I believe that he is trying to shock his Christian audience out of their white, sanitized Christian bubble.  This song is written from the perspective of a person who has been horribly used, abused, and beaten down.  Here is a lyrical sample:

I am the murderer, the pervert, sick to the core,
I am the unclean dope fiend, I am the whore
I am the forgotten child, ravaged and raped and sex trafficked
Since I'm a little strange Daddy called me a faggot

Are you the One that's come to set me free?
Cuz if you knew who I am would You really want to die for me?
They say you are the cursed man, the One who hangs from this tree
But I know if this is the One and Only Son of God, so tell me who the F--- is He?


Don’t let the “F” word distract you.  This is the way that the used and abused of the world feel.  “I’m not worthy of anybody loving.  Plus, I live in hell and this God that you talk about doesn’t help me.  So, F--- this God!”  

Their anger is unmistakable. 

These are the people that we see every day, but walking around in our little Christian bubbles we refuse to interact with them.  They are the broken, dejected, dirty, the dregs of society.  They are the drunken, drugged, prostituted, sexually confused, homeless people that we tend to avoid.  How dare I get my hands dirty by interacting with them?!

Our sanitized, white, perfect Christian world needs to be awakened.  The world is going to hell around us.  They are mad at the way we ignore them and they blame God because of our insensitivity and our hangups on the "proper" way that Christians are to talk and act.

With the song "I Am", I believe that P.O.D. is saying that God will hold us responsible for how we portray His impeccable character to a hurting world.

I am so glad for bands like P.O.D. who rock our world (in more ways than one) and help us to see that there is a dying world out there and we need to be making a difference.  People need to see that God cares, God loves and they are worthy of someone dying to save them.

Jesus died to save the world. 

Are you dying to share Jesus with this dying world?

Tomorrow, you will see another perspective on swearing from my friend, The Seeking Disciple.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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