What do you think?
My mum beat it out of me
When i was about 5 years old i went through a phase in which i swore unceasingly. Not in front of my mum or dad or any other person, but as i rode my bike around the estate i'd continually swear under my breath. Then out of guilt i'd pray to Jesus for forgiveness. Then one elusive night my mantra spilled from my lips when my mum asked me to pray, & before i knew it "Jesus forgive me for those bad words . . ." had spilled from my lips; before i could say "amen" i was across my mums knee getting the spanking of a lifetime.
There have been few occasions since when i've even thought or felt like saying a 'bad word' - fewer still when i've said one.
So what makes a swear word bad?
Nowhere in the Bible do we find a list of words that we cannot say. On the other hand we are encouraged in places like Titus 2:7-8 to have speech that cannot be condemned.
Arguably society and culture decides what constitutes as a swear word.
In N. Ireland i've found that certain words are acceptable depending on your background; for example christian farmers do not have any issue with the S-word. And in our culture at large it seems these words are not used so much as to offend as they are, unknowingly used as descriptive language.
I've even found words that i use & find acceptable considered as swearing by my Dublin born wife, that's saying something since around Dublin it seems a sentence without a curse word is considered unacceptable.
Christians & Swearing
I know many Christians who tut or make comment when someone around them swears. But for me i wonder what use a 'clean' mouth is if the heart is unclean; that is to say that we could force people not to swear infront of us and it is of no eternal value. Unless someone believes Jesus, trusting Him as their propitiation (get a dictionary) for sin, no amount of moral cleanness is of any value whatsoever.
I also know Christians who swear, a lot. Perhaps they think its cool, or will somehow break barriers with non-christians so they can witness to them in greater depths about Christ. Maybe it is used to cause a bit of controversy or to cause them to stand out of the crowd.
For Further Contemplation
Make Your Mouth a Means of Grace - John Piper argues against cursing.
Dirty Words in the Bedroom - The girls at christian nymphos think its ok between a husband and wife under certain loving circumstances (*Warning this is a site of a sexual nature - i may not agree with everything on it & am referencing it because it's a valid area to ask this question)
Occasionally Swearing - John Acuff writes with his typically humorous manner about this topic.
Perhaps surprisingly, i'm going to finish with a quote from Mark Driscoll
"The Bible is filled with examples of condemnable speech, including cursing God, blasphemy, making false accusations, perversity, rashness, harshness, wickedness, boasting, lying, flattering, bitterness, nitpicking, adulterous flirtation, busy-bodying, gossip, nagging, whining, complaining, needless quarreling, and plain old foolish stupidity in its innumerable forms. On the other hand, the Bible also describes speech as an opportunity for worship, prayer, grace, teaching, counsel, preaching, kindness, truth, comfort, love, healing, sweetness, encouragement, mercy, hope, gentleness, conviction, and faith. As Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.”"
