omg omg omg

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Sharp

Senior Member
May 5, 2009
2,565
19
38
#1
I want to see what everyone's views are on what constitutes taking the Lord's name in vain, but, specifically with regard to words used as replacements to the actual thing.

It is my view that saying 'oh my gosh' is the same as saying 'oh my God', the same way as when someone says 'friggin', they may aswell be saying the word that friggin was designed to soften.

I think changing God to gosh does nothing to eliminate the instinctive urge a person has to use the phrase. It is my view that christians shouldn't say oh my gosh, or oh my anything. Saying oh my gosh is a last minute last resort option for when you've felt the inclination to use the Lord's name in vain but have pulled out just in time.

I've posted this in the young adults forum because I think as an age group we young adults are the worst offenders. I think we should aim to exercise greater self-control in this area and find other expressions to convey excitement, disgust, frustration, etc. I think 'oh my gosh' is a phrase that is unbecoming of a christian, and I think we should all try not to use it.
 

grace

Senior Member
Sep 8, 2006
1,064
11
0
51
#2
Hmm....I always thought my views were ones I held on my own lol

In our home...I have taught my children to say oh my goodness..not oh my god..or oh my gosh.

I slip up and say oh my gosh sometimes....but I try to set a good example for them in everything. To me it is helping them have a foundation to build their life on...and reverance for the Lord.

Thanks for posting this. Its refreshing to see that my concervative views (on at least one topic) are held by at least one other person lol
 
C

concernedguy

Guest
#3
I want to see what everyone's views are on what constitutes taking the Lord's name in vain, but, specifically with regard to words used as replacements to the actual thing.

It is my view that saying 'oh my gosh' is the same as saying 'oh my God', the same way as when someone says 'friggin', they may aswell be saying the word that friggin was designed to soften.

I think changing God to gosh does nothing to eliminate the instinctive urge a person has to use the phrase. It is my view that christians shouldn't say oh my gosh, or oh my anything. Saying oh my gosh is a last minute last resort option for when you've felt the inclination to use the Lord's name in vain but have pulled out just in time.

I've posted this in the young adults forum because I think as an age group we young adults are the worst offenders. I think we should aim to exercise greater self-control in this area and find other expressions to convey excitement, disgust, frustration, etc. I think 'oh my gosh' is a phrase that is unbecoming of a christian, and I think we should all try not to use it.

The Bible does say God's Name will be above all others. Unfortunately it gets used in bad ways too.
I always feel a sort of pain everytime I hear oh my ***. I stopped watching tv. Most shows wouldn't
have anything to say if they deleted on my *** from the story line.

It amazing that most deny God but if they were to shut a door on their finger, they say God's Name.
If the other religious leaders are so great as prophets, how come no one says, "Oh Buddha that
hurt! (not sure I spelled that right)

I wonder if those that say omg will say that when they stand in front of God and realize He is real!!?
 
W

wwjd_kilden

Guest
#4
good point.

well, I personally tend to swear a lot :( nut I'm not really sure why.

as for taking the Lords name in vain, I don't think I do that very often, though I do it more when speaking english than norwegian (mostly because of the "omg"- msn slang). In norwegian we have two terms derived from Jesus that I don't think many people ralize have anything to do with him. they are just expressions of suprise, and have been here so long they are just considered ordinary words. Maybe one should start thinking before talken? - and typing :p
 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#5
Maybe I don't know the etymology of the word 'gosh' but why would that word be any worse than goodness, golly or the like, when you're replacing it for God?

To me, if you're making an attempt to substitute another word in place of God, because you don't want to take God's name in vain, well to me that's proof you're not taking his name in vain.

So maybe I'm missing something in the etymology of 'gosh' that makes that a bad word.
 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#6
I just went and looked at 'gosh'

gosh
(gŏsh)

interj. Used to express mild surprise or delight.

[Alteration of
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]God[/SIZE][/FONT].]

gosh

 
 /gɒʃ/
Show Spelled Pronunciation [gosh]
Show IPA Use gosh in a Sentence

See web results for gosh

See images of gosh

–interjection (used as an exclamation or mild oath): Gosh, this bag is heavy!

Origin:
1750–60; euphemistic alter. of God
 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#7
gosh
1757, altered pronunciation of God. Probably from by gosse (mid-16c.).
 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#8
So it looks like gosh is an alternative for 'God'.

But if that's the case and the word is evil because you're substituting it for God, then wouldn't it follow that any word you use to replace God is bad? That would include goodness, golly and the like?

I guess this is one of them personal conviction things maybe.

To me, the fact that I'm attempting to not say God's actual name, that's a sign that I don't intend to take his name in vain. And since that's my heart's desire, I think that's what matters.

When I say, 'oh my gosh', it's really an exclamation of surprise. Nothing in my heart is intending to take God's name in vain. And any slight pause in my speech to make sure I'm not saying God, is proof that I'm intending to not take His name in vain.
 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#9
But if I know folks find it offensive, the Christian thing to do is not use it around them.
 
S

socperkins

Guest
#10
I've tried to train myself to use Gosh instead of God, and now I'm trying to drop that word also. Mostly now I just say Oh My, which makes me sound like an old woman, but that's fine. I never say JC or GD and I cringe every time I hear those words.

My girlfriend says all these words, and whenever she does I say "Well now you have his attention, so say something nice".
 

Sharp

Senior Member
May 5, 2009
2,565
19
38
#12
So it looks like gosh is an alternative for 'God'.

But if that's the case and the word is evil because you're substituting it for God, then wouldn't it follow that any word you use to replace God is bad? That would include goodness, golly and the like?

Yep, that's what I'm sayin. The fact that a person gets so far into the phrase that they have to quickly come up with a substitute for the word 'God' indicates poor discipline in my opinion.

There are a number of ways to finish a sentence starting with "Oh my...". Whichever way you end it, it is still a derivative of 'Oh my God'. I don't think people would be saying oh my gosh or oh my word or oh my goodness or oh my duck if people weren't originally saying oh my God.
 

Kathleen

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2009
3,570
6
38
#13
i play alot of sports.

i am quite the football queen if i may so myself. and when on the pitch , playing with the guys, i quite often here OMG, or JC or GD, and when i hear someone say it more than once i turn round and say

'well ur right religious arnt u'

u should see the look of confusion on thier face.

i hate it when poeple use the lords name in vain - it does actually make me mad
 
Oct 7, 2009
171
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#14
um....a lot of people learned the phrase "oh my gosh" as their response, not "oh my God", so their natural response is to say gosh...or goodness...or whatever...i think it's about the intent in the heart...if the intent is to invoke God's name or an alternate word in place of God for forceful or sinful purposes, that's one thing, but if the thought behind the phrase is genuinely not intending to replace God at all, why rip someone for using it?

i'm in the same boat with "holy macaroni"....something my grandfather said in exclamation...i've been called out on that phrase saying that i'm avoiding a certain four letter word in that phrase...that word rarely if ever crosses my mind as i'm using the phrase....

God sees the heart of the man, so man should learn to focus on the intent of his own heart rather than prejudging the heart of others....
 
M

Matthew

Guest
#15
I don't think there's anything wrong with saying 'Oh My Gosh', it may be a substitue for the word 'God' but as stated above it can be used to simply express surprise so when people use that phrase they aren't referring to God but simply expressing surprise.
I think this is a situation where the intention behind it is what matters, the word in itself is not a bad one and it has to be taken in context, I really don't see anything wrong with using gosh or goodness, I think it's a stretch to see anything wrong with that.

I don't think we can assume someone is referring to God everytime they say gosh, lot's of words can mean different things, so context is important, each to his own, personally I never gosh or goodness and in general I broke the bad habit of saying 'Oh My God' a long time ago, I slip sometimes as I'm not perfect.
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
#16
Sharp, this was a great idea for a thread and I am going to have to call my mother and tell her she was right... after all these years.

When I was growing up, I got in trouble if I said, "Gosh" (good old Mom felt it was "too close" to "God"), "Gee", because my parents felt it was too close to "Jesus", or "darn" because it was too close to the other word, in their eyes. Ironically, I grew up to be someone who enjoys talking to people in prisons, where, of course, the words fall and fly as they may, but what I get into is the realness behind what's said (usually in between all of those words, unfortunately.)

So, I had to come up with my own inventive versions of "non-offensive substitutes" for expressions of frustration or surprise... some of which I have endlessly been teased for are "Oh drat!" and "Rat's butt!" and, one day out of an extreme need to vent.... "SSSSHHHHIIIIPPPPP!!!" (of fools, of course.) I have also been known to say, "Geez 'o' Pete's" (sorry, Mom... maybe someone would see that as taking the Apostle Peter's name in vain?) and, out of frustration, have pretty much gotten to a point where I now resort to kind of a low growling or frantic arm-waving.

But at least I'm not taking anything in vain... I hope.
 
K

kiwi_OT

Guest
#17
I've tried to train myself to use Gosh instead of God, and now I'm trying to drop that word also. Mostly now I just say Oh My, which makes me sound like an old woman, but that's fine. I never say JC or GD and I cringe every time I hear those words.

My girlfriend says all these words, and whenever she does I say "Well now you have his attention, so say something nice".

Brilliant comeback! Do you mind if I say that as well? Ioften enough around a lot of teenagers throughout the day. A few of them know Im a Christian but most dont. They have no idea how much it annoys me when they shout "Oh my God!" or "J...C!!!"
I used to do it myself but Ive had a good clean up of my language in the past year. When Im suprised I just say "goodness me!" lol I do sound like an old woman.. Only once this year did I truly swear but I was very accidental lol. Mainly cos someone dropped a hot plate on my bare foot and I bled everywhere..
 
J

Jordan9

Guest
#18
I like to say, "Oh my stars!" in a Southern accent and touch my pearl necklace when I do.
 
A

Acce

Guest
#19
LOL, Jordan, that's an awesome idea.. I'm aussie, I feel I would need to practice very hard to get the accent down.

My opinion on this, is really, it depends on the person's mindset, i tend to say "oh em gee" sounding out the letters of oh my goodness/gosh, but I don't say goodness or gosh as a quick fix for being half way thru a possibly sinful statement. When I say oh em gee, or oh my gosh or oh my goodness, I don't use those words as a substitute because I feel I would use the Lord's name in vain.

So I think it really does depend on the thought process behind it.
 
Oct 8, 2009
169
0
0
#20
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Exodus 20:7.

Ya I don't think that leaves a whole lot of room to us all of these omg's and what not.