Profanity from claiming "Christians"

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YWPMI

Active member
Mar 31, 2021
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www.YWPMI.com
#1
A guy was taking his 3 dogs for a walk and stopped by my daughter's house (she lives across the street from me). I asked Hubby if he knew him, and he said yes, he's acquainted with him... "claims he's a "Christian" yet swears like a sailor".

If we claim to be "Christian's, we should ACT and Speak the part as well. Yeshua tells us to lay off profanity and unclean tongues, etc... and if we TRULY love Him as we tell others we do, then we wouldn't want to do any of these things. Right?

Your thoughts?
 
L

Live4Him

Guest
#2
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Eph. 4:29)
 

CherieR

Senior Member
May 6, 2017
2,271
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#3
A guy was taking his 3 dogs for a walk and stopped by my daughter's house (she lives across the street from me). I asked Hubby if he knew him, and he said yes, he's acquainted with him... "claims he's a "Christian" yet swears like a sailor".

If we claim to be "Christian's, we should ACT and Speak the part as well. Yeshua tells us to lay off profanity and unclean tongues, etc... and if we TRULY love Him as we tell others we do, then we wouldn't want to do any of these things. Right?

Your thoughts?
We all sin and say things that we ought not to say. Cursing is one of those habits I’m sure can be hard to break especially if you have been in the habit of it for a long time. I try to avoid cussing but have had moments. God’s grace is enough for the believer in Jesus when they fall short.
 

CherieR

Senior Member
May 6, 2017
2,271
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#4
I once saw a cup in a store that said “ If you can’t say anything nice, say it in French.” It made me laugh seeing that.
 

Subhumanoidal

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2018
4,060
3,173
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#5
A guy was taking his 3 dogs for a walk and stopped by my daughter's house (she lives across the street from me). I asked Hubby if he knew him, and he said yes, he's acquainted with him... "claims he's a "Christian" yet swears like a sailor".

If we claim to be "Christian's, we should ACT and Speak the part as well. Yeshua tells us to lay off profanity and unclean tongues, etc... and if we TRULY love Him as we tell others we do, then we wouldn't want to do any of these things. Right?

Your thoughts?
What makes one word bad and another one acceptable? Human culture? A list in the Bible? I've known people that viewed "crap" as a full blown cuss word, yet my upbringing, and that of nearly everyone I've ever met, did not see it that way. So which one is right? And why?

It always makes me roll my eyes when people say "if you were Truly a Christian..." then lay out one particular sin to focus on.

Life is a journey. Spiritual growth is a process. To expect that everyone that is Christian to be at the same spiritual level and growing in the same ways is ridiculous.
Have you considered that God may be working in other parts or that man's life that are more impactful and necessary?

If we looked into your life what would we find? Sins? Should we then run to social media and state that if people were "true" Christians they would not be committing the sins You're guilty of? Or go elsewhere and do it behind your back to get others involved without your knowledge?
When someone is in sin does the Bible say to go behind their back and spread it around to condemn them? It seems your eagerness to condemn others sins has lead you to your own public sin. Is that the behavior of a True Christian?
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#6
Is certain words being bad; one of those invented sins like, dancing, or drinking?
 

CherieR

Senior Member
May 6, 2017
2,271
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#7
Is certain words being bad; one of those invented sins like, dancing, or drinking?
It can be a matter of conscience. There are words that I would consider curse words and don’t feel comfortable using them so much. It can depend on the context for me such as if I miss my turn or get angry about something and have a word slip I would not normally use, I perceive it as wrong. If I am am telling someone words to a song with particular cuss words in it, or defining the term then I may not feel bad about that.
 

CherieR

Senior Member
May 6, 2017
2,271
1,429
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#8
What makes one word bad and another one acceptable?
Conscience I believe is a big part of it. If you violate your conscience, generally speaking, then you sin. I say generally speaking because there is such examples of where one sees sin in their own actions where there is no sin committed.
 

JaumeJ

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2011
21,429
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#9
Vulgar words should be avoided though they are not profanity, we must refrain from all appearances of evil.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#10
It can be a matter of conscience. There are words that I would consider curse words and don’t feel comfortable using them so much. It can depend on the context for me such as if I miss my turn or get angry about something and have a word slip I would not normally use, I perceive it as wrong. If I am am telling someone words to a song with particular cuss words in it, or defining the term then I may not feel bad about that.
Exclamation of anger maybe more about the a gee than the word. But even at that anger is only sin if it is used to harm someone. That's why the directive to reconcile quickly. But unless you actually curse someone or thing like say damn it , or damn that so and so, I dont actually know how much I care about our word hang ups. I care in as much as I think God may care. So I don't call people unfriendly names, and I try not to pronounce condemnation on people or stuff.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,831
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#11
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Eph. 4:29)
This seems to me to be much more about the things we say and less about the vocabulary we use to say them
 

Kolistus

Well-known member
Feb 3, 2020
538
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#12
Conscience I believe is a big part of it. If you violate your conscience, generally speaking, then you sin. I say generally speaking because there is such examples of where one sees sin in their own actions where there is no sin committed.
Or consciences that are seared with a hot iron, that are not violated by anything.
 

notuptome

Senior Member
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
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#13
I once saw a cup in a store that said “ If you can’t say anything nice, say it in French.” It made me laugh seeing that.
The original was if you cannot say anything nice don't say anything at all.

One I really appreciate is swearing is a weak mind trying to speak forcibly.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#14
The original was if you cannot say anything nice don't say anything at all.

One I really appreciate is swearing is a weak mind trying to speak forcibly.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
I like the one that says people who use bad words tend to be more honest.
 

1ofthem

Senior Member
Mar 30, 2016
3,729
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#15
I like the one that says people who use bad words tend to be more honest.
We are supposed to be a light to the world. So I hate to burst all y'alls bubbles, but cursing is definitely no light to anyone.

If that's all we got to say, then it's best not to say nothing at all.

If we want to be honest...Then how about we try to live a good clean honest life by walking in the Spirit.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#16
We are supposed to be a light to the world. So I hate to burst all y'alls bubbles, but cursing is definitely no light to anyone.

If that's all we got to say, then it's best not to say nothing at all.

If we want to be honest...Then how about we try to live a good clean honest life by walking in the Spirit.
I think being honest, and having intergrity and being genuine is what being light is. When you talk like ned flanders from the simpsons it's disingenuous, and the world knows it.
 
L

Live4Him

Guest
#17
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Eph. 4:29)
This seems to me to be much more about the things we say and less about the vocabulary we use to say them
I would have to disagree.

As with everything else, Jesus Christ must always be our example.

It is written of Christ that "out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword" (Rev. 1:16), and, of course, we all recognize that the "sharp two-edged sword" refers to the word of God:

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Heb. 4:12)

In other words, as Christ said oftentimes in ways very similar to the following:

"For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." (John 12:49)

If we are to properly represent Christ upon this earth, then we need to be careful to only speak that which the Father would have us to speak as Christ did himself.

Jesus only spoke the incorruptible seed of the word of God (I Pet. 1:23), and this is why I deliberately chose to cite the verse which instructs us to "let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouths".

Would Jesus be swearing like a sailor?

Of course, he would not be, and neither should we be.

Again, we should only be speaking "that which is good to the use of edifying" or building up, but that can be a little tricky because we oftentimes need to root out, pull down, destroy, or throw down in order to properly build up or plant (Jer. 1:10).

Our underlying motive in everything that we say or do must be to "minister grace unto our hearers", but, again, we oftentimes need to rebuke in order that others might truly repent and be recipients of God's grace.

When it comes to the vocabulary that we employ in this process, we must strive to be careful to stay within the parameters of scripture.

God/Jesus said some pretty strong things throughout scripture in order to hopefully awaken people to their true conditions, and I've similarly employed some pretty strong language in my own dealings with people over the years.

HOWEVER, unlike God/Jesus, I have admittedly crossed the line at times, and I've needed to repent myself after doing so.
 

1ofthem

Senior Member
Mar 30, 2016
3,729
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#18
What makes one word bad and another one acceptable? Human culture? A list in the Bible? I've known people that viewed "crap" as a full blown cuss word, yet my upbringing, and that of nearly everyone I've ever met, did not see it that way. So which one is right? And why?

It always makes me roll my eyes when people say "if you were Truly a Christian..." then lay out one particular sin to focus on.

Life is a journey. Spiritual growth is a process. To expect that everyone that is Christian to be at the same spiritual level and growing in the same ways is ridiculous.
Have you considered that God may be working in other parts or that man's life that are more impactful and necessary?

If we looked into your life what would we find? Sins? Should we then run to social media and state that if people were "true" Christians they would not be committing the sins You're guilty of? Or go elsewhere and do it behind your back to get others involved without your knowledge?
When someone is in sin does the Bible say to go behind their back and spread it around to condemn them? It seems your eagerness to condemn others sins has lead you to your own public sin. Is that the behavior of a True Christian?
People who are Christians will try to live a good clean life by walking in the Spirit. Now there is no sense, in making any excuses for those who are not. I'm not going to condemn anyone to hell ( God knows I make mistakes as well), but we all need to stop with the excuses. People are to proud to take rebuke nowadays so they come up with plenty of excuses. We need to focus on walking in the Spirit and quit making excuses for sin...just saying
 

1ofthem

Senior Member
Mar 30, 2016
3,729
1,921
113
#19
I think being honest, and having intergrity and being genuine is what being light is. When you talk like ned flanders from the simpsons it's disingenuous, and the world knows it.
Well, we'd all do well to just forget about some worldly cartoon character and start talking like Jesus would have us to. @Live4Him has posted scriptures and made some really good points. How about read that and then get back with me on it....;)
 
L

Live4Him

Guest
#20
Well, we'd all do well to just forget about some worldly cartoon character and start talking like Jesus would have us to. @Live4Him has posted scriptures and made some really good points. How about read that and then get back with me on it....;)
...and those are some of the very same scriptures that God has used to REPROVE ME when I've gone over the line.