Can Someone PLEASE Define Cussing/Profanity?

[jaigner]

I will leave you to your liberal misery.

And the maturity continues to spew....

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

So you have no problem when folks used "racially sensitive terms" that some might find offensive.

Salty

PS, I think you meant "verboten"

Only when they break the 3rd commandment. Other than that, they are just words.

 

[Judith]

I love the polls on profanity, but I am wondering if we are all on the same page as to what, EXACTLY, profanity is? Or, what constitutes profanity, especially in the eyes, minds and hearts of the believer?

Maybe while we take polla as to how bad, it is to cuss and swear, some of you can define just what profanity is. I was looking at some of the comments, and there were some words being tossed around that I thought were profanity.

One such word was the "c" word for human or animal excernent! I've heard Christian use it like just another word. However, the "s" form of that same word is consider to be profanity....what gives??? :BangHead:

The bible does it for us. It is not what is profane in the heart of the person, but what is profane in the eyes of God.
Profane
1) to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin

a) (Niphal)

1) to profane oneself, defile oneself, pollute oneself

a) ritually

b) sexually

2) to be polluted, be defiled

b) (Piel)

1) to profane, make common, defile, pollute

2) to violate the honour of, dishonour

3) to violate (a covenant)

4) to treat as common

c) (Pual) to profane (name of God)

d) (Hiphil)

1) to let be profaned

2) to begin

e) (Hophal) to be begun

I suggest a word study on profane in both the Hebrew and Greek and you will see it is anything that is not wholesome, uplifting or holy.
Eph 4:29
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.

 

[Zaac]

I consider Fundamentalist as bubble people (living in a bubble). I prefer a person who occasionally slips up & pronounces an "Expletive---Delete" & can have an occasional beer with you. Suddenly however you have to live your life like a Geneva Calvinist ....where every word is measured, where alcohol is forboten, where you must wear certain clothes...etc. The only thing missing is the dunk tank & stocks to put the rogues in.

Shouldn't we at least aspire to live as Christ lived? And even if we can't always get it right, to at least have HIS STANDARD as the goal for which to shoot?

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Shouldn't we at least aspire to live as Christ lived? And even if we can't always get it right, to at least have HIS STANDARD as the goal for which to shoot?

No, I am a flawed man in a sinful world......if anything, I am indifferent to it, I am only concerned when the Lord's name is taken in vain. Other than that, its none of my business.

 

[Zaac]

No, I am a flawed man in a sinful world......if anything, I am indifferent to it, I am only concerned when the Lord's name is taken in vain. Other than that, its none of my business.

Is that Biblical? Does not Scripture say
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Eze. 3:17-19

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17

If we are to do as you say you do, what would be the purpose in using Scripture to correct?

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Is that Biblical? Does not Scripture say
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Eze. 3:17-19

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17

If we are to do as you say you do, what would be the purpose in using Scripture to correct?

Hey....do you know what a schmuck is? How bout schmekel ?

 

[John of Japan]

I really mean no offense, but this demonstrates how completely out of touch fundamentalist Christians are with the larger culture. I have never known any non-Christian to be turned off the gospel because a Christian used strong language. I actually have found that it is a bad witness to bristle at strong language coming from an unbeliever (or believer, for that matter). That sort of behavior is borne out of legalistic indoctrination.

I think it's unhealthy to swear or curse flippantly, but have no problem with strong language for strong subject matter when appropriate.

Dude, OF COURSE I'm out of touch with American culture. I live in Japan and have been here since 1981! :laugh:

Now, ask me what words are taboo words in Japanese and how Christians and lost people react to them and I can tell you in fine detail. In fact, for the past three years we've had a rude, crude yakuza gangster coming to the services (see the whole story in the "Missions/Evangelism" forum), and I often had to rebuke him for crude language which offended the other believers. (He has now fled the gang to the main island.)

Having said all of that, when I was young and living in America I was quite in touch with American culture and language, since I went out on evangelism twice a week. I met and rubbed shoulders with a lot of sinners that way, as do most fundamentalists.

Edited in: I'm going to add here that I agree with you that it is a bad witness to bristle at taboo words from a lost person. I don't do that, but just take it in stride. In the '70's I worked my way through college in a factory and had a lot of contact with lost people then, so I do know about that. (Once my work partner brought in a gun to kill her ex-boyfriend who was working in the same dept.) I also went to secular schools all the way through. Many fundamentalists can tell you the same.

As to our image before lost people, I'm going to stick to my guns on that. This morning after breakfast I sat with my coffee and read a little in my detective novel. At one point the hero is in contact with a Catholic nun doing charity work with young runaways. It says, "'God's work,' she said. It was odd to hear her talk that way, Jesse thought. Even though he called her Sister, he didn't think of her, in her tank top and shorts and ornate Nike running shoes, as religious."

This is from a totally secular source, a non-Christian author with poor morals. But I think it illustrates that it is not just fundamentalists who consider the image of a Christian as marking them in a certain way.

 

[John of Japan]

I consider Fundamentalist as bubble people (living in a bubble). I prefer a person who occasionally slips up & pronounces an "Expletive---Delete" & can have an occasional beer with you. Suddenly however you have to live your life like a Geneva Calvinist ....where every word is measured, where alcohol is forboten, where you must wear certain clothes...etc. The only thing missing is the dunk tank & stocks to put the rogues in.

As usual, you judge the entire world of fundamentalism (13,000 churches in the US alone) from your limited and narrow experience with us.

The truth is, since fundamentalists generally believe strongly in evangelism, we have a lot of contact with the lost. I am currently going once a week to the home of Mr. Ushiro to teach him the Bible. He is an ex-gangster, has some kind of "personality disorder," and so forth. I spent an hour there yesterday.

When was the last time you spent any time with a mentally ill ex-gangster? When was the last time you witnessed to or even talked to a prostitute, drunk or criminal? During the good weather, my co-worker across town and I go out on Friday or Saturday night to the busiest part of town, and I've had contact with the lowest of the low in our city. This is a very common experience with many fundamentalists. We go to the poorest parts of town for our bus ministries, we have jail ministries, we have city missions to minister to the homeless, and many churches nowadays have ministries to addicts.

How about you? Do you have any contact with criminals, the homeless, addicts and the like? If you don't, maybe you are the one living in a bubble.

 

[John of Japan]

Wonderfully put.

I'm a tad jealous of your multicultural experiences. I've had plenty of exposure to other cultures and nationalities via the internet and easy voip access, but it's become more apparent to me as I age that full exposure to non-'merican peoples gives entirely new perspectives.

For me, the bottom line is that the Holy Spirit convicts me of my more "colorful" language choices. I always know when I've crossed that uncanny line. The big trick was coming to the point in life where I fully accepted how wretched a man I am and stopped trying to justify my sinful inadequacies in this area.

We live in the re-burbs, lots of farmers and hicks. The language they use, very colorful, but not offensive given context. When I parrot their farm-terms in my personal context...oops! Time to get on my knees and confess.

Well put. Paul said, "I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:22). But that doesn't mean we have to adopt the poor habits and sins of the lost. We can reach the lost for Christ without using their taboo words. They listen to our compassion and deeds more than our words.

Yesterday I asked Mr. Ushiro, our ex-gangster who just started coming, what made him want to become a Christian. He said, "It was when you visited me that first time and I said I was broke and hungry, and you gave me that 1000 yen bill. I knew then that your God is the One who helps people."

I didn't have to use his bad language, I didn't have to imitate his worldly ways, I just had to show him the love of God.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

As usual, you judge the entire world of fundamentalism (13,000 churches in the US alone) from your limited and narrow experience with us.

The truth is, since fundamentalists generally believe strongly in evangelism, we have a lot of contact with the lost. I am currently going once a week to the home of Mr. Ushiro to teach him the Bible. He is an ex-gangster, has some kind of "personality disorder," and so forth. I spent an hour there yesterday.

When was the last time you spent any time with a mentally ill ex-gangster? When was the last time you witnessed to or even talked to a prostitute, drunk or criminal? During the good weather, my co-worker across town and I go out on Friday or Saturday night to the busiest part of town, and I've had contact with the lowest of the low in our city. This is a very common experience with many fundamentalists. We go to the poorest parts of town for our bus ministries, we have jail ministries, we have city missions to minister to the homeless, and many churches nowadays have ministries to addicts.

How about you? Do you have any contact with criminals, the homeless, addicts and the like? If you don't, maybe you are the one living in a bubble.

Sorry, I should have added pompous, braggard, arrogant & out of touch to my list of Fundamentalist characteristics. Who do you THINK you are, Gods gift to the world. Please reg-ail us with another story how your helping a thug find Christ ....then the fundis will all sit at your feet and claim you king of the missionaries. Let them weep tears at your ability to spend other peoples money so you can be a missionary in Japan when your own country needs help. Forget you, Im not impressed.

I am not a preacher....Im a regular guy. Both my Grandfathers worked in the mines, 12-14 hrs a day till they were broken & died. My father worked in a factory & died when I was 12 YO leaving my mother with 2 young boys & a daughter with Cerebral Palsy. I worked all my life & put my kid brother through school (so he in turn could be an IFB Pastor)....and after the IFB starved him & his family nearly to death & allowed a stinking pedophile to abuse boys in that church, I yanked him out....gave him a home to live in and helped him get a real job so he could finally feed his family. There is much more to that story but Im not going there...but it happened in an IFB church.

As to ministries, well I don't have to move halfway around the world to find crime, drugs, prostitution & depravity.....there in my community. I have a 30 yo man buying prescriptions from MD's & reselling to school kids. I have a woman who could not use a car because she is illegal, so to get to a food Supermarket she took an illegal taxi (without a license or a baby seat) consequently when they got into an accident, the child was ejected from the vehicle. I have homeless people living down in my basement, I have a ministry to help the unemployed find jobs & cope with the economic downturn. We have established places where the downtrodden (without medical insurance) to get help. I and my wife are active in rehabilitating alcoholics & drug addicts. My wife has a heart for helping discarded animals find homes (dogs, cats, horses, pony's, donkeys etc) so I have 3 discarded dogs two that are blind & we the care givers.She is also big into finding & prosecuting animal abusers. Also active in the town & state government to try make soo many things right (frankly the corruption is overwhelming). Lastly, I have become convinced that a church needs to be planted in this community so Im making an effort (w/o much success) to get that done as well.

So tell me once again how I dont help people you thin skinned arrogant jerk. Do me a big favor, never ever speak to me again & I will make sure I will do likewise to you big shot.

Oh BTW..... you have no churches in this area. They ran outa here....and what did the joke of a pastor say as he caught the last bus outa town, "It aint working, it aint workin"

 

[John of Japan]

I am not a preacher....Im a regular guy. Both my Grandfathers worked in the mines, 12-14 hrs a day till they were broken & died. My father worked in a factory & died when I was 12 YO leaving my mother with 2 young boys & a daughter with Cerebral Palsy. I worked all my life & put my kid brother through school (so he in turn could be an IFB Pastor)....and after the IFB starved him & his family nearly to death & allowed a stinking pedophile to abuse boys in that church, I yanked him out....gave him a home to live in and helped him get a real job so he could finally feed his family. There is much more to that story but Im not going there...but it happened in an IFB church.

I'm sorry this happened. It was terrible. But it doesn't condemn all fundamentalists. Some of us (apparently not me, lol) are good people.

As to ministries, well I don't have to move halfway around the world to find crime, drugs, prostitution & depravity.....there in my community. I have a 30 yo man buying prescriptions from MD's & reselling to school kids. I have a woman who could not use a car because she is illegal, so to get to a food Supermarket she took an illegal taxi (without a license or a baby seat) consequently when they got into an accident, the child was ejected from the vehicle. I have homeless people living down in my basement, I have a ministry to help the unemployed find jobs & cope with the economic downturn. We have established places where the downtrodden (without medical insurance) to get help. I and my wife are active in rehabilitating alcoholics & drug addicts. My wife has a heart for helping discarded animals find homes (dogs, cats, horses, pony's, donkeys etc) so I have 3 discarded dogs two that are blind & we the care givers.She is also big into finding & prosecuting animal abusers. Also active in the town & state government to try make soo many things right (frankly the corruption is overwhelming). Lastly, I have become convinced that a church needs to be planted in this community so Im making an effort (w/o much success) to get that done as well.

Praise the Lord that you are serving God. That's what I wanted to know.

 

[Amy.G]

Cuss words are defined by society. Society is "of the world". Therefore to cuss like the world is not what a Christian should be doing since we are in the world but not "of" it.

 

[convicted1]

Cuss words are defined by society. Society is "of the world". Therefore to cuss like the world is not what a Christian should be doing since we are in the world but not "of" it.

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Cuss words are defined by society. Society is "of the world". Therefore to cuss like the world is not what a Christian should be doing since we are in the world but not "of" it.

Should we drive cars...they are of the world. Should we operate computers....thats of the world too. Should we have secular jobs....the world does that, or go shopping for clothing when we could make our own.

Should we be interacting with others who we dont consider Christians & should we be doing business with Jews, Muslims (we buy some of their petroleum products you know) & Catholics (who inhabit the majority church in my neck of the woods). Should we participate in politics that is quite base & secular? The world does that quite well.

Now I guess I can go to Lancaster Pennsylvania & learn High German & become Amish & live as they do since there premise is complete separation from the world but I am not going to do that. I'm going to interact, I'm going to touch the wounds of Jesus & know he lives & I am going to meet with the mess of what we call lost humanity & try real hard to see Christ in their faces & when they tell me to get the F out of here you Mother F'er, I'm NOT going to get insulted because as filthy as they are, as filthy as their demeanors are, their language is.....I'm going to love & try to help them. Sorry that you are all insulted....but I will live in the REAL world in order to bring some of these people to the kingdom.

 

[Amy.G]

Should we drive cars...they are of the world. Should we operate computers....thats of the world too. Should we have secular jobs....the world does that, or go shopping for clothing when we could make our own.

When the Bible speaks of the world, it doesn't mean physical "stuff". The world is a mindset. One that is against God. It's a system of ungodliness.

 

[Revmitchell]

It is very telling and rings all to true seeing who is defending using such language.

 

[Amy.G]

Sorry that you are all insulted....but I will live in the REAL world in order to bring some of these people to the kingdom.

I'm not insulted. But you have just stated my point. We have to be "in" the world, just not "of" it. Our behavior is to be different.
Jesus ate and drank with sinners, but he wasn't a glutton or a drunk. He was in the world but not of it.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

It is very telling and rings all to true seeing who is defending using such language.

Rev, it must be tough for you going through life with your holier than thou persona, knowing full well that your human like the rest of us. Of course, you've shown by example what a jerk you really are. Still lets mask it by passive/ aggressive actions with the caveat of being a "REVEREND". Ohhhhhh, thats the ticket. A jerk with a title. :thumbs:

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I'm not insulted. But you have just stated my point. We have to be "in" the world, just not "of" it. Our behavior is to be different.
Jesus ate and drank with sinners, but he wasn't a glutton or a drunk. He was in the world but not of it.

Thats not what the Pharisees claimed. Quite the reverse. Anyway, Im not Jesus. Not even trying to be.