
Let’s talk about bad words. You know what they are. I do, too. So, this is not a discussion about what constitutes profanity.
Admittedly, if friends from my childhood read this, you know I could be a potty mouth. Big time. Up until the moment I came to faith in Jesus Christ, I would say things . . . you don’t want to know about all that.
Thankfully, when I became a follower, the urge to use bad words just disappeared. I can’t say I was “convicted” about it or somehow determined to piously watch my language, it’s just that my life changed. It’s not like that for everybody, I get it. But for me, that’s what happened.
This doesn’t make me “better” than someone else. Heck, I have a friend who outdistances me spiritually in a dozen ways—yet he struggles with his language. We all have our challenges.
And this is not to say I’ve never uttered a coarse word since that change which took place when I was 17. The words still pop up in my head. And sometimes, usually in private moments, they slip out. So, I’m not talking perfection here.
Behind the keyboard . . .
But I’ve noticed an online trend where political commentators—who claim faith in Jesus—are adopting potty words to make their points. They throw in sexual inuendo as well. Again, to emphasize an observation or whatever.
Before we go further on this topic, I’m not sending them to hell over this. I’m not canceling anybody (or even naming anyone). I will continue to read their insights, because each of these pundits brings valuable information to the table.
I’m not going to let one disagreement stop me from learning new stuff.
Yet I have to ask, Is this the best we can do?
Is it absolutely necessary that we drop an F-bomb to get someone to pay attention? Must we throw in sexual “humor” when talking about a political opponent or a rival point of view?
I thought our mission—as followers—is to raise the discourse, not to parrot the rest of the world in some effort to stay relevant.
Because I’m not talking about someone blurting out something which they later want to retract. This is about a supposedly seasoned commentator who talks about faith yet who sits down, types a profanity-laced post, and doesn’t stop and say, “Is this a good idea?”
I guess bad words create engagement, driving clicks and reactions. And that’s too bad.
Where there is faith . . .
Maybe I’m way off base. Maybe one word is the same as another. But I just think we—the Church—should be above this stuff. And I think that if we searched to find better words to make our political and social points, people might listen more closely. Because they would not be caught up in the noise of those words which generate visceral reactions.
I’m reminded of today’s comedy, where Nate Bargatze is at the top of the profession, not because he can twist any moment into a sex joke or a four-letter tirade, but because he takes real life and—without needing a bunch of words the TV has to bleep out—makes us laugh. Just because we all need to laugh, here’s a clip:
Guess what? No bad words. And I hope you at least chuckled.
Why can’t those who claim faith figure out a way around bad words? Honestly, I don’t get it.
Just a thought . . .
Before you go thinking I run around with my hands over my ears when I hear salty language, that’s not me. I grew up playing golf, so there’s hardly anything I haven’t heard.
And if faith isn’t your thing, I’m not your language policeman.
Look, if someone claims to be a Christian and wants to write a bunch of bad words, they can. But I think that person is missing a grand opportunity to use this great language of ours to its fullest.
We can hear trash talk at sporting events, in airports, at work, on subways, in traffic, at the DMV and at our local restaurants. It’s on tee shirts, caps—you name it. We don’t have to go hunting for visceral language. It’s an epidemic.
Maybe, just maybe, those followers who depend on an online presence to make a living can choose to be different. Not in a, “I’m better and more pious” way, but with a desire to flesh out words in a powerful way that engages this wacky world around us.
There are some great Christian pundits in the social webisphere. Here’s hoping they stand out by showing us the wisdom and wit they learned from the Jesus they follow.
Offering a different perspective on this:
https://testandprove.substack.com/p/christians-shouldnt-use-profanity
Let nothing come out of your mouth that does not build others up. EP 4:29
Death and Life are in the tongue. PRO 18:21
Neither of these passages has much to do with cussing or using the vernacular to describe our toilet habits. They focus on words that are caring and encouraging, rather than attacking the actions and character of others.
Jesus mentioned that death and life come from demeaning others with put-downs, criticisms, character assassinations, and shaming.
Bless and build, do not attack and demean.