For the record, there is a lot of stuff on my iPod that I wouldn't play at my gran's 80th birthday party. There's some Eminem (I'm somewhat ashamed to say), a lot of Bill Hicks stand-up material (covering all manner of subject matter) and the Team America soundtrack (enough said). Not to mention a wealth of classic bands who ever now and then let a dodgy word slip in there (John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Dave Matthews etc etc etc...).
Now, people are always quick to relate to the passage in the Bible where Peter denies Christ, how he curses to try and convince people he isn't a follower.
He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man
you’re talking about.” Mark 14:71
People then say that from this that to swear is to distance yourself from Christ, and following on from that they say that it is no better to put this stuff into you head through what you watch and what you listen to. While I don't entirely agree with this viewpoint I can understand the reasoning and I have an awful lot of admiration for the restraint of people who discipline themselves this way. My problem, however, is that many people take the idea of 'swear words' too seriously, letting this cloud their judgement.
My view on swearing in a nutshell is that there are no bad words, there are only bad intentions. Now I don't use bad language, but I don't believe God set certain words aside as naughty words that we're not to use. I believe that man has always used words to hurt, and over time this use has stuck with certain words. So for me, intent and nature mean more to me that specific language where listening is concerned. If I were a parent, I like to think that I'd be happier with my children listening to Manic Street Preachers who have the odd curse word, than Katy Perry or Rihanna, wherein the soul purpose of the music is to glorify and glamourize a lifestyle which God finds totally abhorrent. Some of the music on Cool FM genuinely disgusts me and it might not contain a single word which you couldn't say on daytime TV. Therefore I find it difficult when a Christian won't listen to a particular song or watch a particular film because of the verbal content, but they happily pick up the latest compilation of radio chart-toppers.
Food for thought...
My view on swearing in a nutshell is that there are no bad words, there are only bad intentions. Now I don't use bad language, but I don't believe God set certain words aside as naughty words that we're not to use. I believe that man has always used words to hurt, and over time this use has stuck with certain words. So for me, intent and nature mean more to me that specific language where listening is concerned. If I were a parent, I like to think that I'd be happier with my children listening to Manic Street Preachers who have the odd curse word, than Katy Perry or Rihanna, wherein the soul purpose of the music is to glorify and glamourize a lifestyle which God finds totally abhorrent. Some of the music on Cool FM genuinely disgusts me and it might not contain a single word which you couldn't say on daytime TV. Therefore I find it difficult when a Christian won't listen to a particular song or watch a particular film because of the verbal content, but they happily pick up the latest compilation of radio chart-toppers.
Food for thought...
For what it is worth, and I have been pondering whether to reply.
ReplyDeleteGod is the creator of language. Before he spoke the world into being, He was communicating via word in the trinity. "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God". God created man in his own image and language exists so that man can communicate with God and with other men, because it first existed with God. Words therefore innately carry meaning.
If you carry it out to is logical conclusion, if words no longer mean what they are "known" to mean then it means that God may not really have meant what he said in the Bible.
Swear words have meaning, and even if you don't think that they do (which I think would be false), you may be talking to someone who does think they have meaning and therefore offend them. Words have meaning.
to quote just one of many verses James 3:1-11
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
Words have meaning. Obey God and his many command not to use profane language.
Hope that stirs some thoughts
I agree with you to a point, certainly that other people may be offended which is why I don't use such language myself. It's no great strain on my life to not use certain words therefore I don't.
DeleteHowever, for the sake of discussion, taking the message of that James passage, what about when people use such words for praise and not cursing? For example, a football supporter shouts 'that was an F'ing brilliant goal.' This is said in encouragement, and cursing has nothing to do with it.
With regards to the idea of the word existing with God in the beginning, Word is a reference not to language but to wisdom. John's gospel frequently refers to Christ using the idea of wisdom, and it is a link to Prov 8 where it talks of wisdom being at the Father's side when He created the universe.
Thoughts indeed stirred though!