Discussion: Should the words 'gosh' and 'gee' be banned for TAW members?

[Breaking Babylon]

Let's resort to the French taunters of Monty Python when anger hits us. Go and boil your bottoms, son of a silly person. I blow my nose on you!

I don't want to talk to you, no more, you empty-headed animal, food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. You mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.

Now go away or I'll taunt you a second time.

 

[kamikat]

Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

 

[TrueHope]

I fart in your general direction

We say this!!! LOL.

Yes, I got for Corn sakes from Bobby's World!
For Corn sake, crying in the mud! Yup, from Bobby's world....

 

[RobNJ]

It was censership!

I see a new siggy, on the horizon!!!!

 

[nutroll]

My mom has always been very strict about taking the Lord's name in vain. So much so in fact that when she would sing the Everly Brothers song All I Have To Do Is Dream (it's an oldie, so look it up if you don't know it) she would replace the line

"Only problem is, gee whiz,
I'm dreaming my life away..."

with

"Only problem is, bottle of fizz,
I'm dreaming my life away..."

Now I applaud my mother for having so much reverence for God that she would make a perfectly good song sound ridiculous in order to avoid taking His name in vain, but it occurs to me that if gee whiz is really the same thing as the name Jesus, then bottle of fizz would be the same thing as gee whiz, and therefore the same thing as Jesus.

I think the problem is not so much with the words that we say, as with the reasons why we are saying the words. If I choose to say Lord have mercy as a statement of alarm rather than gee, golly, or gosh, I am no better unless I really mean it as a prayer. If I say darn it rather than damn it I am saying the same thing. If I replace darn with yarn or barn or corn or any other word, I am still saying the same thing. The problem as I see it is really the notion that I can change my behavior and not change my heart. For some people, these replacement words are wrong because they are only changing words. For other people, the words have no meaning, and one can't tell from their use of these words what is in their heart. I think it is wrong to condemn the use of the words without knowing why they are used.

 

[Oblio]

"Only problem is, gee whiz,
I'm dreaming my life away..."

with

"Only problem is, bottle of fizz,
I'm dreaming my life away..."

We did a similar thing for more nefarious reasons in my nere-do-well youth. To wit:

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year ...

to

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl,
It's full of beer ...

Thus fullfilling Godwin's 2nd corollary ...

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

My mom has always been very strict about taking the Lord's name in vain. So much so in fact that when she would sing the Everly Brothers song All I Have To Do Is Dream (it's an oldie, so look it up if you don't know it) she would replace the line

"Only problem is, gee whiz,
I'm dreaming my life away..."

with

"Only problem is, bottle of fizz,
I'm dreaming my life away..."

Now I applaud my mother for having so much reverence for God that she would make a perfectly good song sound ridiculous in order to avoid taking His name in vain, but it occurs to me that if gee whiz is really the same thing as the name Jesus, then bottle of fizz would be the same thing as gee whiz, and therefore the same thing as Jesus.

I think the problem is not so much with the words that we say, as with the reasons why we are saying the words. If I choose to say Lord have mercy as a statement of alarm rather than gee, golly, or gosh, I am no better unless I really mean it as a prayer. If I say darn it rather than damn it I am saying the same thing. If I replace darn with yarn or barn or corn or any other word, I am still saying the same thing. The problem as I see it is really the notion that I can change my behavior and not change my heart. For some people, these replacement words are wrong because they are only changing words. For other people, the words have no meaning, and one can't tell from their use of these words what is in their heart. I think it is wrong to condemn the use of the words without knowing why they are used.

True... all true.

However...

Rom 14:21 [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.


Would this verse not also apply to what we say as well as what we eat?

Forgive me...

 

[nutroll]

True... all true.

However...

Rom 14:21 [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.


Would this verse not also apply to what we say as well as what we eat?

Forgive me...

Absolutely, but given that there are people on both sides of this issue stumbling, being offended, and made weak, I'm not sure that one can blame that on the words themselves. I am happy to refrain from those words and many others. One of the reasons that I post so infrequently is that I abandon about half of my posts, and never start a number of them because I can't think of a way to say something without potentially offending someone. If everyone did that, there would be no conversation on here. There have been times on here that I have read something that offended me, only to see others applauding that person for what they wrote. Likewise, I am sure that there have been times that I have offended others with my words, and I have been applauded by others for saying them. We all ought to strive to not offend each other. We also ought to be quick to ask for forgiveness, and to forgive. I don't think that I have used any of those words on here in the past, if I have, I would like to apologize for it. But I don't personally take offense to other using those words. Especially since they are part of the vernacular in such a way that they are really divorced from their origins.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

But Lord...

I didn't mean it that way!

Forgive me...

 

[RobNJ]

If posters choose not to use those words, fine.. I object to the idea of legislating their restriction.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

I think it should be limited to self censorship.

Col 4:6 Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Mat 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Jam 3:6 And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.


And so I ask....

Please.

Forgive me...

 

[-Kyriaki-]

Troy's dad's favourite expression of surprise/exasperation/whatever!! is "man alive and buckets of fish!"

...I don't think that one should offend anyone? It usually ends up making everyone laugh instead

 

[Protoevangel]

...but it occurs to me that if gee whiz is really the same thing as the name Jesus, then bottle of fizz would be the same thing as gee whiz, and therefore the same thing as Jesus.

This is exactly true, and the very point I was attempting to put across to Guineverelyndy.

I think the problem is not so much with the words that we say, as with the reasons why we are saying the words. If I choose to say Lord have mercy as a statement of alarm rather than gee, golly, or gosh, I am no better unless I really mean it as a prayer. If I say darn it rather than damn it I am saying the same thing. If I replace darn with yarn or barn or corn or any other word, I am still saying the same thing. The problem as I see it is really the notion that I can change my behavior and not change my heart...

This is a most excellent point. Thank you.

 

[Protoevangel]

I've said all I have to say. Goodbye.

Don't stay gone.

 

[Dorothea]

More on Dorothea and I's last posts...

When I say goodness, good grief or good gravy[assuming that these are not offensive or a euphemism for God's Name], I'm also doing it only to express interest or shock. Not because I'm trying to edge around saying God's name in vain, simply because they're phrases I've grown up with which never meant more than shock or interest.

Of course, one could argue that growing up Hindu doesn't make Hinduism right, and that's true, but I'm trying to show my side of things.

Honestly, after all this, I don't know what to think of it. It seems otherworldly to me almost to think that Napoleon or Beaver or Opie were blaspheming. It seems to me like, in terms of blasphemy, Andy Griffith is no better than the Sopranos.

Times and cultures change...

I would love more input.

That's exactly how I feel about it, Isaac. I know I was suggested to use "Lord, have mercy," but to me, that means have mercy on me or someone, not being shocked or surprised at a story on the news I might here, or somebody says something surprising.

 

[nutroll]

This is exactly true, and the very point I was attempting to put across to Guineverelyndy.

I think the difference is that I don't necessarily think that gee is synonymous with Jesus, and therefore replacing gee whiz with bottle of fizz is somewhat pointless. I think that gee long ago lost its connection with the name Jesus, and so it would only be necessary to replace it if you yourself are using it as a replacement, and if that were the case, then substituting bottle of fizz would be no better because it would be just replacing a replacement with a replacement and my head hurts. Where's the alka seltzer... I mean advil.

 

[Dorothea]

My husband looked up the word "gee" last night, in a dictionary, and it had to do with direction, and farming. Like "gee" and "haw," meaning while plowing, you're telling the horse to go one direction or the other. There wasn't anything he read regarding Jesus. ???

 

[TrueHope]

I agree with Nutrolls way of thinking. One of the problems is this. Society has taught us "Catch phrases" to say in moments of frustration. ie: through movies, comedians, music, etc. Then we repeat it, often as teens, NOT in front of our parents...(If our parents are against such) Then, it becomes habit. For example, JC is still used in more than half the movies out there, utilizing even small children to say this in these movies. (Disturbing!!!!) When these phrases are used over and over again by friends, family, movie characters, people on the streets, it sinks into our brains....and even the sweetest, faithful person can slip up. The point is....we all lose our bearing sometimes, and have instant reactions with whatever pops into our heads at that moment. Are we aware? Or do we not acknowledge this in our lives. For our Mouths are poison and can cause our own death. For those who did not walk a wholesome,. pure life, it can be an enormous battle, once they change their ways, I know it was and still can be once in a while for me. It's that conscious choice. Yes, I replaced words. God knows what is in the heart. Are you trying, or are you ignoring...that is the question,.....to be...or not to be....

 

[Dorothea]

I also have been made aware of words like "Zoinks!" such as Shaggy used in Scooby-Doo cartoons and "Sufferin' Succatash!", "Heavens to Mergatroid!" and "Well, I'll be..."

All may be used to express surprise or anger. When in doubt, turn to cartoons for inspiration.

 

[Dorothea]

Oh, and one more thing. Isn't saying "Lord" taking God's name in vain as well? I only say "Lord, have mercy" in prayer. I don't feel comfortable saying it just any time.