Why use it?

[Uphill Battle]

This is a question to atheists, agnostics, etc....

I was wondering if anyone who curses, (and We all do at one point or another...) whether or not they use the lords name in vain when doing so. If an atheist were to use the name of Jesus Christ, but as a curse, it makes me wonder exactly why.

Have you ever used the name of something you don't believe exists as a curse? Why do so?

 

[HouseApe]

Yes I do. And I use it instead of real swear words because I don't like to cuss. My grandfather used to say "Jesus H. Christ Nadean!" all the time when I was a kid (Nadean is my grandmother). I guess I just picked it up from him. Never actually put a lot of thought into it.

 

[Uphill Battle]

BTW, forgot to add, please don't ACTUALLY use the Lord's name in vain in the thread!

 

[Uphill Battle]

That to me seems incredibly odd. That you would use Jesus' name such, when you don't even believe he exists, or at least, not as the Son of God. And you don't think it's a curse, but using any of the classic four letter one's are?

 

[Skaloop]

This is a question to atheists, agnostics, etc....

I was wondering if anyone who curses, (and We all do at one point or another...) whether or not they use the lords name in vain when doing so. If an atheist were to use the name of Jesus Christ, but as a curse, it makes me wonder exactly why.

Have you ever used the name of something you don't believe exists as a curse? Why do so?

His existence is irrelevent; I use it mainly because it's just a known aspect of the English language (in this case). And unlike you, I am unfettered by worry about having offended Him, so there's no real reason for me to not use it.

 

[Garnet2727]

Curse words, like other words in my vocabulary, are things I've learned and used during my lifetime. JC and GD were pretty well ingrained in my vocabulary long before I became an atheist. I've heard and used both expressions all my life. It has nothing to do with whether or not I think that God exists and quite a bit to do with habit.

 

[Uphill Battle]

His existence is irrelevent; I use it mainly because it's just a known aspect of the English language (in this case). And unlike you, I am unfettered by worry about having offended Him, so there's no real reason for me to not use it.

Isn't it more likely to offend the general public than any of the other curse words available? A large section of the population would find it more vulgar and unacceptable then your more generic cuss words. If it is an aspect of the english language, it was inserted for the sole purpose of cursing the name.

 

[Skaloop]

Isn't it more likely to offend the general public than any of the other curse words available?

Not really. The f-word is almost universally accepted as the worst swear word around, and as such could potentially offend any English speaker. Using JC's name in vain is really only offensive to Christians. Still, I hear it all the time; on TV, in public, all over the place. Can't say the same for the Big F.

A large section of the population would find it more vulgar and unacceptable then your more generic cuss words. If it is an aspect of the english language, it was inserted for the sole purpose of cursing the name.

Maybe they will be offended, but frankly, I don't really care. I mean, it's not like I bandy it about without any regard. But if the situation calls for a bit of cursing, I'll use whatever fits.

 

[Uphill Battle]

Not really. The f-word is almost universally accepted as the worst swear word around, and as such could potentially offend any English speaker. Using JC's name in vain is really only offensive to Christians. Still, I hear it all the time; on TV, in public, all over the place. Can't say the same for the Big F.



Maybe they will be offended, but frankly, I don't really care. I mean, it's not like I bandy it about without any regard. But if the situation calls for a bit of cursing, I'll use whatever fits.

I guess that's the question.

If it's meaningless, why NOT use it all the time?

If it has meaning, why?

and what situation calls for blasphemy (I know that We Christians consider it so, and atheists do not, not trying to make an issue of it per se) but not any of the other curses?

Just truly curious, please don't think I'm trying to pick a fight.

 

[Gentle]

Ive been on both sides of the religious fence and cursing for me has always been words that come out of my mouth if I drop a hammer on my toe or some such.
at the time the words have no real meaning and mostly habit

peace
Gentle

 

[The Nihilist]

Have you ever used the name of something you don't believe exists as a curse? Why do so?

For emphasis.

 

[OdwinOddball]

For many of us I expect it is simply because we were not always Atheists, and like most of our speech habits we picked it up from someone else and now its a habit.

As to the offensive nature of it, though I unconsciously modify my speech in many situations, I personally do not consider the phrase any more offensive than any other swear word. Its an expression of emotion, the words themselves are oft times irrelevant.

As far as [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]ing off Christians in particular, well like I have said several times, while I respect everyones right to freedom of belief, I do not always respect the beliefs themselves.

 

[OdwinOddball]

Like most things in life, it it bugs you say something about it. If the people involved care about you, they will likely try to accommodate you. If you can't talk about it, then you have bigger issues.

 

[WingsOfTheNeophyte]

Have you ever used the name of something you don't believe exists as a curse?

Well I do not use Jesus name in vain, seems pointless

God is just a title, and I may use it, sometimes in a string in conjunction with a few other phrases

Not long ago, I coined my own, (Btw this is not offensive, but more funny)

"You spawn of YaHWeH"

Seems like cool phrase, any opinions?

Why do so?

Just for the sheer joy,

I also use Inshallah and "al hamdu lellah" , even though I do not believe

and in Russian we say "Even Allah does not know"

Just for fun, I may not believe, but still feel I can use whatever words I see fit to in a situation

 

[Skaloop]

If it's meaningless, why NOT use it all the time?

It's meaningless for me, but I understand that it's not meaningless for everybody. I don't swear at all in front of my grandmother. Not secular nor religious, because she is a Christian and I do not want to offend my grandmother. I will use JC's name in vain in front of my father, however, because he is an atheist.

If it has meaning, why?

It's meaning comes from cultural norms, not from me.

and what situation calls for blasphemy (I know that We Christians consider it so, and atheists do not, not trying to make an issue of it per se) but not any of the other curses?

Well, that just comes down to a matter of taste and selecting "le mot juste." There's no real rhyme or reason to it. One determining factor is the company I'm in. Alone, anything goes. With my wife and closest friends, anything goes if it fits the context. Curse words have a wonderful ability to express nuances of meaning, and are sometimes the best way to succinctly express a point. With strangers, I try not to swear at all.

Just truly curious, please don't think I'm trying to pick a fight.

Not at all! It's an interesting discussion, one that especially speaks to my interest in sociology and language.

 

[plindboe]

This is a question to atheists, agnostics, etc....

I was wondering if anyone who curses, (and We all do at one point or another...) whether or not they use the lords name in vain when doing so. If an atheist were to use the name of Jesus Christ, but as a curse, it makes me wonder exactly why.

Have you ever used the name of something you don't believe exists as a curse? Why do so?

Well, I can use the name thursday without believing in Thor either, and I suspect, so do you. It doesn't really matter how words originated, a person simply uses them to communicate a certain meaning, regardless of what meaning the words might have had to someone else in the past.

Peter

 

[Lynden1000]

This is a question to atheists, agnostics, etc....

I was wondering if anyone who curses, (and We all do at one point or another...) whether or not they use the lords name in vain when doing so. If an atheist were to use the name of Jesus Christ, but as a curse, it makes me wonder exactly why.

Have you ever used the name of something you don't believe exists as a curse? Why do so?

Yes, and purely out of force of habit and because such expressions are commonly accepted and understood means of peppering one's speech.

I've also been known to say "by Jove" even though I don't believe in Jove. And I've been known to say "Jesus P. Horsefeathers" even though I have no idea who or what that would be.

And I've been known to say "who in the sam hill..." even though I have no idea who in the sam hill was sam hill.

These words just add emphasis or emotion, that's all.

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

For me, such things are just a cultural way of expressing myself and I do try not to use them in front of Christian friends who will be offended. But given that there are, off the top of my head, about 3 practising Christians that I know of in my year of about 100+, I sometimes forget.

To be frank, I swear often and I hear other people swearing often and it doesn't really bother me. I guess I tend to say 'swear' words more than God's 'name' or something similar, partly because they have more importance than swear words and I have a certain amount of respect for the concepts or at least human endeavours at understanding that they represent. Although when I'm shocked I have to admit that I 'blaspheme'. It's what you hear all the time, and you pick it up. Although being from Irish/American Catholic stock, the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, Joseph) and Our Lady get their fair share.

Like earlier this evening when something fell off my coat rail just as I started watching The Exorcist alone in my room, which caused a rather loud recital of the third line of the Haily Mary (Holy Mary Mother of God). Apart from horror films, I probably most often (ironically) 'blaspheme' when reading shockingly close-minded posts on CF. Though that may be construed as a legitimate appeal for Him to keep His own people in some sort of check.

Not really. The f-word is almost universally accepted as the worst swear word around

Well, except for the 'c-word'...in Britain at least.

peace

 

[Arnold_Philips]

Same reason kosher Jews can use the phrase, "I'm sweating like a pig."

 

[Arnold_Philips]

Saying, "Jesus Christ!" or other religiously themed curses are semantically vacuous. They are speech acts that are taken to mean something that isn't literally in the words themselves.