Comments on: Theology of the Cross and Profanity

By: jt*

jt* — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:43:49 +0000

Ah, yet another group of Christians arguing going on about swearing, and I can’t help but think we’re missing the point.

Kudos to Parishioner for looking a little deeper.

By: JohnTheBastard

JohnTheBastard — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:06:31 +0000

I probably don’t really have to say where I stand on this issue.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:31:53 +0000

“ecstasy” sorry for the typo! #%# it!

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:30:40 +0000

…but if I choose not to use such superlatives in my expressions of frustration, pain, anger, hurt or joy, celebration, ecstacy, or just everyday conversation (or their proxies, Steve;-)) … ya’ll won’t toss me out will you?

By: Halden

Halden — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:28:30 +0000

I also agree with Sullivan’s evaluation of Stegner, though: “But a well-placed “fuck” can illuminate.”

By: Marvin

Marvin — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:03:22 +0000

You might want to check out Andrew Sullivan’s quote of Wallace Stegner on profanity. For Stegner, the frequent use of profanity is “the sin of false emphasis, which is not a moral but a literary lapse, related to sentimentality.” Which gets to your other point about “Christian” values in churches.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/02/not-a-bad-word.html

Nothing sentimental about torture, however.

By: parishioner

parishioner — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:04:45 +0000

Uh . . . I know this was filed under “humor,” and “feeling disgruntled,” but . . . can you stand a little seriousness on the subject?

I have to say I’m with Cramer. Speaking as someone who is trying very hard to no longer refer to Mark Driscoll as an assclown, I’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ warnings about calling your brother “Raca,” etc.

In praying about it, it seems like the issue is one of love and relationship and humility before the cross. Jesus didn’t call people names, he named their sin. When they didn’t own their sin, he used word pictures which described their sinful behavior–”brood of vipers,” “whitewashed tombs.”

I’d like to think that “assclown” is an apt description of Driscoll’s sinful behavior, but I suspect God is rolling his eyes at me and waiting for me to stop pointing to Driscoll while saying, “I thank you God that I am not a sinner like him!”

By: Steven Kippel

Steven Kippel — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:37:39 +0000

That specific culturally offensive words are somehow sinful is a joke.

And when I hear the proxies in their place I much laugh.

By: dave

dave — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:43:15 +0000

I agree, although I think D C Cramer makes an important point about affirming someone’s personhood, especially in a discussion about torture.

I don’t think David can be accused of that here, however, and I think an initial response of “fuck you” to someone who affirms torture as Christian is appropriate (or more than that).

This discussion oddly reminds me of some of Thomas Reid’s comments regarding skepticism.

By: Roshi Doshi

Roshi Doshi — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:34:37 +0000

Ditto to all this.

By: Amy Moffitt

Amy Moffitt — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:48:38 +0000

Thank you so very much for this fantastic post. I couldn’t agree more. Re: the use of profanity in prayer, I would also contend that if I’m completely fucking frustrated with something, God knows this. It makes no sense for me to mince around the fact that I’m totally pissed off at some shit.

That being said, everytime I use profanity in prayer, I do end up apologizing to God for being so crude. I think that’s because I’m Southern.

By: saint egregious

saint egregious — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:10:59 +0000

As far as I’m concerned, the best theologian in the business on this one is George Carlin, and his seven words you can never say on television is the finest 7 minutes theology of the dirty Word ever uttered.

By: N. Dan Smith

N. Dan Smith — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:51:37 +0000

Hey, let’s not forget to affirm cursing when one’s thumb is struck by a hammer!

By: D C Cramer

D C Cramer — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:56:05 +0000

If you replace “persons” with “actions” in P1 and P2, then I’m with you all the way.

Much violence is committed in this world when certain persons are reduced to fuckdragons, assclowns, cockroaches, vermin, etc. Affirming people’s essential personhood is necessary to speak truth in the world, especially in conversations about torture, etc.

By: roger flyer

roger flyer — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:55:50 +0000

Frickin’ right.