Profanity is the attempt of an average mind to express itself forcefully.
True?
Sometimes?
Always?
Where are you with language? Is it a tool, an art, a bridge, a sign?
Where are you with coarse language? Are there times where a hard word matches where you find yourself? Are there times where the vigor of a hard word gives you room enough to feel what’s happening?
Do you need profanity? Do you abuse profanity? What do you gain by it? What do you lose?
Small words for small men to amend a comment by Theodore Roosevelt. Why can’t folks learn to express themselves a bit more creatively? There is no excuse for most of the course, common language heard today. Vulgarity is much too common and please pardon the word play. I am aware of the difference between cussin’ and cursin’ but Christian men should hold themselves to a higher standard than they hold others. If I hit my thumb with a hammer all bets are off but generally we excuse rudeness for no good reason.
by R Curtis
on 04. Jul, 2009
Except that sometimes, the profanity is the most accurate word for the category.
by Will Grannan
on 26. Jul, 2009
Paul said “Let no unwholesome communication…” This creates an enigma for me. What is unwholesome? Profanity is created by some board somewhere that decides what words are “profane” and which words are not. I think there are a lot of born-again Christians that spend their time making unwholesome communication without ever saying a single vulgarity. In that respect, the occasional outburst isn’t that big of an issue, really.
And, as for me, there are some days when nothing else is as forceful or more expressive that a good old fashioned cuss word.
by Joey Cottle
on 29. Jul, 2009
I cannot see this issue as one of what issues forth from my mouth, but rather one of what is inside me that makes that happen. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. It is remarkable how often a friend who would never deign to speak a curse word, even in the retelling of a tale about someone else saying it, will in an explosive or vehement moment say “frick” or “mother-” or “Bugger”, “Jeez” or any number of other castrate curse words.
The thing I think they are missing is that words have no inherent meaning. The meaning is provided by the speaker and by the hearer. If I say “gablefrax!” in exactly the same terms that I would say “Mother F-er” (Here softened because I have no idea what this website’s profanity policy is, I have just had exactly the same experience internally. Sure, the communication aspect of the word is non-existent becaue “gablefrax” isn’t a word in any language that I am aware of, but my soul and my mind have understood the intent and the meaning I was giving that word, and I would wager any hearer could infer the meaning from my demeanor, which I what this is really about.
I believe that if you’re gonna give in to the profane impulse from which the word profanity derives, it is more honest to use the word you mean. More honest to yourself, in that you can no longer cling to the hypocritical position of the clean mouthed christian who shouts “Cheese and rice!” when they stub their toe; and more honest to the hearer, who probably feels subtly that something is off, but is probably less philosophically minded to realize that there’s no difference between “gablefrax” and “mother-F-er”.
by Ariel
on 19. Aug, 2009
I fucking love you guys. How’s that for wholesome?
by Jonathan
on 24. Aug, 2009
i want to know who decided in the first place which words are and are not profane?
by jason
on 08. Dec, 2009