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Cursing (Swearing)

Sin is sin - there is no sin worse than any other sin.
 
So, if a father raped his 3 year old daughter, it is no worse than a man lying to his wife when he says her butt looks good in a dress?
 
Have a look in the bible - are there 'levels'? Can you see where God has a tally sheet with...

Adultery = 50 points
Swearing = 2 points
Lusting = 10 points
Rape = 1000 points.

And you go to different levels of hell based on the amount of points you've accumulated. Or that you have to 'repent more' based on how BIG your sins are?

I don't!
 
I believe if you blasphemy the Holy Ghost you have committed the unpardonable sin.

Does the Bible consider nonreligious swearing a sin?

Quath
 
Merry Menagerie said:
Have a look in the bible - are there 'levels'?
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Yes, Jesus himself tells us that there are levels.
John 9:11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."

Also, as Quath says, Jesus also says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the one unforgivable sin, clearly making it a greater sin than any other.

But no, there is no point system for every sin. However, knowing that their are degrees of sin, I think we can use our intelligence and common sense to say that yes, a rape is a worse sin than a lie.

Now, just because one sin is worse than another doesn't mean that one punishment will be worse than another. James 2:10 says "10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. " So, the punishment for all sin is the same, not because all sins are equal in severity, but because committing one sin makes you guilty of them all.
 
Quath has identified one sin that doesn't fall under the 'sin is sin' heading.
So does John the Elder
1 John 5:16-17
If any man see his brother sin a sin [which is] not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
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So there is a sin 'unto death,' and there is a sin not unto death.

Pastor Chuck Smith's commentary says that this sin leading to death is not believing/accepting Jesus. But the verse refers to the sinner as 'brother.' So the better answer would be that a sin that leads to death is just what it is says. Adultery is such a sin, as is rampant gluttony and drunkenness.

Sin in NT Greek, hamartia, is a term that means literally missing the mark (archery). Committing adultery is not missing the mark, it's abandonment of the target.

Swearing is an odd 'sin.' No doubt, what comes out of a person's mouth is what can be found in their inner being. The solution isn't to stop swearing, the solution is to find out what the source of swearing is. If it's playful, it may be considered a minor indulgence, a bit of mischief. Still not 'holy,' but hardly earth shattering. But if the cursing reflects an inner unrest, a rage, unresolved bitterness, or the like, then the cursing is an alarm that should not be ignored.

The law is a tutor, whose intent is to lead us to Christ, the scripture says- or to put it another way, the rules force us to look at ourselves, and be willing to transform and be transformed. It is the transformation that I am interested in.
 
I personally shy away from swearing when it's used in context about a person. I don't say "F*** you", but I will swear occasionally when it's in reference to a topic like war, or something like that. In terms of if it's a sin, I'm not exactly sure. I've heard verses used to say that swearing is a sin, but all were used completely out of context like James 3 "taming the tongue."etc...
 
Maku said:
How bad of a sin is cursing or some call swearing?
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I don't think swearing is a sin. It is an expression of anger and therefore does the person some good because it gets rid of their anger.

I don't agree with swearing in front of children (unless there is good reason). I think people should control themselves in front of children.

I don't agree with taking the Lord's name in vain. That is wrong.
 
The whole intent of swearing is to shock and offend. That's why it takes something decent and profanes it or it takes something (like excrement, for example) and vocalizes it in the hearing of others. It is an offense thrown at others around the one who does it.
Basically, it's offending others because you are unhappy with something. Not very nice at all.
I would call that sinful behavior because it is ultimately directed at others. Why do you think Jesus said that if you call someone "empty head" that you are liable to hellfire? Because it is simply harmful intent toward someone else even though you didn't do anything physically.
 
antitox said:
it takes something (like excrement, for example) and vocalizes it in the hearing of others.
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This issue has been bothering me since I was a teen, and I've never gotten a satisfactory answer.

Why do Christians have no problem using various words for excrement, but think it's so bad to use the one begining with S?

My mother and Sunday school teacher growing up would so "Oh poop" when particularly frustrated.
My youth group leader would regularly describe the trashy stuff in the world that we struggled with as "crap"
I see both these words used on all kinds of Christians sites, including this one.
Yet, they are synonyms for that s word. They mean the exact same thing. It's ridiculous to believe that using one word is somehow a sin, but using words that mean the same thing is not. Either comparing things to excrement is sinful, no matter how you do it, or comparing things to excrement is not sinful.

Personally, I use the s word occasionally, and I've been chastised by other Christians for it. Every time they've admitted that they use synonyms, but claim the s word is a bad swear word, while their synonyms are not. This is nonsensical to me---it's the meaning of the word, not the sounds that come out of the mouth, that makes something sinful.
 
This issue has been bothering me since I was a teen, and I've never gotten a satisfactory answer.

Why do Christians have no problem using various words for excrement, but think it's so bad to use the one begining with S?
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This is something some others have asked as well.
They came up with that word as well as the F-word to sound offensive. If you don't think it comes off that way, go into a public gathering of decent individuals and pull off a nice loud run of swearing and see if it doesn't offend them. Try a restaurant or some place where people expect general decency from others. -not a football game.

My mother and Sunday school teacher growing up would so "Oh poop" when particularly frustrated.
My youth group leader would regularly describe the trashy stuff in the world that we struggled with as "crap"
I see both these words used on all kinds of Christians sites, including this one.
Yet, they are synonyms for that s word. They mean the exact same thing. It's ridiculous to believe that using one word is somehow a sin, but using words that mean the same thing is not. Either comparing things to excrement is sinful, no matter how you do it, or comparing things to excrement is not sinful.
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YOU may think so, but there are many others that don't.

Personally, I use the s word occasionally, and I've been chastised by other Christians for it. Every time they've admitted that they use synonyms, but claim the s word is a bad swear word, while their synonyms are not. This is nonsensical to me---it's the meaning of the word, not the sounds that come out of the mouth, that makes something sinful.
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Well, if you go back to what I said earlier, some words sound more offensive to people than others.
Ultimately, being willing to respect that some things offend others, then it is right not to do things for other people's sake. That is the Christlike way.
 
So some of you are saying a serial murderer is no different than a 5 year old boy who steals a lolly pop?
 
I am actually pretty good about my language. I work in an environment where cussing just doesn't fly. I really don't cuss much at all.

However, for some reason, if I hit my thumb with a hammer or stub my toe, a good eff word seems to make the pain go away faster than any aspirin cold press.

Can't explain it, but it is cathartic.
 
Maku said:
So some of you are saying a serial murderer is no different than a 5 year old boy who steals a lolly pop?
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The subject at hand is on swearing.
 
I always found this an interesting topic...
It was funny to think that some "cuss words" could only be used by a preacher- like "Hell", "Damn(ation)", etc.
Sure, they are often used as "cuss words", but they have real, valid meanings that permit their use in the right context.
So where do we draw the line? Is it at the literal meaning of the particular word? It certainly seems strange that there are words that are "taboo"... Where/when did the idea of "taboo" words come from?
 
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:29-32
 
antitox said:
Maku said:
So some of you are saying a serial murderer is no different than a 5 year old boy who steals a lolly pop?
Click to expand...

The subject at hand is on swearing.
Click to expand...

I know I was just saying if sins have no level then there should be no difference between a serial killer and a lollypop stealing little boy...


So do you think people will burn in ermmm 'heck' for swearing? I don't want big arguements I just want plain and simple answers.
 
I believe that sin is sin is sin. God punishes sin. He also forgives sin. He doesn't punish people MORE for one type of sin and less for another. He also doesn't forgive MORE for some and less for another. Sin is a state. Someone who lies has sinned...someone who committed adultery has sinned. Someone who's murdered has sinned....all have a chance to be forgiven on repentence, all have the potential to be punished.

However.....

The hardness of someone's heart is an issue. Someone who has murdered might have a heart that is harder than someone who has nicked a lollypop from the local shop. I dare say that a child who's stolen a lollypop, would feel conviction and no doubt would repent a lot sooner than someone who's murdered. Thus the child can be forgiven and can start afresh a lot easier than a murderer.

Also the INTENT of someone's heart also plays a part. The INTENT of a murderer is going to be different than the INTENT of a young child who is still learning the ropes about life. Doesn't change the sin - but it does change the intent of the sin. I believe that God judges according to one's intent more so than the sin. Although I really don't have scriptural backing for this...so I could be wrong.

But they are both sins! And the wages of sin is death - unless forgiven.
 
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