PROFANITY. What's The Big Deal?

Question. Are you as sick of hearing profanity being uttered as I am? We are exposed to it at the supermarket, over the back fence, at ball games, from co-workers, and even from the mouths of children! It fills our novels, movies, and is profuse on television — in fact, it is a pervading evil influence in today’s society.
We hear it — not just from sailors (“cuss like a sailor”), or from the French (“pardon my French”) — but from all segments of our society. It used to be the case that a gentleman would never use profanity in the presence of a woman — and deep down he knew he shouldn’t use it anywhere. At least that's the era I grew up in. Now, women can swear with the best of them. Small children, who have not learned to discuss much of anything yet on an intellectual basis, can spew forth some real doozies of the “four-letter” variety. I read an article recently that found the use of profanity during the so-called “family hour” (8:00 to 9:00 Central time) is up 58 percent from two years ago. And the nature of the language (sexual explicitness) is getting qualitatively worse.


The Bible is not silent on the proper use of human language. So what's the bid deal. Everyone curses, right? Paul wrote: “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear” (Ephesians 4:29). According to the bible concordance I use, the term “corrupt” is the Greek word sapros, akin to sepo (“to rot”). It denotes that which provides no good service. Our words in the presence of others ought to be such as build men up, rather than debasing them (Job 4:4). Again, the apostle wrote: “…but now also put away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful (filthy – KJV) speaking out of your mouth…” (Colossians 3:8). The term signifies that which is base, characterized by shame and denoting “foul or filthy” language. There can never have been a time in history when so much filthy language is used as it is today. And the tragedy is that today there are many people who have become so desensitized to unclean talk that they are unaware that they are even using it.


Profanity is such an invasive influence; it’s a mind-maggot. Think of that four-year-old boy from the supermarket! Profanity gnaws its way into the recesses of one’s thinking, and, if harbored, will make its presence spontaneously felt at the slightest provocation, even in a child! This is what happens when we allow ourselves to be unnecessarily and regularly exposed to its vileness. We may soon begin to “cuss” mentally even if we don’t verbalize profanity outright. We can’t cut ourselves off from the whole of society, no, but we can attempt to minimize our exposure. Discretionary habits are a start. I cannot count on my fingers and toes combined how many times I've tolerated an incident of cursing, only to be angry by the second incident, and eventually changed channels by the third occurrence.

It is a totally different world today. I can recall that I only heard one curse word growing up. It's true. Just one. And even at that, I was so naive I had no idea I was even being cursed at. I could not have been more than seven years old at the time. A neighbor boy had walked three houses down to my house asking if I would like to play kickball. I remembering declining his offer. After several other attempts to convince me that kickball was a lot more fun than "riding your stupid bike," I still declined. With that, he blurted out, "YOU SOB!!" (except he said the words I cannot type). What I heard, however, was, "You son of a DITCH." In my naivete, I believed he was calling me a literal ditch and in my neighborhood, this was before sewers. Dirty water would flow down the street and into the ditches in front of all the homes. So I knew in my own innocent mind he was calling me something "filthy" although not in a cursing sense. I ran home and told my mom, "________ just called me a son-of-a-ditch!" The look on my mom's face is one I remember to this day. She knew what he had said.

How refreshing it is to be able to relax occasionally, watch a program or movie, without being inundated with verbal trash. The Word of God is very clear regarding the communication that comes out of our mouths, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks - the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Proverbs 15:7). Some might say, “Why are you nitpicking? Why squabble about these things?” The answer is simple, we serve a precise God. He is to get glory in all that we do. And this includes how we think and speak about him. If we are saying things that attack, undermine, blur or otherwise detract from a truth that God means to get glory from—shouldn’t we stop? When you are a follower of Christ, you are representing the Lord, not only in what you do but in what you say, think, and feel. If you are praising God one moment but cursing up a storm in the next moment, your witness as being one in mind with God is exposed as weak. God wants only what is pure and noble to come out of our mouths. When our mouths are spewing out expletives, it dishonors God and who He is to us. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, it should change how we view ourselves and how we present those changes into the world: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
For your convenience, I've listed some scriptures below regarding this subject if you're interested.

Until Next Time,
-Pat-

James 3:10 - Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Ephesians 5:4 - Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

James 3:6-8 - 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. (Read More...)

James 1:26 - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.

Proverbs 21:23 - Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

2 Timothy 2:16 - But shun profane [and] vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Psalms 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalms 141:3 - Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Luke 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Proverbs 4:24 - Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Matthew 5:37 - But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil.

Psalms 34:13-14 - Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Proverbs 6:12 - A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.