What makes swearing / cussing / profanity - whatever you want to call it - wrong? This is something I was too slow to work through as a new Christian and it is something that I've had to think through more recently as I talk to my children. Why should those following Christ avoid using certain words? Is it just prudish? Is it just middle class? Is it just legalism based on a few proof texts?
Here's a first-draft sketch of a theology of profanity...
The image of God
Duncan Forbes and others have highlighted voice as a key element of the image of God. As God speaks creation into being and evaluates and names and blesses, so he gives humanity voice through which to rule and relate.
In the frame of that big picture, what is the problem with swearing? It's a wrong use of the voice. Instead of using my voice to build others up and benefit them, I am using my voice to cut them down and curse them. Instead of using my voice to praise and thank my creator and express my dependence on him, I am using my voice to grumble about my lot and express my frustration with how he's running the world.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Eph 5:29)
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:9-10)
The heart problem
Almost always connected is the issue of the heart. (I say 'almost always' because it is possible to innocently use a word that you genuinely don't understand is offensive in a particular culture or context, and also because the actual behaviour and effect do matter not just the heart intention.)
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt 12:34)
Why did I say that particular word? Was it to impress? Was it to belittle? Was it an overflow of anger, malice, frustration?
It's often better to put a lid on my mouth when I haven't got anything constructive to say - that is wise (Prov 10:19; 17:28) - but it could easily be putting a lid on a boiling cauldron.
Many may sit silently, refraining from discontented expressions, yet inwardly they are bursting with discontent... And notwithstanding their outward silence, God hears the peevish, fretful language of their souls. A shoe may be smooth and neat outside, while inside it pinches the flesh. Outwardly there may be great calmness and stillness, yet within amazing confusion, bitterness, disturbance and vexation. (Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel)
Three categories of profanity
But to come at this from another angle, why are particular words to be seen as "obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place" (Eph 5:4). It seems that sometimes profanity is simply used for emphasis or even punctuation. It's not very obviously coming out of malice against a person or against God. It just seems to be the equivalent of "Wow!" or "100%" or has the effect of turning up the volume on the communication.
To ask the question another way, why do certain words seem to have a kind of power which mean that they lend themselves to expressions of amazement or frustration or just to the spicing up of language?
It seems to me that there are three main roots to profanity which each draw their power by twisting something very powerful. My point here is not that there is power in transgressing socially constructed taboos. There is something of that going on and everyone can see that. My point is deeper - that there is a real God-given power to the things on which profanity draws.
1. The name of God
A lot of profanity draws it's power from blasphemy. There seems to be something of a continuum here from relatively weak minced oaths (e.g. Darn for Damn for God damn) through blasphemy which is explicit but relatively generic and so common as to have lost its shock value (e.g. OMG - which is disturbingly common even among Christians) through to the most powerful, explicit and specific which still has shock value (e.g. "Jesus Christ" - which seems to be becoming increasingly common).
The name of God, as is often and rightly pointed out, is his character, his reputation, his honour, his personhood. Why is using a name of God (in a twisted, inappropriate application) so powerful? Because of who he is. If you substitute your own name or the name of a random person for God's name it loses all power. All blasphemy (and profanities derived from God's name) draw their power by casually throwing about the precious personhood of the Father or the Son; by using a sacred name as an unholy unclean thing.
2. Sexuality
Possibly even more common and the source of some of the most powerful swear words of all is the category that references sex or the sexual organs. Whether the word is being used to express anger or frustration or to label someone as stupid or simply to demonstrate to the hearers the 'maturity' or edginess of the speaker, these words carry a lot of force because they are drawing on (and perverting and twisting) things that are incredibly precious and powerful.
On the second page of the Bible God creates humanity with sexuality - male and female. He gives the precious gift of marriage for the uniting of a man and wife, naked and without shame. And as he gives that creation institution, Paul says he is speaking about Christ and the Church (Eph 5:32). Marriage is the most stunning pictoral signpost pointing to the greater union of the Son of God and his bride.
Profanity often draws on the power of sex not just because it transgresses taboos but because God has given it such huge significance. The sex-related profanities take a precious thing and make it a cheap thing. Take a beautiful thing and make it ugly. Take what should be gentle and make it violent. What should be clean and make it dirty. What should be embedded in (covenant) relationship and make it an 'act'. What should be private and make it public. What should be loving and make it hateful. That is the power.
3. Excrement
Another common category of profanity is related to what goes in the toilet. I've put this last because my instinct is that this is the least powerful (and probably also morally a somewhat less weighty matter - Matt 23:23). The commonality is the theme of uncleanness. In this case it is not taking a clean thing and making it an unclean thing, it is taking an unclean thing that should be covered over and bringing it out into the open and metaphorically smearing it over people.
Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. (Deut 23:12-13)
This isn't just good public health advice (though it is that as well) - the reason given in the following verse is theological - God's presence and the holiness of the camp. The unclean should be covered over.
The pagan oppressor Eglon's bowels discharged as he died in the inner room in Judges 3. The people of Hezekiah's day were threatened by their enemies that they would have to eat their own dung and drink their own urine. Malachi warned that the people would have the dung of their offerings smeared on their faces. These are pictures of judgment, chaos, shame and horror.
Perhaps that is why there is still power in bringing out what should be covered and spreading our language with it when we are wanting to express how bad something is. But as we do that we get ourselves dirty as well as our hearers and God is not impressed.
The language of Christ
How did Jesus speak? And how did the Father speak to us by his Son (Heb 1:2).
In blessing, creating, saving, defending, rebuking, communicating life.
Always overflowing from a heart of love, a heart contented, joyful blessed, overflowing towards us, for us.
In cleaness, purity, speaking of things truly, in accordance with what they are.
Bringing us baptism into the precious Name of the Triune God.
Bringing betrothal - Christ the bridegroom to his totally unworthy but blood-bought and cherished bride.
Covering over of all that is unclean.
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P.S. I'm aware that Tim Challies did a blog post with this title 20 years ago but links to the wider discussion he cites seem to have now gone the way of most 20 year-old links. And anyway, for my own good I felt I needed to do some fresh thinking on this.
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