The @#%&! Words We Use
Posted July 6th, 2009 by ErnestWhen I was a kid, the use of certain words would get my mouth washed out with soap. A mouthful of soap (usually a bar, the liquid kind, in a pinch, and laundry detergent once) is a pretty effective deterrent, so I had to find creative news ways to express the same sentiments.
My parents subscribed to the “dynamic equivalence” theory of vulgar language. “Damn,” of course, was out, but so were its more commonly accepted derivatives “darn” and “dang,” because those were just “different ways of saying the same thing.” Oddly enough, “shoot” was just fine.
All my friends’ parents all had similar rules, but the banned vocabulary differed from household to household. Some kids would “hell” and “crap” with impunity while others (like me) played it safe, reassigning stronger meanings to what we’d heard from Beaver Cleaver and Charlie Brown.
Language is a dynamic, ever-changing thing. Words have meanings, but those meanings change from region to region, and generation to generation. New words are coined all the time. Every clique in high school has its favorite euphemisms. Remember when “bad” meant “good?” Gay used to mean “happy” (or so I’m told). Every day, words are borrowed and stolen, co-opted, branded, and misspelled (intentionally and otherwise).
Culture assigns meaning to the words we use. Technically, it’s referred to as the “dysphemism treadmill;” a word or phrase can have multiple meanings, depending on the context. Consider U2 frontman Bono’s use of the grandaddy of all curse words on live television upon receiving a Golden Globe Award (see video below). Because of the Irishman’s use of the F-word was not meant to be profane (he celebrated his receipt of the award by gleefully saying, “This is really, really f—ing brilliant!), the FCC deemed it acceptable. “Family Values” proponents everywhere (few of whom had obviously ever been to Ireland) were outraged. The rest of America yawned. They understood Bono’s meaning.
Culture warriors are upset with Mark Driscoll over his language. He doesn’t understand “the distinction between strong language and obscene language,” they say. I say he’s a product of (and minister to) the Pacific Northwest, a region of the United States that uses language differently from, say, Kentucky. In order to communicate, one needs to be curt, direct. In Seattle, to be politely vague is not to communicate at all- people literally cannot get your meaning unless you speak frankly and directly. That’s why Pastor Mark doesn’t mince words. His culture values plain language. He provides it in order to clearly communicate the gospel (and its implications) to people who otherwise don’t hear it.
I’m not advocating vulgarity or profanity here. I believe that words and meanings are important. I believe that Christians should not use unwholesome or filthy language. But I’ve been the foreigner and outsider enough to know that I can’t be the police of the world’s English. The problem with language is that obscenity doesn’t depend on a particular string of consonants and vowels, it’s all about the intent. Intent is a tricky (and dangerous) thing to judge.
Unless writing a lot makes one a "writer," Ernest is a former missionary. After more than six years in Western Europe, he moved to Portland, where he drinks too much coffee and over-analyzes human behavior. For more about Ernest, visit the About page where you can read a long-time reader's interview with him. Or, if you don't mind waiting a very, very long time, send him an email.
11 Responses to “The @#%&! Words We Use”
July 6th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
As a missionary kid, the cultural nuances of English in USAmerica sometimes puzzled me. But I was surprised to find myself tripped up as an adult. I noticed that people were fine using the word “ass” in conversation, usually followed by “hole.” I concluded that the word was edgy but acceptable, and jokingly used it on a coworker.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the memo that using “ass” to refer to part of a body is unacceptable, particularly in a mixed-gender situation. She was quite offended and confronted me about my behavior, expressing surprise “especially because you’re a Christian.”
I was so caught off-guard, I didn’t try to explain. I just felt like a clueless M.K. again.
July 7th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Jon,
I had a similar experience while we were learning language in Europe. We had learned most of what we knew from our (unbelieving) friends. When we then spent time with churched people, they were shocked at our coarse vocabulary. Not foul things, but normal, everyday things. We had to learn all the acceptable ways to say things. Then, when we hung out with our (unbelieving) friends, they’d laugh and say they hadn’t ever heard our “Christian” words before. They literally had no idea what we were talking about.
Thanks for sharing your story.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:16 am
I guess I have to be the “prude” here. It is sad to me that in order to spread the gospel that any language that is not wholesome needs to be employed. I don’t really care what is considered normal speech in Ireland. Foul language is foul language and should be avoided by God’s people.
I think the Bible is pretty plain language and that if presented in its plainness will honor God and produce the results that glorify his name. Paul went to Corinth and said that he did not come in the “wisdom of men’s words” but in “demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”
Cultural language is usually established by the unsaved culture and should be avoided when it is clearly rude or demeaning. Our willingness to compromise on this issue speaks badly of us. Maybe that is why biblical Christianity is in such a weakened state around the world.
Just my thoughts ….
July 8th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Dave,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m glad you did.
Your comment kind of illustrates what I was trying to communicate in the original post. I agree with you that we should not use unwholesome language. Not to share the gospel, not when we hit our thumbs with a claw hammer.
But “unwholesome” is a relative term. The words you consider to be unwholesome may not be to someone else. Not in a “I know it’s wrong, but I’m going to do it anyway” sort of way, but in a “Everyone I know- my parents, my neighbors, my teachers, my priest- all use this language, and I’ve never been told that it might be the least bit offensive to anyone” way.
There are cultures and subcultures in the U.S. (and among other English-speaking peoples) that use English very differently than you do. People in urban areas, immigrant groups, the deep south, and many African American communities use the same English words to mean different things. My point in this post is that the United States Pacific Northwest uses English differently than, say the Midwest or the South.
While the American church was sleeping, American culture changed. It is fragmented, segmented, and heavily influenced by a plethora of outside sources. It cannot continue to act as though we were anything but “strangers and pilgrims.” This isn’t our home, we all must do the work of cultural (and linguistic) translation of the gospel. We’re all missionaries.
You think the Bible is plain language? Why, then, the need for the various translations of the scriptures just in English? Why the need for ongoing scholarship in the original Biblical languages? Because language changes! I agree that presentation of the scripture brings honor to God, but it does little to communicate the gospel if it is presented in a language the hearer does not understand.
“Cultural language” cannot be avoided- no matter what culture you’re in. Language does not exist without culture. Speaking a language that the people around us understand is not an option for Christians. “Fitting in” is not our goal. Of course we should never use unwholesome language. Of course we cannot use profanity to communicate. But language is not a static universal. When Mark Driscoll uses explicit words to teach his church about God’s design for sex, he’s going to use words that would not be appropriate to use in a southern church from the pulpit on Sunday (see, in the south it matters who’s saying it, and when and where they’re saying it.)
Maybe Mark is guilty of the same myopia- thinking that the whole world (his audience nowadays) communicates the way he does in Seattle. Maybe he doesn’t get that his presentation is so offensive to so many people. Nevertheless, I think the rest of us would do well to be students of the culture to which we’re called in order to speak prophetically into that culture in ways that people can understand.
July 8th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I will be honest….I occasionally let one of these fly out of the mouth….not proud of it…but it happens. What I don’t understand is Christian cussing? We say shoot, dang it, darn it, crap….and I’ve even heard a well-known pastor say “I don’t give a flip” from the stage….with anger in his voice. I think the real issue is the attitude behind the word….we local culture really determines what is foul and what is not. Why can you say “stinks but not sucks”….why can you say “intercourse but not screw”….why can you say “curse it…but not damn it”. The attitude is the same behind both. BTW, does it count as cussing if I type it on your blog?
July 8th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Stepchild,
I guess we are just going to have to part company on this one. I don’t care who else says things. I am not obligated to them to use or accept the use of crude language to get the gospel out. I am sure that Christ heard such language as did Peter, Paul, and John. However, I don’t find the use of these crude words in the presentation of the gospel.
We are called to engage the culture, but we are not called to mimic it.
Let’s still be friends – OK
July 8th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Dave,
Of course we can be friends.
I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but your last comment made it sound like we weren’t really communicating. I’m not saying that we should use crude language. I’m saying that “crude” is a relative term, and that we should be careful not to judge a person’s language as being “crude” when they’re operating in and from a different context.
Of course, you may still disagree. That’s okay. I just don’t want you to disagree with something I’m not saying!
Thanks.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Bro, I loved your post on swearing and your blog in general (I cracked up over your bio). Props to J and J Masson for throwing me a vine to your blog.
I think your clarification with Dave was good- I think he may have missed your point, but I understand what he’s saying.
Shalom!
July 9th, 2009 at 5:31 am
I preface this by saying that I don’t know Greek. Maybe someone else out there does and can help.
Wasn’t the word used by Paul in Phil 3:8 translated as “rubbish” in some translations considered a vulgar term? I’ve heard and read that in some places.
Maybe Greek scholar can help with that.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:39 am
I here a lot of people using the word “crap” in ministry circles to describe things they don’t like. I think very often people in ministry try to show they are not “prudes” or old and outdated by using words that may be consider on the edge of vulgarity. I think this shows a tendency to attempt to be keeping trendy, on the edge or not-outdated. In reality it appears unspiritual and really shows that someone cannot find a better word to use. This also does not reflect well on our kids. I live in a post-modern atheistic European city and our foreign friends here us a lot of profanity in their language. I do not and this has not alienated me. We do not need to submit to this trend to be in the world and not of the world.
September 1st, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I agree that the word “unwholesome” is either badly assumed that it means one thing or the other or as you said, static. Could it be that unwholesome talk is speaking badly about others behind their back? Could it be that unwholesome talk is saying untrue things? Could it be that unwholesome talks means talking towards someone in a way that robs them of their humanity? Is it really just about not using the “four letter words?” If it is about certain words, what were the dirty words that were not to be spoken in the culture at the time that 1 Corinthians was written? Is it possible that those dirty words could be used to bless others?
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