Am I the only one left in the world who's ears burn when I hear the F-word? I mean, I understand that we live in a 'progressive' culture that is 'inclusive' and 'tolerant' and all that, but for some reason, I just don't like to hear cuss words in casual conversation.
I was on my walk this morning trying to figure out a time when using a cuss word would be completely acceptable. I couldn't come up with many. This is the closest I could get.
1. You're in a firefight in a war and you really need some more ammo.
2. You're drowning, no one is taking you seriously and you need to get their attention (my old youth pastor had to do this once with his wife's parents).
That was about all I could come up with. I'm sure there is some more, but I'm not sure what they are.
I've at times struggled to keep my own mouth clean, I know its not easy. I was in the US Army for six years. They use cuss words like an art-form. Furthermore, Its acceptable, no one cares what you say.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, yesterday I was getting my oil changed, and I was sitting there conversing with this guy (its what I do), and was asking him about his line of work. He told me that he is in a food manufacturing business. He's the owner. He's in Costco. He's in Fred Meyer. And I quote, "@#$! business is %$#@ing good".
Nice. We didn't get to the part when He asked me what I did for a living, since they called me to come and get my car. As I was driving away, I was thinking, here's a real successful guy. 70+ employees, doing well. Recession proof business. Good for him. But what struck me is that He found no problems in describing his business to a stranger with an explicative. Am I off base here? Am I the only one who thinks this way?
Maybe manners and restraint have gone the way of the Do-Do bird. Maybe its just me. Perhaps I live in such a secluded bubble that I didn't learn that this is the new way to communicate.
I'm not buying it.
I'm not soapboxing here. I'm just stating- I don't think using an explicative has a place in common conversation, especially with someone with whom you do not know.
The Bible says "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks". Meaning, whatever is inside you, is what comes out of your mouth.
Maybe you don't see a problem with swearing. I think most people find it less than desirable.
Keep it clean.
Blessings
matt
Seriously? Send the kids to the park and I will fill up any swear jar with quarter donations!
ReplyDelete:)Love ya, Matty- good stuff.
I agree 100%. If you know the person that is one thing. I know some people that God is still changing in that area. When I hear the "f" word just shake and have to walk away. You know what they say a closed mouth gathers no foot.
ReplyDeleteSo , Matt you are not alone here is one more.Great blog.
God bless, Marilyn A.
Definitely undesirable behaviour. My mom, who did not judge people very often, used to tell me that it was a reflection on the person's intelligence. An intelligent person would know the correct adjectives to use in the places that a less intelligent person would use a cuss word.
ReplyDeleteIt jars me when I hear it, even if it is the same person using the same words every day. Still jarring.
thank you for this!
ReplyDeletethanks for this! i agree 100% also. ~R
ReplyDeleteI don't know matt, when everything else goes, my mind, my body, my "f-$(#ing" rugged good looks, then all I will have left is my precious cuss words. You will to pry them from my cold dead hands.
ReplyDeleteDoes that make sense?
I studied screenwriting when I was in film school. At that time a certain number of undeleted expletives were always wanted in the dialog. Several of us came to the conclusion that it was a cop out to use that kind of language. It stiffled creativity and made the dialog less expressive.
ReplyDeleteIt was once told to me that cuss words were words used in bad vocabuk=lary. Can't come up with the correct word to use so an illerterate(sp?) person will just cuss, That stopped me in my tracks. I HATE CUSSING...I've even turned the TV off if there was a cuss word in the script. There is no room in a Christians life for cuss words...why are we so plagued?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the language of today. It does seem that that kind of talk is acceptable anywhere. I work in the trucking business and the language there is just like the Army. I sit in my office in the morning and can hear the guys talking about all kinds of "f"ing things. It is amazing how many ways that the guys can come up with ways to use that word. Most of them have kids. I ask if they talk like that at home and some say "No." When I was a road driver there were a couple of guys that I would not eat at restaurants with because of all the "f" bombs that they would drop at the table. I know that for a long time I did not care about the words that I used, but a couple of years ago I started going to church and now I do care. After fifty six year of cussing one would think that it would be hard to quit. It has been easy I ask God to help me everyday to talk like I am a Father and Grandparent.
ReplyDeleteThe difference today regarding the use of the F-word is the it used to be used for emphasis - now it is used as punctuation. Red Skelton once said "The use of swear words for comedy only means the comedien is lazy. To not use swear words means you have to be witty and that's hard"
ReplyDeleteI work at a call center. When I am on calls I hear adults yelling in the back ground or while on the phone cussing up a storm and usually to children - who then start crying. Those are fun calls. I need asprin after those phone calls.
ReplyDeleteAnd what about reality shows. So many cuss words being bleeped you can barely tell what they are saying. And they are on national TV where their parents/grandparents are going to sit down with ::cough cough:: pride to watch them.
Our family is very sensitive to cuss words as well. There are so many movies that would be so funny to watch, but the words detract fron the movie. My husband has looked into buying movies w/o the words and hasn't had much luck. He is considering recording them and then taking out the words and couple of scenes, but hasn't had the time for it yet.
ReplyDelete