{"id":4259,"date":"2023-10-15T03:08:42","date_gmt":"2023-10-15T11:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/?p=4259"},"modified":"2023-11-01T16:57:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T00:57:15","slug":"cussing-swearing-cursing-do-words-really-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2023\/10\/cussing-swearing-cursing-do-words-really-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Cussing, Swearing, & Cursing: Do Words Really Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

What is the difference between cussing, swearing, and cursing? Beyond corrupt speech, do we really have the power to curse other people?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Three — Image by vul31969427 from Pixabay<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
It\u2019s October\u2014almost time for holiday movies! One of my favorites of all time is A Christmas Story<\/a>,<\/span> where Ralphie gets in trouble for using foul language he learns from his father. Ralphie\u2019s dad uses a string of nonsensical jibber to rival Yosemite Sam<\/a><\/span>. **Some call it cussing. Others call it swearing. Still others call it cursing. Is there a difference between these three?<\/strong><\/p>\n**
<\/iframe><br>\n<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Cussing<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Many think the word \u201ccussing\u201d is just \u201ccursing\u201d with a Southern accent. I maintain that the two are different.<\/strong> More on cursing later. Cussing is when you say those no-no words that your mama taught you not to say. The ones that would upset your grandma or make the preacher turn red. The ones you learned from your dad while working on the car, or from your grandfather who was a sailor. The words uttered by the kids in the back of the bus or in the locker room. In<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2022\/07\/can-christians-curse-what-the-bible-says\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cCan Christians Curse? What the Bible Says\u2026\u201d<\/a><\/span> I write about the origins of cussing\u2014why we think some words are good and others are bad:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>It all comes from a class distinction in England. After the Norman Conquest of 1066 CE, the Old-French-speaking Normans mixed with the Old-English-speaking Britons. Old French was influenced by Latin, but Old English was influenced by German. The Norman nobility looked down on peasants who continued to use Germanic-based words. They believed that the Germanic-based language was \u201cvulgar\u201d (which means \u201cof the crowd\u201d). In English, our offensive language mainly comes from that Germanic base, which is considered vulgar because it\u2019s the language of the common people. It has nothing to do with obscenity, and everything to do with cultural snobbery. This is why, for example, you can use a word like \u201cdoo-doo,\u201d but not its alternative.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>S<strong>ome languages don\u2019t even have \u201ccuss words,\u201d because they aren\u2019t bastardized tongues like English. <\/strong>These \u201cpure\u201d languages don\u2019t consider certain words profane and other words acceptable. Instead, if someone wants to say something offensive, they have to get creative. Like, \u201cYour mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!\u201d Even without \u201ccuss words,\u201d their language can be just as vulgar. Once, I knew a man who grew up in church and refused to cuss. Still, he could say the most disgusting things in creative ways, without ever using a word of profanity. <strong>In <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2022\/08\/does-cussing-make-you-a-sinner-a-hypocrite-or-just-more-real\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cDoes Cussing Make You a Sinner, a Hypocrite, or Just More Real?\u201d<\/a><\/span> I discuss whether it\u2019s a sin to cuss. I invite you to check it out. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wWYFxekoAsM?si=Zv4cNpZDOhankCrT\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Swearing<\/h2>\n<p><strong>A lot of people call cuss words \u201cswears\u201d or \u201cswear words,\u201d mistakenly thinking that cussing and swearing are the same thing.<\/strong> When a novel says, \u201cWith an oath, he struck her\u2026\u201d the author is confusing the concept of cussing with swearing and oath making. What the author really means is, \u201cHe cussed, and struck her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In reality, they are quite different. <strong>Swearing is a way to convince someone that you\u2019re speaking the truth.<\/strong> We swear informally in casual speech. We swear formally in courts of law. Certain people take oaths of office or oaths of loyalty. We make vows at weddings. Clergy members often make vows in their ordinations. These lend a sense of gravity to speech.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Swearing, taking an oath, or making a vow are all the same things<\/strong>. In ancient times, people swore on something greater than themselves. \u201cI swear to God,\u201d or \u201cI swear on the Bible\u201d are a couple of examples. They thought that this great thing would have the power to enforce their oath. Alternatively, they swore on something that they didn\u2019t want to lose, superstitiously believing that if they broke their vow some calamity would befall the thing they didn\u2019t want to lose. So, they might say, \u201cI swear on my mother\u2019s life,\u201d or some such thing. <strong>Jesus addressed this in<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=mt+5&version=NRSVUE\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Matthew 5:33-36<\/a><\/span> when he said:<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, \u2018You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.\u2019 But I say to you: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be \u2018Yes, Yes\u2019 or \u2018No, No\u2019; anything more than this comes from the evil one.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Throughout the centuries, many Christians have gotten around this by simply saying, \u201cI promise\u201d instead of \u201cI swear.\u201d Or, they might say, \u201cI affirm\u201d instead of, \u201cI vow.\u201d This is mere semantics. Jesus meant that <strong>our speech should be of such integrity that we don\u2019t need to use such language. Our word should be enough. <\/strong>Rash vows can get us into trouble\u2014just ask <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=judges+11&version=NRSVUE\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Jephthah<\/span><\/a> in the Bible.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TqTHmzMk0Cw?si=UI7GWOkLb_kSwUCg\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Cursing<\/h2>\n<p><strong>We often say that \u201ccussing\u201d is the same thing as cursing. I promise you, they\u2019re different.<\/strong> In <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2022\/07\/can-christians-curse-what-the-bible-says\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cCan Christians Curse? What the Bible Says\u2026\u201d<\/a> <\/span>I give four examples of corrupt speech that has nothing to do with cussing:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><em>Lying.<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=pr+10&version=NIV\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Proverbs 10:18<\/a><\/span> says, \u201cWhoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.\u201d This is not only dishonesty about another person, but dishonesty about how you feel. God wants integrity, meaning our feelings and speech must match one another. <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=pr+12&version=NIV\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Proverbs 12:19, 22<\/a><\/span> says,\u00a0\u201cTruthful lips endure forever,\u00a0but a lying tongue lasts only a moment\u2026 The\u00a0Lord\u00a0detests lying lips, but he delights\u00a0in people who are trustworthy.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=pr+19&version=NIV\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Proverbs 19:9<\/a><\/span> says, \u201cA false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<strong>God isn\u2019t just concerned with making sure you are honest with yourself\u2014God wants us to be honest with each other and about each other.<\/strong> Even for those who think they can get away with dishonesty, life has a way of bringing truth and its consequences to those who deceive.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><em>Gossip.<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0Not everybody who gossips is a liar. Sometimes gossip is true\u2014but just because it\u2019s true, that doesn\u2019t mean it needs to be told. <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=pr+11&version=NIV\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Proverbs 11:13<\/a> <\/span>says,\u00a0\u201cA gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/harvest.org\/resources\/gregs-blog\/post\/t-h-i-n-k\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>Bible teacher Greg Laurie<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0suggests that before you spread gossip, you need to T.H.I.N.K. <strong>Ask yourself if what you\u2019re about to say is True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind. If not, keep it to yourself.<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><em>Mocking.<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=pr+14&version=NIV\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Proverbs 14:6<\/a> <\/span>says,\u00a0\u201cThe mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Mocking is when we use our words to tear other people down. It\u2019s like the emotional bully who calls names because he can\u2019t use rational language. <strong>Typically, mocking uses words we generally consider offensive to a person\u2019s ethnic, cultural, sexual, or gender identity.<\/strong> The opposite of mocking, of course, is knowledge and discernment.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><em>Troublemaking.<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0Strange as it may seem, sometimes lying, gossiping, and mocking are not always intended to harm people\u2014they just somehow do. But troublemaking is when you are intentionally trying to harm another person. <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=pr+6&version=NIV\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Proverbs 6:12-15<\/a><\/span> talks about, \u201cA troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,\u00a0who winks maliciously with his eye,\u00a0signals with his feet\u00a0and motions with his fingers,\u00a0who plots evil\u00a0with deceit in his heart\u2014he always stirs up conflict. Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;\u00a0he will suddenly\u00a0be destroyed\u2014without remedy.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Notice how the troublemaker uses not just their speech, but their whole demeanor, to stir the pot? Sometimes they can say one thing with their mouth, and another with their body language\u2014masking their culpability with intentional deceit.<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Cussing does far less damage than the curses of lying, gossiping, mocking, and troublemaking. <\/strong>We curse other people when we use hurtful and destructive language like this. Instead, God wants us to use the power of our speech for good. In a sense, when we use this type of language against others, we are cursing them. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words have the power to kill. Cursing is a deadly power, without ever getting into the question of supernatural cursing as a phenomenon.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4265\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4265\" style=\"width: 782px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2023\/10\/cussing-swearing-cursing-do-words-really-matter\/pexels-daisy-anderson-5581167\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4265\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4265\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1467\/2023\/10\/pexels-daisy-anderson-5581167.jpg\" alt=\"Kid in a mummy costume\" width=\"782\" height=\"404\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4265\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-kid-in-a-mummy-halloween-costume-5581167\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Photo by Daisy Anderson on Pexels<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Supernatural Curses<\/h2>\n<p>But, what about this other meaning of the word \u201ccursing?\u201d<strong> Beyond corrupt speech, do we really have the power to curse other people? Do human beings have the power to speak supernatural curses, like in the Bible? <\/strong>I invite you to check out my <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2023\/10\/foiled-again-blessings-and-curses-in-the-hebrew-bible\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">next article<\/a><\/span> to find out. It\u2019s Halloween time\u2014no better time to talk about throwing curses than now!<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the difference between cussing, swearing, and cursing? Beyond corrupt speech, do we really have the power to curse other people? It\u2019s October\u2014almost time for holiday movies! One of my favorites of all time is A Christmas Story, where Ralphie gets in trouble for using foul language he learns from his father. Ralphie\u2019s dad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4628,"featured_media":4262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,1302],"tags":[3041,3032,3029,3038,3035,3026],"class_list":["post-4259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-challenging-the-church","category-holidays-and-special-days","tag-cussing-swearing-cursing","tag-is-cursing-a-sin","tag-is-cussing-a-sin","tag-is-it-a-sin-to-swear-an-oath","tag-is-swearing-a-sin","tag-supernatural-curses"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cussing, Swearing, & Cursing: Do Words Really Matter?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is the difference between cussing, swearing, and cursing? 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Before entering social services, he spent more than twenty-five years in pastoral ministry, serving as lead pastor in several Virginia congregations and writing the long-running newspaper column \u201cSpirit and Truth.\u201d He is a regular blogger at Patheos.com and a contributing author to the Patheos\/Quoir Publishing volume Sitting in the Shade of Another Tree: What We Learn by Listening to Other Faiths. Greg holds a degree in Religious Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and pursued additional theological studies at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. 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