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Tuesday, August 7, 2012


A Few Words About Words

We can’t avoid hearing cuss words and vulgar language, but we can avoid using them The Bible commands: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:7a), and teaches us to regard God’s name as hallowed  (revered) [Matthew 6:9]. Further, the Bible instructs us to guard our speech (Proverbs 13:3). It should be “always full of grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).
James taught that the sinful use of the tongue “corrupts the whole person” (James 3:6), and he questioned how praise and cursing come out of the same mouth. “My brothers, this should not be,” he wrote (verse 10).
With that brief background, I want to appeal to my Christian friends on Facebook not to use cuss words. Perhaps they have crept into their vocabulary by osmosis. I’m sure the longer a person is exposed to the cussing he hears on TV, in the movies, and in the workplace the easier it is to become immune to it and the more likely he is to let cussing and vulgarity slip into his speech. But we are called not only to a high standard of conduct but also to a high standard of speech. So, let’s honor the Lord in all our social contacts, including those we maintain on Facebook.
Feel free to call me a prude, but please don’t use a descriptive cuss word with the word “prude.”