Is that an 'ought' question, or an 'is' question?---would calling upon the Lord's name or God's name in vain at all still be considered blasphemous?
Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 6105
- Joined: September 11th, 2016, 2:11 pm
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
- Lark_Truth
- Posts: 212
- Joined: December 24th, 2016, 11:51 am
- Favorite Philosopher: Brandon Sanderson
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
When God gives a commandment, it is good advice to follow it.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 6105
- Joined: September 11th, 2016, 2:11 pm
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
Belindi wrote:Lark_Truth wrote:
Is that an 'ought' question, or an 'is' question?---would calling upon the Lord's name or God's name in vain at all still be considered blasphemous?
1. Who would consider it blasphemous to call upon the Lord's name in vain? (Is an 'is' question which can be answered by for instance questionnaires)
2. Ought you to consider it blasphemous to call upon the Lord's name in vain? (Is an 'ought' question which can be answered for instance by a questionnaire, or alternatively by appeal to a political, legal, or moral authority.)
-- Updated April 2nd, 2017, 3:31 pm to add the following --
Lark_Truth, do you yourself consider it blasphemous to call upon the lord's name in vain? If so, why
-
- Posts: 2466
- Joined: December 8th, 2016, 7:08 am
- Favorite Philosopher: Socrates
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
Actually it can't be answered by the examples you give. Authority fallacy and appeal to majority fallacy make it so that while not necessarily wrong it's not necessarily correct either.2. Ought you to consider it blasphemous to call upon the Lord's name in vain? (Is an 'ought' question which can be answered for instance by a questionnaire, or alternatively by appeal to a political, legal, or moral authority.)
For my money I would prefer testable theories. I commit blasphemy every single day (more or less) and thus far I haven't been struck down by any angry Gods. This is only anecdotal of course so still not proof. But it's a well tested theory to my knowledge.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 6105
- Joined: September 11th, 2016, 2:11 pm
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
Eduk wrote:Actually it can't be answered by the examples you give. Authority fallacy and appeal to majority fallacy make it so that while not necessarily wrong it's not necessarily correct either.2. Ought you to consider it blasphemous to call upon the Lord's name in vain? (Is an 'ought' question which can be answered for instance by a questionnaire, or alternatively by appeal to a political, legal, or moral authority.)
For my money I would prefer testable theories. I commit blasphemy every single day (more or less) and thus far I haven't been struck down by any angry Gods. This is only anecdotal of course so still not proof. But it's a well tested theory to my knowledge.
Yes but you can still hand in your opinion , and argue in support of the legal, political, or religious authority. No opinion is ever absolutely right or wrong including opinions about ethics or aesthetics. There would be no search for wisdom if everybody stuck to testable theories like logical positivists.
- Lark_Truth
- Posts: 212
- Joined: December 24th, 2016, 11:51 am
- Favorite Philosopher: Brandon Sanderson
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
What is blasphemy? A brief internet search defines it as: "the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk"Belindi wrote:Lark_Truth, do you yourself consider it blasphemous to call upon the lord's name in vain? If so, why?
As has been discussed on this sight, taking upon the Lord's name in vain is calling upon Him when you don't actually mean it. You are calling upon His divine power and assistance without any real authority, and from what I usually see today when people take the Lord's name in vain is to d___ something in a brief moment or in an exclamation of surprise or amazement as in "Oh my ___!" Some - myself included - would call that treading God's holy name like dirt. Common, filthy, lowly, etc.
God is a divine being of great power and authority. He created our world, He gave us life, He loves us, He wants us to be with Him in heaven, He is everything. As we owe him so much, we also owe God a good deal of respect and reverence that comes with Him being our Divine Heavenly Father. He gave the commandment to Moses in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible to not take the Lord's name in vain.
Going off of all that, I would say yes, I consider it blasphemous to call upon the Lord's name in vain.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 6105
- Joined: September 11th, 2016, 2:11 pm
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
I note that you believe that taking the Lord's name in vain is blasphemy. So do I.What is blasphemy? A brief internet search defines it as: "the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk"
People who blaspheme for whatever reason, take the Lord's name in vain, must surely be unafraid of any punishment for so doing, don't you think?
I presume that you yourself don't blaspheme. Do you yourself refrain from blaspheming because
1. You don't want the other elders to disapprove of you? or
2. You love God and dont want to hurt God's feelings? or
3. You are afraid God will punish you? or
4. You love your church and its doctrine, and would feel unhappy if you infringed it?or
5. You feel yourself to be a respectable person and respectable people don't blaspheme?
These aren't trivial questions. Some of the questions reveal a more mature attitude to morality. I am not getting at you, Lark_Truth I am trying to fit what I think is a quite trivial thing, blasphemy, into a scheme that covers much more important moral questions.
- Lark_Truth
- Posts: 212
- Joined: December 24th, 2016, 11:51 am
- Favorite Philosopher: Brandon Sanderson
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
Yes I do think, Belindi. That is a very good point, as God does not appear to be a control-freak who punishes someone for stepping a just a little out of line. I would say that He allows people to make their own choices - such as saying His Holy name in vain - and if they do something wrong, He allows them to discover for themselves just what was wrong about their actions and feel sorry for it, then repent and change their behavior.Belindi wrote:People who blaspheme for whatever reason, take the Lord's name in vain, must surely be unafraid of any punishment for so doing, don't you think?
I don't blaspheme, correct, and I do it because of answers: 2, 4, & 5, and maybe also because I feel that taking God's name in vain is wrong and that I want to stay in the right just because it feels good.Belindi wrote:I presume that you yourself don't blaspheme. Do you yourself refrain from blaspheming because
1. You don't want the other elders to disapprove of you? or
2. You love God and dont want to hurt God's feelings? or
3. You are afraid God will punish you? or
4. You love your church and its doctrine, and would feel unhappy if you infringed it?or
5. You feel yourself to be a respectable person and respectable people don't blaspheme?.
-- Updated April 5th, 2017, 9:35 am to add the following --
Let's keep up the teamwork!
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 6105
- Joined: September 11th, 2016, 2:11 pm
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
I appreciate your encouragement.Lark_Truth wrote:Yes I do think, Belindi. That is a very good point, as God does not appear to be a control-freak who punishes someone for stepping a just a little out of line. I would say that He allows people to make their own choices - such as saying His Holy name in vain - and if they do something wrong, He allows them to discover for themselves just what was wrong about their actions and feel sorry for it, then repent and change their behavior.Belindi wrote:People who blaspheme for whatever reason, take the Lord's name in vain, must surely be unafraid of any punishment for so doing, don't you think?
I don't blaspheme, correct, and I do it because of answers: 2, 4, & 5, and maybe also because I feel that taking God's name in vain is wrong and that I want to stay in the right just because it feels good.Belindi wrote:I presume that you yourself don't blaspheme. Do you yourself refrain from blaspheming because
1. You don't want the other elders to disapprove of you? or
2. You love God and dont want to hurt God's feelings? or
3. You are afraid God will punish you? or
4. You love your church and its doctrine, and would feel unhappy if you infringed it?or
5. You feel yourself to be a respectable person and respectable people don't blaspheme?.
-- Updated April 5th, 2017, 9:35 am to add the following --
Let's keep up the teamwork!
I put 2. in the top position for mature morality, on condition that 'God' represents the aspiration of the disinterested individual. It's vital that selflessness is part of the approach to God.
I don't know if you realise it, Lark_Truth, but my questions are easily translateable into secular motives. There are secular substitutes for "elders", "God", "blasphemy",and "church".
- Lark_Truth
- Posts: 212
- Joined: December 24th, 2016, 11:51 am
- Favorite Philosopher: Brandon Sanderson
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
Belindi wrote:I don't know if you realise it, Lark_Truth, but my questions are easily translateable into secular motives. There are secular substitutes for "elders", "God", "blasphemy",and "church".
I am not sure what you mean Belindi. Can you please elaborate?
- -1-
- Posts: 878
- Joined: December 1st, 2016, 2:23 am
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
Answer: some do because what people consider the Lord is an impossible, non-existent entity of a concept to them. The Lord simply does not exist in their world, and they firmly believe that. In fact, even the wording of the topic title sounds childish and condescending to them.
These people, the atheists, consider blaspheming a lost crime. Believed out of existence. No more a credible offence. Saying (in full) Jesus F. Christ is the same as saying (in full) go f yourself. It is impolite, rude, and obnoxious, but nothing to do with God or the Lord, as God the Lord is a concept ill thought up, it is non-existent, null and void.
-
- Posts: 10339
- Joined: June 15th, 2011, 5:53 pm
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 6105
- Joined: September 11th, 2016, 2:11 pm
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
1. You don't want the other elders to disapprove of you? or
2. You love God and dont want to hurt God's feelings? or
3. You are afraid God will punish you? or
4. You love your church and its doctrine, and would feel unhappy if you infringed it?or
5. You feel yourself to be a respectable person and respectable people don't blaspheme?
The secular version:
1. You don't want the people who matter most to you to disapprove of you? or
2. You love the good and don't want to hurt what you love? or
3. You are afraid that if you act contrary to tradition you will come to harm? or
4. You love the moral system you are accustomed to , and would be unhappy if you infringed it? or
5. You feel yourself to be a respectable person, and respectable people don't blaspheme.
**********************
The most mature motive is 2.
- Lark_Truth
- Posts: 212
- Joined: December 24th, 2016, 11:51 am
- Favorite Philosopher: Brandon Sanderson
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
I don't see #3, respecting the Lord's name, as a tradition and I would think that it would be foolish to think of it as such. Traditions should be fun and help people to come together as friends and family, not to squeeze people between a rock and a hard place if they break it.
Why do you not take the Lord's name in vain, Belindi?
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 6105
- Joined: September 11th, 2016, 2:11 pm
Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?
I occasionally do and I don't like to hear myself do it because it's a sign that I am reacting to a silly trend. As I said previously blasphemy is a comparatively trivial fault.Why do you not take the Lord's name in vain, Belindi?
2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month
Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023