Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Discuss philosophical questions regarding theism (and atheism), and discuss religion as it relates to philosophy. This includes any philosophical discussions that happen to be about god, gods, or a 'higher power' or the belief of them. This also generally includes philosophical topics about organized or ritualistic mysticism or about organized, common or ritualistic beliefs in the existence of supernatural phenomenon.
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Lark_Truth
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Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Lark_Truth »

In the Old Testament, One of the commandments Jehovah gives to Moses is to not take the Lord's name in vain. Basically, don't commit blasphemy.

Yet in our day and age, people do it all of the time. Oh my ___, (name of God is omitted due to the spirit of this discussion). People use the name of our savior Jesus Christ as a swear word! Talk about disrespectful to the ones who have done so much for us here in mortality and have paved the way for us to reach eternity. People today are taking God and treating Him and his beloved son as dirt: worthless.

Why?
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Sy Borg
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Sy Borg »

As with expletives, blasphemous words provide a satisfying breaking of taboos.

Think of it as God kindly providing some extra help for Her weak minions. She has donated Her name to them so that they can release their frustrations rather than unhealthily repressing. If She didn't forbid it then there's be no taboo and it wouldn't work. There's no point being God if you're not a few steps ahead of your creations.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Nick_A »

Lark_Truth wrote:In the Old Testament, One of the commandments Jehovah gives to Moses is to not take the Lord's name in vain. Basically, don't commit blasphemy.

Yet in our day and age, people do it all of the time. Oh my ___, (name of God is omitted due to the spirit of this discussion). People use the name of our savior Jesus Christ as a swear word! Talk about disrespectful to the ones who have done so much for us here in mortality and have paved the way for us to reach eternity. People today are taking God and treating Him and his beloved son as dirt: worthless.

Why?
As I've learned over the years, the commandments are not for God's benefit but for ours. There is simply no reason why an ineffable God would be insulted by what some insignificant organism on an obscure planet says.

The word "God" contains a high quality of energy which belongs in higher parts of our collective soul. This quality serves as a quality of nourishment. When we swear, we throw away this valuable energy by releasing it through lower parts of our collective soul goverened by pride and or vanity. It satisfies our pride but starves our higher parts.

Most prefer catering to their pride and vanity so prefer swearing. Some respect their spiritual nature so don't throw away valuable energy. We must choose what we want.
Man would like to be an egoist and cannot. This is the most striking characteristic of his wretchedness and the source of his greatness." Simone Weil....Gravity and Grace
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Sy Borg
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Sy Borg »

I do not think it vain or proud to return just a little of the utter contempt that fervent theists have always had for secularists.

If the taboo regarding "blasphemy" concerned people who we cared about, we wouldn't blaspheme. However, I have generally found political theists to be interfering, controlling, sanctimonious, prejudiced and tricky and manipulative in discussion. Therefore it makes no sense to have any respect for their taboos until they learn respect to respect secular thinkers, and that will not happen in our lifetimes.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Eduk »

Matthew 7:1-3King James Version (KJV)

7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Nick_A »

Greta wrote:I do not think it vain or proud to return just a little of the utter contempt that fervent theists have always had for secularists.

If the taboo regarding "blasphemy" concerned people who we cared about, we wouldn't blaspheme. However, I have generally found political theists to be interfering, controlling, sanctimonious, prejudiced and tricky and manipulative in discussion. Therefore it makes no sense to have any respect for their taboos until they learn respect to respect secular thinkers, and that will not happen in our lifetimes.
You want to justify your actions by what other people think and do. There are those who care about their inner life and its need to develop. Then what other people do is not important.
The seed of God is in us. Given an intelligent and hard-working farmer, it will thrive and grow up to God, whose seed it is; and accordingly its fruits will be God-nature. Pear seeds grow into pear trees, nut seeds into nut trees, and God-seed into God. ~ Meister Eckhart
Many are content to kill the seed and get even while proclaiming their self importance by swearing. Others are good farmers and sense the value of the seed and their inner life that provides the medium for its growth. A person must choose which direction to grow in and follow its path.
Man would like to be an egoist and cannot. This is the most striking characteristic of his wretchedness and the source of his greatness." Simone Weil....Gravity and Grace
Eduk
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Eduk »

Greta wrote:
I do not think it vain or proud to return just a little of the utter contempt that fervent theists have always had for secularists.

If the taboo regarding "blasphemy" concerned people who we cared about, we wouldn't blaspheme. However, I have generally found political theists to be interfering, controlling, sanctimonious, prejudiced and tricky and manipulative in discussion. Therefore it makes no sense to have any respect for their taboos until they learn respect to respect secular thinkers, and that will not happen in our lifetimes.


You want to justify your actions by what other people think and do. There are those who care about their inner life and its need to develop. Then what other people do is not important.
Or to put it another way, two wrongs don't make a right.
People use the name of our savior Jesus Christ as a swear word! Talk about disrespectful to the ones who have done so much for us here in mortality and have paved the way for us to reach eternity. People today are taking God and treating Him and his beloved son as dirt: worthless.
By the way which people? In the UK many people couldn't care less about blasphemy, indeed you would be more likely to hear blasphemy from a christian than an atheist. For example this poor guy
is committing blasphemy but is he really so offensive?
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that is it really necessary to get so offended? Is the level of offense proportionate with the actions taking place? Again in the UK you are more likely to hear of blasphemy accusations in videos from terrorists beheading/shooting people.
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Steve3007
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Steve3007 »

Lark_Truth:
Yet in our day and age, people do it all of the time.
There's nothing special about our time. People have done it since time immemorial, as the plethora of both old and modern euphemisms, or minced oaths, demonstrates ("strewth", "jeepers creepers", "gadzooks" etc).

As Greta says, in order for an expletive or blasphemy to do its job (of releasing tension) all that's required is that it breaks a taboo. It doesn't matter what the taboo is, or whether the taboo has a practical reason to exist. I've had a few interesting discussions with my 11 year old son on the subject of when it is and is not acceptable to use various swear words and the people in front of whom he is most and least forbidden to use them. It's interesting and fun because he knows perfectly well that I can't point to a rational, practical reason for the taboo and he enjoys running conversational rings around me and pointing out my hypocrisy with mock outrage.

If anything, in secular societies, I would have thought that the instances of blasphemy are probably reducing because it's not the taboo that it used to be so is losing its tension releasing power.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Eduk »

As Greta says, in order for an expletive or blasphemy to do its job (of releasing tension)
I'm not convinced catharsis does actually in the long run benefit you. I've read of studies which say catharsis actually increases rage. This certainly tallies up with my experience.
It's interesting and fun because he knows perfectly well that I can't point to a rational, practical reason for the taboo and he enjoys running conversational rings around me and pointing out my hypocrisy with mock outrage.
Whilst it's a fallacy to say that something is right because other people do it, at the same time we need to compromise to some extent otherwise it becomes impossible to live together. It's reasonable to avoid blasphemy around people who are offended by blasphemy (it's also reasonable not to get offended by blasphemy). For example I wear trousers partly to keep me warm and protect my skin but also because it's expected of me by society not to walk around naked. Whilst at the same time there is no logic behind wearing trousers for reasons of decency and I have nothing against naturists.
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Steve3007
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Steve3007 »

Eduk:
I'm not convinced catharsis does actually in the long run benefit you. I've read of studies which say catharsis actually increases rage. This certainly tallies up with my experience.
Really? If that's true then it's interesting. In the short term, I certainly do find that swearing my head off helps if I drop my dinner on the floor and the dog starts to eat it. But maybe you're right. Maybe it's like alcohol. In the short term it relaxes you after a stressful day at work but prolonged use actually increases anxiety. I don't think I'm going to stop drinking and swearing though.
Whilst it's a fallacy to say that something is right because other people do it, at the same time we need to compromise to some extent otherwise it becomes impossible to live together.
Maybe it is right because other people do it, simply because, other things being equal, it's right to try to get along with people?
Eduk
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Eduk »

Really? If that's true then it's interesting. In the short term, I certainly do find that swearing my head off helps if I drop my dinner on the floor and the dog starts to eat it. But maybe you're right. Maybe it's like alcohol. In the short term it relaxes you after a stressful day at work but prolonged use actually increases anxiety. I don't think I'm going to stop drinking and swearing though.
Perhaps like a lot of things in life it's to do with the quantity :) I aim to do exactly the 'right' amount of drinking and swearing....
it's right to try to get along with people?
Yeah I agree. I guess the key thing here and how it pertains to the opening post is 'things being equal'. For example if I swore in public and someone politely asked me not to, I'd feel pretty embarrassed and would aim not to swear inappropriately in future. If I was in my own house and my friend was over and he politely asked if I'd refrain from blasphemy then I would feel less embarrassed but I would respect his wishes. It is after all at very low cost to myself. If however someone told me I was offending them to the core of their being I would probably not invite them around my house again. I would not go out of my way to offend them but at the same time I would not go out of my way not to. And if someone wanted blasphemy to be a crime I would actively oppose them.
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Steve3007
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Steve3007 »

Eduk:
Yeah I agree. I guess the key thing here and how it pertains to the opening post is 'things being equal'. For example if I swore in public and someone politely asked me not to, I'd feel pretty embarrassed and would aim not to swear inappropriately in future. If I was in my own house and my friend was over and he politely asked if I'd refrain from blasphemy then I would feel less embarrassed but I would respect his wishes. It is after all at very low cost to myself. If however someone told me I was offending them to the core of their being I would probably not invite them around my house again. I would not go out of my way to offend them but at the same time I would not go out of my way not to. And if someone wanted blasphemy to be a crime I would actively oppose them.
I mostly agree.

If my friend politely asked if I'd refrain from blasphemy, and it was clear that they weren't joking, I'd say:

"Who are you?!? And what have you done with my friend?"

Off the top of my head, I don't think I know anybody who would even consider being offended by blasphemy.

If I did meet someone who claimed to be offended to the core of their being by blasphemy I think I'd quite like to talk to them, because they'd be interesting. I don't normally knowingly meet anyone like that.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Fooloso4 »

I would like to offer a different interpretation.

Young’s Literal Translation has:
Thou dost not take up the name of Jehovah thy God for a vain thing
The term translated as vain, shav, has a range of meanings including useless, empty, false, and deceptive.

The term translated as take, nasa, also has a range of meanings including to take away and give to.

The name of God is important in Exodus. Moses asks in whose name he is to instruct the people. In other words, by whose authority. The answer is intended to unify the people by claiming that the god of Abraham, the god of Isaac, and the god of Joseph are all the same god. Such a statement would have been unnecessary if their ancestors had all worshiped the same god and did not have different names for their gods.

God’s name confers authority. Moses acted in God’s name when he addressed the people and challenged the authority of Pharaoh. Compare this with what he tells the people at Mount Sinai when he brings the commandments to the people:
"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" (Exodus 32:27)
Is this what God said or was Moses using God’s name to assert his own authority, that is, was he using God’s name in vain? Unlike the first story where it is clear that God tells Moses what to do, there is nothing in the story of the tablets to indicate that God actually said this to him. In addition, unlike the first story which is one of unity this is a story of divisiveness among the people. It is a struggle for authority between Moses and Aaron and their descendants.

If it is blasphemy it is because it takes the authority that is God’s as one’s own. If it is a curse, it is to invoke or call upon, to take up with God to prevail upon someone or something. It is in vain because its purpose is one’s own. If it is a swear, it is to bind to God by oath, and again, vain because its purpose is one’s own.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Belindi »

I usually exclaim "bugger" or "****" when I drop my dinner on the floor. I remind myself not to as someone sometime might be offended however it is an old-established habit. I wish I retained the slightly nicer habit of my girlhood when I exclaimed "Hell's teeth" which is a little less coarse maybe I shall practice Hell's teeth first thing every morning before breakfast.

-- Updated January 17th, 2017, 4:43 pm to add the following --
Belindi wrote:I usually exclaim "bugger" or "****" when I drop my dinner on the floor. I remind myself not to as someone sometime might be offended however it is an old-established habit. I wish I retained the slightly nicer habit of my girlhood when I exclaimed "Hell's teeth" which is a little less coarse maybe I shall practice Hell's teeth first thing every morning before breakfast.
Those silly asterisks are not of my making :(
Steve3007
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Steve3007 »

Interesting point from Fooloso4 there. In modern usage we often use the expression "taking the Lord's name in vain" to generally mean using words like God or Jesus inappropriately. But, even though it hadn't occurred to me before, it's obvious from the wording that it specifically means attempting to claim the power of a god as one's own - vanity.
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