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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Burning ghost
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Burning ghost »

When I was younger I remember my brother saying "Oh my normal!" or "Oh my rare!"

Still tickles me today! XD
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Lark_Truth
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Lark_Truth »

I am seeing a lot of good replies on this. I agree with a lot of the points you guys have made and all of your points have given me a lot to think about. Thank you so much!
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Ormond
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Ormond »

Eduk wrote:I guess the point I'm trying to make is that is it really necessary to get so offended?
Um, I've been banned from pretty much every atheist forum on the net for my inconvenient challenges to their memorized dogmas, so it seems the answer is yes, it really is necessary to get so offended.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Belindi »

Actually, although I am not averse to crude or explicit language I do feel repelled by exclamations of "My God!" for trivial reasons. This exclamation would have offended my father whose memory I revere, and I have inherited his respect for what he thought 'God' stands for.
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LuckyR
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by LuckyR »

I guess to me the OP's question is self evident. Folks blaspheme... because they are emotional (at that moment) and are seeking to shock, thus blasphemy.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Belindi »

LuckyR wrote:I guess to me the OP's question is self evident. Folks blaspheme... because they are emotional (at that moment) and are seeking to shock, thus blasphemy.
But that is not true. I've heard people on the street or on television exclaiming "My God!" about something completely trivial as if, as it seems to me, they pretend to be passionate about the triviality.

My impression is that individuals who exclaim it are young and noisy exhibitionists who are following a trend because they feel stronger in groups who speak the same slang.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Eduk »

Your young and noisy exhibitionists are quite a step up from those around here.
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LuckyR
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by LuckyR »

Belindi wrote:
LuckyR wrote:I guess to me the OP's question is self evident. Folks blaspheme... because they are emotional (at that moment) and are seeking to shock, thus blasphemy.
But that is not true. I've heard people on the street or on television exclaiming "My God!" about something completely trivial as if, as it seems to me, they pretend to be passionate about the triviality.

My impression is that individuals who exclaim it are young and noisy exhibitionists who are following a trend because they feel stronger in groups who speak the same slang.
Your observation is, of course accurate. Though IMO the off-hand OMG, is habit and not a commentary on the standing of the Almighty within the broader context. True, historically there was once a time when such speech was shocking, but that is in the very distant past. To be frank, at the current time the word "blasphemy" is more noteworthy and memorable than using a god's name in vain (or in vanity).
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Ozymandias
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Ozymandias »

To build on what Fooloso said,
I don't believe when I drop a plate on the floor and say "god damnit!" I'm using the lord's name in vain, as they say. To apply that phrase exclusively to swearing makes it incredibly trivial. When the Westboro Baptist Church (for those familiar with them) go around claiming "God hates gays", and protesting military funerals, etc. etc. because they feel God has called them to hate, they are, in my belief, using his name in vain. They're misusing the authority of a god to justify and proclaim their own awful beliefs.

I don't think the original intent of the phrase had anything to do with expletives. It seems like a silly thing to make a commandment about (although next to eating shellfish I suppose it's not that crazy, but my point stands).
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Belindi »

Lucky wrote:
True, historically there was once a time when such speech was shocking, but that is in the very distant past. To be frank, at the current time the word "blasphemy" is more noteworthy and memorable than using a god's name in vain (or in vanity).
There might be a difference according to where one lives. Here, in middle England , I who am old swear more than my sons, daughters in law, and grandchidren none of whom swear at all to my knowledge.

-- Updated January 28th, 2017, 5:52 am to add the following --
Belindi wrote:Lucky wrote:
True, historically there was once a time when such speech was shocking, but that is in the very distant past. To be frank, at the current time the word "blasphemy" is more noteworthy and memorable than using a god's name in vain (or in vanity).
There might be a difference according to where one lives. Here, in middle England , I who am old swear more than my sons, daughters in law, and grandchidren none of whom swear at all to my knowledge.
Although OMG is not my habit which tends to occasional common or garden coarseness.
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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 »

Ozymandias wrote:To build on what Fooloso said,
I don't believe when I drop a plate on the floor and say "god damnit!" I'm using the lord's name in vain, as they say. To apply that phrase exclusively to swearing makes it incredibly trivial. When the Westboro Baptist Church (for those familiar with them) go around claiming "God hates gays", and protesting military funerals, etc. etc. because they feel God has called them to hate, they are, in my belief, using his name in vain. They're misusing the authority of a god to justify and proclaim their own awful beliefs.

I don't think the original intent of the phrase had anything to do with expletives. It seems like a silly thing to make a commandment about (although next to eating shellfish I suppose it's not that crazy, but my point stands).
Your final point is telling. Many of us were prepared to believe that there was a juvenile rule about names because literal interpretations of the metaphorical expression of ancient people are crazy, hence the unstable and unhinged nature of fundamentalists. If we took Shakespeare literally we might figure that Julius Caesar was a fantasy titan:
The Bard wrote:He doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus; and we petty men walk under his huge legs, and peep about to find ourselves dishonourable graves.
So yes, the commandment appears to effectively be a copyright claim on the faith rather than a rule forcing aggrieved people to say "gee" and "gosh".
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LuckyR
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by LuckyR »

Belindi wrote:Lucky wrote:
True, historically there was once a time when such speech was shocking, but that is in the very distant past. To be frank, at the current time the word "blasphemy" is more noteworthy and memorable than using a god's name in vain (or in vanity).
There might be a difference according to where one lives. Here, in middle England , I who am old swear more than my sons, daughters in law, and grandchidren none of whom swear at all to my knowledge.

-- Updated January 28th, 2017, 5:52 am to add the following --
Belindi wrote:Lucky wrote:


(Nested quote removed.)


There might be a difference according to where one lives. Here, in middle England , I who am old swear more than my sons, daughters in law, and grandchidren none of whom swear at all to my knowledge.
Although OMG is not my habit which tends to occasional common or garden coarseness.
In my experience the less one curses, the more impact you project on the rare occasion when you do. As an aside, when I play tennis an exclamation of "golly!!" is commented upon more than four letter words by other players.
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Belindi »

Lucky, why do individuals' lexicons and phraseology differ one from another? I thought that your last implied that language is for communicating feelings and ideas, and also establishing social status and power relations. Certainly society and especially our significant others including authors of the books we read are the teachers not only of English, German, or Spanish languages but also of particular linguistic styles within our native languages.

I feel that this conversation is now melding into the conversation about consciousness among AI machines. These lack the need to establish social status and power relations between individual machines so if they swear they won't be swearing to impress others. In other words, AI machines don't live in societies, but only as aggregates. Swearing and blaspheming are peculiarly human and exist as small rebellions against the hegemony of religious elites and the imperatives of fickle fortune.
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Hugh of Borg
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Re: Why do people take the Lord's name in vain?

Post by Hugh of Borg »

Greta wrote: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.
******
Not wishing to offend but words like God. Lord, Christ are MALE words.
You seem to be a little confused.
The word for a woman is "goddess".
You should be careful about this kind of thing, you may get into trouble.
Blasphemies against God are blasphemies against God.
Just a bit of friendly advice, you do not want to feel the Wrath of God now do you and he may get very angry if you imply he is a woman.
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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 »

Hugh of Borg wrote:Just a bit of friendly advice, you do not want to feel the Wrath of God now do you and he may get very angry if you imply he is a woman.
More likely, you will face God's feminine wrath for claiming her to be a man :P

I think it highly unlikely that ancient patriarchies that treated women like male possessions would claim God to be any other than male, otherwise they'd be claiming God to be their possession, which I suspect would be frowned upon as blasphemous by those claiming to know the mind of God better than others.
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