Over at the Rabbit Room, Andrew Peterson posted an article about the movie Once, saying he thought it was a great movie, if you could get past the 39 f-words. It seemed there was some discussion about the legitimacy of watching a movie with that much foul language, and Andrew just posted another post summarizing his position on watching such movies. It’s very interesting, along with the discussion that follows.
I was actually just talking about this with a friend of mine. He said a Christian friend of his had recently used the f-word, somewhat casually, in one of their conversations. We discussed the issue a bit, and basically came to the conclusion that the lines are very difficult to draw. What constitutes foul language and what doesn’t? Do we let the culture dictate it? What about when one culture perceives a word as extremely vulgar, and another doesn’t see a problem with it at all? I don’t know. It’s definitely something I’m working through and thinking about right now. Is it ever legitimate for a Christian to use “foul language”? What about euphemisms like “dang” and “crap” and “darn”? If you have thoughts, let’s hear them.
I think we also need to separate profanity from vulgarity. Profanity is taking God’s name in vain, and I do think that takes us into sinful behavior. It’s the Third Commandment, after all. However, vulgarities are a different category.
I’ve been thinking about this off and on. Negative associations with words, seem, in part, to be something of an inherited tradition. Our parents found certain words offensive, so they taught our parents, who in turn taught us, not to use them. When I look at some words, like, say, the “S” word, I wonder how a word becomes a “stronger” noun of another noun, and why “stronger” = “badder.” On the whole, I do not use these words in my speech, largely out of habit from my upbringing, and also to avoid offending those around me. However, I don’t feel as if I’m committing a sin or anything if “strong” language is used in situations that call for it. Words are tools that express meaning, and, in spoken language especially, emotion too.
Hmm. Good point about profanity.
Another article I found interesting was this one on the f-word in college circles. Speaking as a sort of bystander, I think a lot of people use strong language flippantly and when they actually don’t mean it. In that way, I suppose, the language is actually falling into common use and becomes much less strong. Other words will have to take the place of these.
We have this problem with words in general. People say words like “infinitely” when they don’t mean it at all. We demean and degrade our language when we do that.
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.” 1 Corinthians 10:23.
While a lot of today’s vulgar words may not be sinful, they don’t often edify others. I know that for me, being around people who constantly use foul language only drags me down and makes it that much harder to live a life that pleases God. Anyway fellas, that’s just my 2 cents worth.
I have to say, though, I have been slowly falling for “Falling Slowly”. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head for the past week!
Ashley,
Yeah, my thinking tends to lie along the same lines. But why, in particular, are they not edifying? Do they only drag Christians down, or non-Christians as well? I’m not sure how something can drag me down and not be sinful as well, though.
Also, Falling Slowly is an amazing song. Where did you hear it? Some friends last summer introduced me to The Swell Season and The Frames, so that’s when I heard it.
Why aren’t they edifying? Well, I’ve never heard someone use one of those words in a nice way. They are almost always used in a degrading way. This being the case, I guess they can even bring non-Christians down, but probably not as much as they bring Christians down.
As for the song, I was first introduced to it about the time it won the Oscar for Best Song (I know, why do I keep up with those things?). After the Rabbit Room post, I watched/listened to it on YouTube. I really like it.
I think it’s nonsensical to even entertain the thought that language itself can somehow be ‘foul’. Language is not foul, but the meaning behind it can be.
We use words in our everyday language without thinking twice about it that would have shocked our great-grandparents, and our grandchildren will be saying words that shock some people in our generation. The perception of a words meaning changes over time. It is meaning that ought to concern us, not words.
I’m espescially perturbed by Christians that look down their nose at the use of ‘foul’ language because we as followers of Christ ought to be easily able to see past labels and into the deeper meanings of things. I don’t even hear ‘foul’ language anymore, really, but I certainly hear hate, meanness, coarseness, and sinful talk all the time, sometimes using ‘foul’ language but just as often apparently ‘clean’.
Words aren’t foul, people are.