Hey Christian, How Much Do You Cuss?
Hey Christian, How Much Do You Cuss?
One night after I finished preaching, my father talked to me in private. I had used the expression, “Bless God” while preaching and Dad explained to me that I was not actually blessing God at the time. The way I was using the phrase sounded more like I was taking His Name in vain. I stopped using that expression that night.
It is so easy to pick up phrases and expressions we hear and incorporate them in our own vocabulary. I did.
As a young Christian, I heard my Pastor (Dad) and other ministers caution us about using Euphemisms, Pseudo-profanities, and Minced Oaths in our conversations.
Wikipedia says, “Euphemisms for God and Jesus, such as gosh and gee, are used by Christians to avoid taking the name of God in a vain oath, which many believe would violate one of the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20)”
Actually, most of us use words without thinking of the meaning or origin. Euphemisms are words that we use to keep from actually saying the ‘forbidden’ words. Some say words or phrases like:
Begorrah – instead of By God
Bejabbers – instead of By Jesus
Blinking heck – instead of Bloody Hell
By George – instead of By God
By Golly – instead of By God
By Gum – instead of By God
By Jove – instead of By God
Criminy, Crikey, Cripes – instead of Christ
Dang, Darn instead of Damn
Dad gum – instead of God damn
Dagnabbit – instead of God damn it
Dagnammit – instead of God damn it
Dangnabbit – instead of God damn it
Dangnation – instead of Damnation
Darnation – instead of Damnation
Doggone – instead of God damn
Drat – instead of God rot it
Egad – instead of God
For crying out loud – instead of For Christ’s sake
For Pete’s sake – instead of For St. Peter’s sake
For the love of Mike – instead of For St. Michael’s sake
Freaking, Frickin, Fudging, Feck, Fig, instead of the “F-word”
Gadzooks – instead of God’s hooks
Gat Dangit – instead of God damn it
Gee, Geez, Geeze, Jeez – instead of Jesus
Gee whizz – instead of Jesus
Gee willikers – instead of Jesus
Godfrey Daniel – instead of God damn
Good grief – instead of Good God
Goodness gracious – instead of Good God
Gosh, Golly, Gad, Goodness – instead of God
Gosh darned – instead of God damned
Heck – instead of Hell
Jeepers Creepers – instead of Jesus Christ
Jeezy Creezy –> Jesus Christ
Jehosaphat – instead of Jesus
Jiminy Christmas – instead of Jesus Christ
Jiminy Cricket – instead of Jesus Christ
Judas Priest – instead of Jesus Christ
Land sakes – instead of For the Lord’s sake
My goodness – instead of My God
My gosh – instead of My God
Sam Hill – instead of Hell
Shoot – instead of sh*t
Shucks – instead of sh*t
Suffering succotash – instead of Suffering Saviour
Tarnation – instead of Damnation
What in Sam Hill? – instead of What in damn Hell?
Wish to goodness – instead of Wish to God
My hope is that we all monitor our words and remove improper ones from our vocabulary. By-words are dangerous. Let us be careful in a careless world.
Psa. 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
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That was very awakening… I was unaware of some of the meanings. “Pete’s sake”, etc… Thanks for helping us be careful in a careless world…
Brittany Brewer
February 3, 2011 at 10:56 am
Oh my…..Now what can I say???? I guess I am now “speechless!” LOL
I guess this is where we come back to Yay or Nay as the scripture says.
I said “Oh Fish!!!” when I was a teenager at the dinner table in South bend. Dad quietly laid down his fork and looked directly at me and firmly said. “Why don’t you go ahead and just say the real word?” That cured that folks…haha
Ramona
February 3, 2011 at 10:59 am
Eph. 4:29 let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth except that which is good to the use of edifying that it may administer grace to the hearers.
Justin Boling
February 3, 2011 at 12:21 pm
I remember you, Bro. Ballestero, preaching about minced oaths and I remember my father preaching the same thing. But you know what? There are still some of these words I use–used! Believe me I’m going to start thinking about the words I use and try to change my language!
Crystal Smith (Morris)
February 3, 2011 at 2:39 pm
Oh how so many of us including me are found so guilty of these things but not my husband. He has been reminding me of these words for the longest. So when I say “Oh my God”, he says “Are you really praying?” My mother raised me all my life not to say any by words! If Granny Pope were alive today, she would be the first to amen you all the way! I know that is why Tom says no by words because she taught him this by word issue as a heaven or hell thing.
Janell and Tom Puleo
February 3, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Bro. Ballestero, I love this post,
I remember using Dang one time when I first got into church 23 years ago, and Sister Maxine Wilson, “lightly” smacked my cheek, she said “ladies” dont speak those words. LOL, we dont use the “G” words at all, Golly, Gosh, Giminy, We were told that such words are Sissy Cuss Words. Pastor Paul Wilson, told me once, that using Sissy Cuss Words were like cussing anyways, Thank you Bro. Ballestero for sharing,
God Bless,
Cheri Bagato,
Glendale Arizona,
Pastor R.G. Garrett is my pastor.
Cheri Bagato
February 3, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Thank you for this post! I want to be careful what I say, especially because my two little boys are listening just waiting to repeat it.
Heidi
February 4, 2011 at 12:09 am
Thank you Bro. Ballestero for bringing this much needed reminder to our thoughts…. When we have people all around us cussing all the time, it is so easy for us to start using slang… We need to hear this !!~ We need to be reminded, that Sissy Cussing still offends others, and it Still Offends God !!~
Thanks again, Robin ~
Robin Mills
February 4, 2011 at 10:03 am
wow, what a good reminder.When I first came into the church 38yrs. ago.Bro. Myers taught on sissy cussing and gave us a list, along with some other words not nice to use.I’ve never forgotten the list. and been teased often,but,never forgot that lesson
Sis. Iris
February 4, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Ahh yes. I remember Dad cautioning us many times. No “by words” at all. Not even, “I don’t give a ‘hoot'”.
One time, when Jason was a child, I was correcting him and promised to “beat the fire” out of him if he didn’t straighten up. Dad’s response was, “Why don’t you just go ahead and say what’s in your heart? You said “fire” in place of “hell”.
That was the last time I said that! It does pay to be careful with your speech.
Nila Marxer
February 6, 2011 at 1:47 pm
This was taught to me in the early eighties, It was in some sunday school lessons and preached from the pulpit ! I’m not happy about it but in High school my mouth was filthy. You say you cannot control the way you talk well as soon as I walked into my parents home not a filthy word went past my lips. And that was without the help of the Holy Ghost. Thankyou.
Sharon Johnson
February 25, 2011 at 9:19 am