IS IT UN-CHRISTIAN TO CURSE?

Cursing is more of a cultural thing than a Biblical thing. What is considered a normal word in one culture is a curse word in another. In Swedish language, the word “Satan” is a curse word, and the number “17” is actually a mild curse word, while the English “F” word is freely used by adults and youth.  Of course, our English cuss words didn’t exist when the Bible was written.

The Bible doesn’t list specific words as curse words, but rather instructs that we should not take the Lord’s name in vain. The word “Hell” appears throughout the Holy Bible, yet is culturally deemed in America to be a cuss word!

In reality, Trump is not being un-Christian when he says “Hell,” but rather he is being culturally or politically incorrect. There is a difference. Certain words have developed as “culturally” inappropriate in different cultures.  Some of us have actually heard pastors “curse” from the pulpit. We must be careful about judgmentally applying cultural standards as if they were Biblical standards. However, having said that, Christians should strive to use language that does not offend, and that does not make us a target for those that would question our Christianity.

On the other hand, when the threat of evil is so great, sometimes a culturally emphatic expression is appropriate. Do you really think that Trump will be respected or feared by ISIS if he said he was going to “bomb the POOP out of them?”

When Trump says he is going to bomb the Hell out of ISIS, that is not corrupt communication.  That is emphatic communication that is actually edifying to the needs of the hearer as observed by the great cheers that go up from the crowd of conservatives that hear it.  We must defend our faith from the demonic force of Satanic Islamic Terrorism that is sneaking in our back door and taking our children and denying our God.  There is probably no curse word that is too strong or emphatic to engage this concept.

The pendulum MUST swing before it gets centered again.  We live in a fallen world.  My friend, none of this that we endure is how it was meant to be.  But in this world, we sometimes benefit by using the language that makes our emphatic point. However, we must NOT speak, per Ephesians 4:29, corrupt language that corrupts the glory of Christ, or perverts His meaning or message, or usurps His Godhead, or denies His power, or calls upon another god, or engages in animism, or ingratiates Lucifer, or grieves the Holy Spirit, or worships idolatry, or glorifies sin.

The liberal left and the conservative right have both imposed an overly simplistic definition of “corrupt” language that is based on our socio-cultural definition of righteousness, but denies and ignores the real corruption in our lives that God is speaking to.

Talking in a socially acceptable way may satisfy the standards of righteousness that man’s culture has imposed.  But it won’t get you salvation.  In fact, you have to wonder how many of our children have been trained to ACT like Christians, but really have an empty faith?

As Trump has said, other candidates complain in a silly way about his “tone” while Christians are getting their heads chopped off!  Trump says that Christianity is under siege.  He has promised to defend Christianity.  I think I can live with his tone!  It’s almost a job requirement.

(Also see the posting on this site entitled “Trump Is Killing Political Correctness” at www.c4dt.com/trump-is-killing-political-correctness)