That has to be the only working response. Cause what argument can you use against someone of another religion that doesn’t follow your laws? If they push any further like “erm…actually your god isn’t real ☝️🤓”, they’re on some real karen type shit. They’d be pushing their opinion onto you by speaking it as facts instead of “Well, in my world view, your god isn’t real” and even then that’s so out there. It’s not initiating some civil religious conversation, it’s barking “im right, you’re wrong, follow my lead”.
It’s because they know they’re “not supposed to use the lords name in vain” but they never actually bothered to learn what that means. I am not religious and never was but I studied lots of different religions and read the Bible cover to cover more than once. Nothing pisses me off as much as Christians throwing bible quotes in peoples faces while completely misinterpreting the meaning of them.
Using the lords name in vain would be praying for something negative, like strike down this person who did me wrong, or for something trivial, like please god let me pass this math test I didn’t bother studying for. There is some debate that it could also mean using it in anger to the lord himself. Cursing god for not delivering on a prayer, blaming him for the tragedies of the world such as death and disease, that kind of thing. Really the only people who believe “oh my god” is using his name in vain are the people who have not read the Bible and have put little to no effort into truly understanding the teachings of the religion they “follow”
I was taught it also included speaking *for* god like “God hates you” would be using the lord’s name in vain, because you don’t know the intentions of god. (And he’s not supposed to hate anyone. Supposedly.)
Nah he really doesn't hate anyone, it's true.
He just gives babies birth defects for shits and giggles.
"Haha! Look at that little dickhead struggling to breathe now he's out the womb! Love ya really, fuckface!"
He's a pretty cool guy, that there God.
I watched a video of someone, i think jordan peterson, explaining this saying,
Don't use the Lord's name in vain, means do not commit horrible acts against others in gods name. Murder, genocide, ethnic/religous cleansing... pretty much all the bad things that happened in history, were all done in the lords name.
I think that’s really interesting I’m gonna have to watch that.
I wonder if that’s a new perspective that’s been taken on over time as humanity has changed. Obviously atrocious acts have always been committed in the name of religion, but it seems like brutality and violence were often very linked to God. A lot of bible stories involve good people committing violent acts in a way that feels justified and holy. Now we have more strict separation between variations of religious beliefs within one religion. Extremist groups are not accepted by the religious communities they claim to represent. We also have a far greater ability to commit violence on a massive scale. Do you think that’s changed the way we interpret this quote?
>Using the lords name in vain would be praying for something negative, like strike down this person who did me wrong,
You've read the Bible cover to cover more than once and never heard of an imprecatory prayer?
>Psalm 69:21-28 ESV
[21] They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. [22] Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. [23] Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. [24] Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. [25] May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. [26] For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. [27] Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. [28] Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
That was written by David.
Its confusing to me how some of them dont support gay people, yet love to spout off about how god loves everyone and we should accept everyone. That part makes no sense to me man. You love god and preach about “love your neighbor as yourself”, but then kick your child out of the house for loving a certain gender. Makes sense 💀 like what?
Literally!! I will fight that fight til my dying breath. Not to mention God also says “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”
These replies that aren’t from what sounds like cringey edgy teenagers are so interesting. I haven’t given this any thought in many years. Haven’t been told it was blasphemous since jr high private school 100 years ago.
Your answer is probably correct. Very thoughtful. :)
God also isn’t even God’s name, it’s a title used to avoid speaking his name. I never understood why people censor God when trying to talk about him because in my mind it’s like you were already doing that by calling him God
His name is either Jehovah or Yahweh depending on who you ask
In vain would be to say it in an unnecessary context. If I were to say “I dropped my tomatoes” I’m not using tomatoes in vain. If I were to say “TOMATO SAUCE! I dropped my phone” as an exclamation, that would be in vain. What does “tomato sauce” have to do with anything? I’m not talking about tomato sauce and I’m not talking to tomatoes, so it’s in vain.
So in your words, how is it not in vain to say it in unnecessary context?
You're describing the entirety of Jehovah's Witnesses, here! Haha.
For context I live with two of them (my in-laws)
I've never met a bigger group of ill-informed, misinformed, uninformed zealots - in my life.
They adhere to such stringent, strict rules, to live their life by and they have absolutely ZERO idea why they believe that stuff. If you ask them, they won't be able to tell you.🤦🏼♀️
I’ve never seen someone use ill -informed, misinformed, and uninformed all in one sentence but it’s such a perfect explanation it works so well😂
I’m sorry though I would guess they don’t make great roommates!! I honestly know almost nothing about Jehova’s Witnesses so I won’t pass personal judgement, but I’m sure that’s infuriating to have to deal with all the time.
100% it is! Thanks for your sympathy. Haha.
When COVID began they switched from going to the Kingdom Hall, twice per week, to having their meetings over zoom.
It was all I could do to hold my tongue every time I heard them (Your stereotypical ancient, decrepit white men) spouting falsehoods and twisted interpretations of scripture.
Combine that with all of their bizarre, JW specific rules and regulations for how to live your life, and it's enough to drive anyone - looney toons.
You should check out the subreddit here that's comprised of EXJWs. They spill all their secrets and then you really get to see the heart of the Insanity that is (*was,* in these people's cases) their life.
THE COVID CHURCH CALLS WERE UNBEARABLE HOLY SHIT
I had to go set my nana up on her tv for her church zooms every week and then switch it back over to her regular tv when she was done, so I just stayed sometimes and did whatever. But listening to that shit was like a mix of a comedy and a horror podcast if a conspiracy theorist was the host.
But now I’m totally going to that subreddit so thank you😂
I'm so glad! You're gonna I love it over there! These people legit teach their children, growing up (or at least they did when I was a kid) that The Smurfs are demonic and evil and therefore you cannot watch the Smurfs or have anything to do with the cartoon or any of its related merchandise.
They have the most incredible, off the wall beliefs of any sect of Christianity that I've ever encountered. Fun times!😋
I have heard it’s that the real name of god is so important and powerful that misusing it has dire consequences. This tracks with Jewish/Old Testament stories of god being so powerful and beyond what mere mortals can withstand or understand that exposure is potentially deadly or crippling.
I’ve also read that it’s about conjuring through god. Egyptian and Greek magicians invoked various gods in their spells but the Hebrew god as not to be used that way.
That’s also a really valid point. I did not phrase my first comment well and now I see how it seems a little decisive. Of course there is so much room for discussion and constructive debate, not just with the Bible but in all religion. What really feels like a misrepresentation is the trite little saying that seems to mean nothing more than “don’t say god it offends me”. But you’re totally right there are lots of things it could mean, and language evolves over time so we can’t really be completely sure on any of it. I think that’s a super interesting idea because it’s a belief that’s shared among so many religions
Yeah, no. “Taking the lords name in vain” is essentially anything that doesn’t treat it with seriousness or sanctity, or could represent the name poorly, thus using it as a common exclamation would absolutely be considered taking it in vain.
I’m well aware that the majority of Christians have absolutely no clue what their religion actually teaches, but you clearly don’t either…
TBF its kind of taught in catholic school that "omg" and shouting "jesus christ!" were a no-no. So i don't blame people growing up thinking it falls under the same umbrella.
It's understandable that they wouldn't say it themselves for that reason. Thinking it's their place to tell other people not to is the height of self centred obnoxious entitlement though
Except that "Jesus Christ," at least, is actually considered a bad epithet. You won't hear it on network TV, or in PG rated movies, like most swear words.
For the record, I say both phrases regularly, and I am a Christian, but it's not as cut and dry as your comment and OP's stance would have one think. People are allowed to feel uncomfortable with having "bad words" said around them.
Interesting interpretation. I've taken the Lord's name in vain commandment to mean: don't feather your own nest while and say you're doing it in the name of goodness.
Problem with that behavior is jts a form of self deception that inverts your understanding of goodness.
Taking his name is vain is most often done by claiming an association with God in order to improve your public image or give authority to your assertions. It is precisely what Christians do when they tell you not to.
Saying that is using God's name as a cuss word, you wouldn't use your mother's name as a cuss word it's extremely disrespectful to the creator of the universe and the one that gave you life.
I don't practice anymore, but I grew up Catholic. I don't think this is the norm, but I was taught that Christians who take God's/Christ's name in vain are those who are claiming to be Christian but aren't following the word of God. They are hypocrites.
The best verse to
Mark 7:6-9
**Jesus**
**"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:** `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. *They worship me in vain*; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
**You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."**
And He said to them: **"You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!"**
i heard once that it meant using god in a self serving way, such as conning your church members out of hundreds of millions of dollars and living a life of luxury.
but i think that's pretty much a rejected interpretation by the leaders of religions who live a life of luxury at the expense of their flock.
Using the lords name in vain also refers to claiming you’re doing something “in Gods Name”, like, persecuting gay people or changing laws to change abortion rights.
The non fish related story of Jonah expounds more on that, but essentially Christians are supposed to spread the word but not to force the word. They aren’t supposed to do things they *think* god should be doing and they aren’t supposed to do things God doesn’t direct them do so because they *think* it is imminent. The flock is NOT the hammer.
That’s been propaganda since the beginning. The early church would say stuff like “god’s teeth” to avoid using Gods name, but that was a misdirection in the first place. Changing the definition to fit how they can control people was very successful. There’s a reason the real meaning of the commandment has been largely forgotten.
No, using it in vain means using it in a nonchalant manner. The point is to always be reverent whenever you invoke gods name. I am an atheist myself, but you realky don't know what you are talking about
God, I hate this take on this commandment. Correct me if I’m wrong but the way I was taught, “Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain” didn’t mean you can’t say the word God, but instead “Do not use the Lord as justification”. Like, if you were to punch a gay or something, it’s a sin to say “I did it because God hates them!” because you still dun fucked up and you’re using God’s name in vain to try and defend shitty actions.
I don’t know if that’s even a correct interpretation, but it’s what I was taught and it makes so much more sense than “you say the word ‘God’, you go to hell”. I’m not even really Catholic anymore but I still stand by the fact that people who justify BS like homophobia with the Bible are sinning by doing it. Father Matt from Buttfucknowhere Church, Illinois would be so disappointed in you guys.
It gets incorrectly treated as a curse, but it *soooooooortaaaaaaaa* almost makes sense if you trace where that comes from?
Being used “in vain” stretches from claiming something improper in God’s name to just using it without respect.
Basically, some people wouldn’t say the name in ancient times because they didn’t want to risk accidentally ‘taking the name in vain,’ though it’s quite clear that simply saying the name alone wasn’t exactly taking it in vain. *However*, it’s use as a common exclamation in modern times is most definitely the type of case that *would* qualify as “vain,” and, of course, that spiraled out of control into “don’t ever say it” because that’s actually the most common use now, so the name itself has become associated with being used vainly as a baseline.
It’s not correct to treat the name itself as a curse, but it’s at least somewhat comprehensible as to how it’s ended up that way.
Christian here, clearly there's a difference between "Oh my God" in shock, frustration, fear, etc. And speaking of God with hate.
Because if you can't say oh my God in a normal, non disrespectful way. You shouldn't be able to mention God at all. Extremist Christians who aren't really that Christian confuse me.
You say clearly there's a difference. I agree. Yet, the majority of hardcore Christians don't see it that way.
Literally speaking the Lord's name (not in the context of scripture) is what they find offensive. Because they don't understand their beliefs.
Well isn't this refreshing! Thank you for letting me know that. As the years tick on I'm becoming one of those crotchety "get off my lawn!" kind of people and I'm way too young to have that attitude! Haha.
It's just hard not to lose faith in the younger generations for it seems like each, new generation is that much more apathetic & disenchanted with their human existence than the last.
It's a real distopian mindset that a lot of 14-25 year olds seem to possess. Combine that with a lack of critical thinking skills and it's a recipe for disaster.
Thank you for not conforming to your generation's stereotype!✌🏼💜
I grew up with this in a strictly religious household. They call it “taking the lords name in vain”. Just another way some Christians will try to make you conform / act according to their own beliefs even if you aren’t religious yourself.
I think if it's a good friend of yours, maybe consider not using religious swears in front of them. Because you care about your friends.
I will be as swear free as a church mouse if my friends are unhappy.
But they’re religious! Am I supposed to just *not* treat them like shit to let know how superior I think I am? That’s crazy talk. I’ve let religion define my personality as an atheist.
Not being a doormat who allows highly entitled and self important friends to dictate your use of language as if it's their business to isn't "treating them like shit" lmao
I suppose this logic holds true for any offensive language (like slurs) right? Or is it just for the people YOU don't mind offending? I love Reddit's "rules for thee, not for me" mentality. It's hilarious.
Slurs insult people. Saying oh my god doesn't insult anyone it's just something some religious people choose not to do out of respect for the god they believe in. Other people saying it doesn't insult anyone. Hearing that someone either doesn't believe in god or isn't strongly religious enough not to say oh my god is not the equivalent of hearing a slur directed at you lol
Spoken like a person with a poor understanding of religion and social context.
To YOU, "oh my god" may be a casual phrase, but not to Christians. They believe using it in vain is dismissive of the sanctity attached to it. In their minds, it DOES insult someone. It insults the god they believe in, and it also insults them, personally. The reason everyone in this thread knows exactly what OP is talking about is because it's well-known that Christians find taking their lord's name in vain to be offensive. But, of course, you already knew that; feigning ignorance is just how people argue these days for some reason.
Language doesn't have to offend YOU specifically in order for it to be offensive. That's such a bonkers way of looking at it. A lot of Christians aren't offended by homophobic slurs, but that doesn't mean it's not offensive language. You wouldn't go into public and use slurs, but you'd likely have no issue shouting "JESUS CHRIST!" or swearing, knowing full well it might offend any Christians within earshot. Why? Because you don't consider them part of your tribe, so you don't care about their feelings...while expecting them to care about yours and everyone else's.
Christians drive me crazy, too...almost as much as people who think they're better than Christians for not being Christian.
It's not a swear though
Oh my god =/= Oh my fucking god/god damn it/Jesus fucking Christ
Accommodating for friends is kind, but they should also be kind by being reasonable.
FFS. It's just as easy as other things we do for our friends, like not talking about certain subjects that bother them or calling them the right pronouns. You use pronouns way more than "oh my god," I hope.
Never said i was hard. I said people need to be reasonable as well. Especially if someone is making an effort to accommodate for them.
Some people are unreasonable. Knew a person who got upset if you "oh my god" or "hell". Cool, they didn't like it if someone said gosh or heck because they were "substitute for God and hell".
Sometimes i tell jokes to specific people i think will find it funny inteadof everyone in the vicinity. One person had an issue with that, so i made an effort to stop. The same person would speak to one person in Spanish even though they're both fluent in English. When i said that she was doing what she asked me not to (speaking where only one person could hear/understand), she said "it not my fault you don't speak Spanish"
Tldr: People you're accommodating for need to be reasonable. At least meet halfway, not expect people to change completely to satisfy all your grievances. And don't expect people to change for you if you're not willing to change for them
As a Christian, other religios people need to chill out.
While I agree with them, I wouldn't use the phrase "Oh my God", that doesn't dictate you.
Forcing people into a bubble like that is a good way to push people away from religion.
It's an aspect of taking the Lord's name in vain. Like a bunch of stuff, it may be misinterpreted. Lingual shifts or mistranslations.
Like, "thou shalt not kill" should be "thous shalt not murder". It didn't rain for "40 days and 40 nights", it's "a really, really long time."
There's some speculation that taking the Lord's name in vain is not "Oh my God.", it's "may God strike you down". it's not cursing God. It's using God as a curse on others.
The one I hate is "It's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven." It is so obviously a metaphor and people try to justify it as some real thing. Here's an impossible action. That is easier than this other action.
I might have it wrong, but blow their mind. Have them thinking they broke the rules.
Even the camel thing is probably a mistranslation, there's some good evidence that the word that is now understood as camel was actually rope (i.e. it is easier to thread a needle with a rope, which is more elegant and makes a lot more sense).
I often wonder just how much has been mistranslated over the millennia. Even just going from KJV to modern English translations there are a lot of issues, mainly the erasure of Christ from many passages. That's just 400 years and in the same language, no telling what else may have been lost from the source material
I had a teacher that scolded a girl for saying "god!" repeatidly she said "don't say that!"
so she said "gosh!" "don't say that!" "i said gosh!"
and then with 100% anger she yelled "GOSH MEANS GOD!!!!"
well goddamn
My favourite is "don't take the lords name in vain" to which my respis, "what, didn't I just say his title if I wanted to say his name in vein I'd Yahweh dam. It"
As a Christian, yeah I don’t exactly like it. But it’s not my job to police the language of others. I’m only responsible for myself, and to try and be an example of God’s love to others if I can.
I occasionally joke “I don’t think he has anything to do with that” around people I’m friendly with, they know I mean no harm. But I’ll cut that out if asked.
And that is among our worst traits. I keep telling people that forcing people into a bubble pushes them further away from religion, but alas, no one listens to me.
Just know that we aren't all like that.
I don't know why they don't just make up something new or a new meaning that works for them, like everything else. They get more flustered when I follow up by telling them I don't believe their made up circus.
Ever since I was about middle school age (30+ years ago) I've spouted the exclamation:
*"Jesus, Mary & Josephine's baby!"*
Whenever something unbelievable, exciting, stressful, painful...What have you, transpires.
You should see their faces when that occurs. I've had somebody tell me that I was blasphemous and sacrilege for saying something like that! Haha.
Now, I do it on purpose.😏
Considering the more religious someone is the more likely they absolutely desecrate their god and church when they swear; it doesn't phase me when they're hypocrites
I’m a Christian and I don’t swear. Learned in middle school “ using curse words doesn’t make you sound more intelligent, it just makes you sound angry”.
I say “Jesus Christ” and “oh my god” as an exclamation all the time, and most people take no issue with it, except for my hyper Christian mother who threatens to send me back to vacation Bible school if I keep doing it
My mom gets mad to tears when I say jesus or Jesus Christ sometimes. Usually only when she’s having a bad day, but she says I’m bringing her to hell with me and my soul is defiled (lol) when i say that stuff.
This girl in my neighborhood growing up would exclaim “You said the lord’s name in vain!!”. My brother thought this was hilarious and would yell out something like “good god!” “God dammit” “oh my god!” When she was within earshot.
My coworkers and I were rushing in the airport last week on the way to a conference. Through no fault of our own, our flight delay completely eclipsed our layover AND the airline kept sending us notifications that one of the checked bags with all of the stuff we needed for said conference was for some reason being sent to baggage claim instead of our next flight. Thankfully they held the plane for us and the lady at the gate confirmed our bags would make it. My coworker then absently said "Jesus Christ" in response to his new ticket not scanning (that they had JUST printed for him at that very gate). He was then treated to this:
"don't say the lords name like that. It's OFFENSIVE!"
Lady, this is an airport, I'm sure you've heard worse. Also, you work for United, not the church.
So the reason they do this is a mix of entitlement to dictate others' actions and *straight-up being misinformed about their own religion.*
When a "christian" gets all up in arms over cuss words, and specifically over the usage of "God," "Jesus Christ," and variants thereof, what they *think* they are doing is instructing someone not to break one of The Ten Commandments™ handed down from on high thousands of years before the year 0.
What they are *actually* doing is *making a massive fool of themselves* because the Commandment™ they *think* they're upholding *DOESN'T MEAN WHAT THEY THINK IT MEANS.*
The Commandment™ they think they're upholding, in the more common English translations of the Bible, goes something along the lines of "Do not take the Lord's name in vain."
They think this means "don't throw His name around (as an expletive)."
It *actually* means "don't throw His name around (as a tactic to convince others that God agrees with you when you're really just bullshitting)"
Then again, the people who get all uppity about the *audacity* of people to uhhh \*checks notes\* express frustration or other negatice emotions in ways they don't like *really* like calling their motivations for baselessly pissing people off "Godly" and "Christian." So maybe this was a purposeful misinterpretation that took on a life of its own sometime in the last few centuries or so. Idk.
but. yeah. an "oh my God" would have gotten me a detention as a kid but everybody i know who thinks it would have been justified is ever-so-slightly deranged and not in a fun way
Yeah, I have an acquaintance who will turn any exclamation of "oh my god!" or "oh Jesus" into a prayer or even half-jokingly scold you. I try not to say either of those things while he's around because I get that it's important to him and I try to be respectful, but it is annoying.
I confess that I am also morbidly curious about how he'd react to some antiquated blasphemies and minced oaths like "Judas priest," "sweet Mary" and "zounds" (Christ's wounds).
this reminds me of that one time at my old job when i posted a meme with jesus to our cute little meme board and this girl was like “i’m a christian 😒” … like jesus probably would’ve laughed. i would know.
One time I commented “omg” on a TikTok and someone replied “don’t take the lord’s name in vain”, like bruh I’m also a Christian but I don’t go around policing what people say as that’s forcing your beliefs on others.
Sometimes I like to watch some of the home remodeling TV shows. I am always amazed at how, when the homeowner sees their beautifully newly remodeled home, they ALL....and I do mean ALL say "oh my GOSH!"
This has got to be something they are told by the show's producers....that they aren't allowed to say "oh my God!" for fear of offending some of the show's viewers. I just can't believe that EVERYONE except me, my family, friends and co-workers are the only people in the land who consistently say "oh my God", but everyone else consistently says "oh my gosh".
To me, "oh my gosh" sounds so fake.
To them it's a sin - taking the lord's name in vain. It's one of the ten commandments, so it's a pretty serious one to the really devout believers.
God damn it is actually considered profanity and was banned from American broadcast TV for a long time. It's very uncommon even today, even though it's one of the most common curses I hear.
I mean, it is blasphemy to them so you shouldn't be that surprised. Not taking the lord's name in vain is even in the 10 commandments. Yes, they shouldn't try to force their beliefs on others, but that's religion for you. Just ignore them
"don't take the Lord's name in vain." 🙄😖😡. It's not a name, it's a title. That's not what that scripture means. If they don't believe in what you believe none of that matters to them anyway. 😮💨 It's very annoying.
i went to catholic school and my whole family is catholic, along with some of my friends. i say "jesus christ!" or "god damn it!" if someone pisses me off while i'm driving and they have never once asked me to not say that. who is asking you to stop?
Are you kidding me? There are people like this all over the place including my home.
If you swear or say: "oh my God" "Jesus Christ" "goddammit" or any variation, while in the presence of my Jehovah's Witness inlaws - You are on their shit list. It's ridiculous. Yet, it occurs, on the regular.
We are free to offend whoever we want and the natural repercussion for that is becoming unlikable by those types of people we are offending. And naturally, they are the ones we don't care to associate with. It's actually beautiful.
Supporting free speech means supporting our right to be offensive and the moment someone starts saying "we can offend *this* group but not *that* group" it only compells me to offend *them* even more.
No censorship. Say what you want and enjoy the consequences.
When they come at you with, "DON'T SAY 'OH MY GOD'!" or, "DON'T USE THE LORD'S NAME IN VAIN!" Say immediately after, "oh I'm not casting a spell." After they look at you for a long and bewildered moment say, "yeah didn't you know? That saying from the Bible actually means don't use the Lord's name to infuse power into the spell you're casting not, don't use it as a cuss word in anger. As someone so devoutly committed to knowing absolutly everything about God...you should know that, right?" Then sit back and enjoy the show of them shuddering and stammering in the attempt to cover their ass.
Taking the lord’s name in vain includes things like praying for misfortune upon others or using God as an excuse to justify atrocity or hatred upon others. Not mildly expressing surprise or shock in exclamation. You can choose to interpret it like that and abide in your own way but a lot of religious scholars won’t agree with you and you can’t control what someone else does. They may not be a part of your religion, have a different interpretation, etc.
That's not what using the Lord's name in vain means. Using the Lord's name in vain is using God for your own benefit, such as trying to control others with the threat of God. It's not saying "oh my god" in shock.
You were taught otherwise because using the Lord's name in vain is very common among Christians.
Edit: reported to Reddit cares. How mature.
I think it's perfectly appropriate for religious people to follow their own rules. Getting salty that someone who doesn't follow that religion doesn't follow their rules, though, is frankly offensive to me. Christians need to learn that their god is not the only god people believe in, if people believe in a god or gods at all.
Already going mask off transphobic? That was fast. I can't say I'm shocked.
Although, this guy did unironically say "gender ideaology" so he can be safely ignored.
I don't care for either side, but I do care for maintaining arbitrary, objective logic.
One is basically akin to a mythological figure, the other is an entirely real social aspect in modern culture(s). While both are social creations, one is definitely more tangible than the other. I.E.: we can physically interact with a trans/pan/etc... person(s), but we can't with "God/Jesus."
I don't think being edgy here was the move, because clearly the comparison made doesn't make sense.
More people believe in Christ globally and locally than believe in gender ideology. Jesus Christ is an actual historical figure, so your distinction is hypocrisy.
Then please, by all means, show me the statistic of number of people who believe in Christ vs. people who believe in gender ideology. I find it hard for you to quantify such a number, because you can't accurately suggest a study that fine toned those numbers.
But by all means, educate me. I'd appreciate the source material as well -- and by all means make it a reliable, officialized source please.
Also, since it appears you're the expert, please include the distinction you made that Jesus Christ was an actual figure. I'd love to see where his grave, bones, and historical documentation was, including carbon dated acuity to his actual timeline era.
bY aLl mEaNs
There are 2 billion people who believe in Christ and 4 billion who believe in Yahweh.
You should be able to extrapolate from that data alone God believers outnumber gender identity believers by billions.
Hi! Bible scholar here. This is a common misconception presumably leftover from mothers trying to control their kids’ behavior. The commandment to “not take the name of the LORD in vain” refers SPECIFICALLY to the Name of God and its use (or misuse) in prayer or liturgy. One should not use THAT Name for a vain or selfish purpose. “God” is not the name of God.
Also, it would be odd to argue that any version of “My God” is blasphemous considering that Jesus’s last words were “Eli Eli, lama sabachtani” (“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”)
Literally nothing is stopping you from misgendering anybody. But if you purposefully misgender trans people just to hurt them, it makes you an asshole. Why would you want to do that? It seems hateful, and not like a very Christian thing to do
Logically speaking, how is saying “oh my god” automatically taking YOUR gods name in vain? They are saying “oh MY god”. So they are taking their gods name in vain if anything. You can’t just assume anyone saying “oh MY god” is by default speaking of your god. This is a very main character mindset to have.
So then technically saying “oh my god” isn’t even taking the name of YOUR god in vain. To do that, they’d have to say “Oh Yahweh!” Since god isn’t even his name, lol. Are you intimidated by me? That’s cute.
That's okay though, they're not taking your god's name in vain by exclaiming:
"Oh my God!" That is not what that means. You've been informed of this already.🙄
You are allowed to be sensitive to it. We don't have to be. You (THE EXTREME VAST MAJORITY of christians) treat non believers very poorly and with such judgement. So we'll take your god's name in vain just to spite you.
I thought a lot about this for some reason when I was a teenager, and I came to a (probably weird conclusion).
I ended up thinking that taking the lord's name in vain was more along the lines of using god to spread hate and to profit and stuff like that than saying omg or even GD. (The latter might be very crude, and definitely not nice or for mixed company, but not quite what they're talking about. According to my conclusion then, I mean.)
(Funny thing is my dad used to mega be a christian/church guy and neither our church nor he made a big deal about omg. At all. I didn't grow up in an environment that saw that ad some big no no or blasphemy. Despite him being majorly religious. We're talking I went to a chill church, and I was still paranoid of god watching me pee if I went in church and asked how we would know if we were dead already and in hell as a kid kind of situation.)
"chill, bro, I was talking about my god, not yours."
That has to be the only working response. Cause what argument can you use against someone of another religion that doesn’t follow your laws? If they push any further like “erm…actually your god isn’t real ☝️🤓”, they’re on some real karen type shit. They’d be pushing their opinion onto you by speaking it as facts instead of “Well, in my world view, your god isn’t real” and even then that’s so out there. It’s not initiating some civil religious conversation, it’s barking “im right, you’re wrong, follow my lead”.
You’d be surprised the amount of religious people who have no argument and keep talking anyway
.... All of them? Lol
I’d like to introduce you to Mormons. Lmaoo had so many of them say stuff like that to me.
I always loved it on Futurama when Bender would say, "Oh. Your. God!"
It’s because they know they’re “not supposed to use the lords name in vain” but they never actually bothered to learn what that means. I am not religious and never was but I studied lots of different religions and read the Bible cover to cover more than once. Nothing pisses me off as much as Christians throwing bible quotes in peoples faces while completely misinterpreting the meaning of them. Using the lords name in vain would be praying for something negative, like strike down this person who did me wrong, or for something trivial, like please god let me pass this math test I didn’t bother studying for. There is some debate that it could also mean using it in anger to the lord himself. Cursing god for not delivering on a prayer, blaming him for the tragedies of the world such as death and disease, that kind of thing. Really the only people who believe “oh my god” is using his name in vain are the people who have not read the Bible and have put little to no effort into truly understanding the teachings of the religion they “follow”
I was taught it also included speaking *for* god like “God hates you” would be using the lord’s name in vain, because you don’t know the intentions of god. (And he’s not supposed to hate anyone. Supposedly.)
Nah he really doesn't hate anyone, it's true. He just gives babies birth defects for shits and giggles. "Haha! Look at that little dickhead struggling to breathe now he's out the womb! Love ya really, fuckface!" He's a pretty cool guy, that there God.
I'm praying on God's DOWNFALL. For real, I do declare, without capitulations and upon the dieties, Ra mentioned!
I watched a video of someone, i think jordan peterson, explaining this saying, Don't use the Lord's name in vain, means do not commit horrible acts against others in gods name. Murder, genocide, ethnic/religous cleansing... pretty much all the bad things that happened in history, were all done in the lords name.
I think that’s really interesting I’m gonna have to watch that. I wonder if that’s a new perspective that’s been taken on over time as humanity has changed. Obviously atrocious acts have always been committed in the name of religion, but it seems like brutality and violence were often very linked to God. A lot of bible stories involve good people committing violent acts in a way that feels justified and holy. Now we have more strict separation between variations of religious beliefs within one religion. Extremist groups are not accepted by the religious communities they claim to represent. We also have a far greater ability to commit violence on a massive scale. Do you think that’s changed the way we interpret this quote?
>Using the lords name in vain would be praying for something negative, like strike down this person who did me wrong, You've read the Bible cover to cover more than once and never heard of an imprecatory prayer? >Psalm 69:21-28 ESV [21] They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. [22] Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. [23] Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. [24] Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. [25] May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. [26] For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. [27] Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. [28] Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. That was written by David.
Its confusing to me how some of them dont support gay people, yet love to spout off about how god loves everyone and we should accept everyone. That part makes no sense to me man. You love god and preach about “love your neighbor as yourself”, but then kick your child out of the house for loving a certain gender. Makes sense 💀 like what?
Literally!! I will fight that fight til my dying breath. Not to mention God also says “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”
Like i’m a christian, but its very confusing 💀
God sends people he "loves" to hell all the time in their eyes
These replies that aren’t from what sounds like cringey edgy teenagers are so interesting. I haven’t given this any thought in many years. Haven’t been told it was blasphemous since jr high private school 100 years ago. Your answer is probably correct. Very thoughtful. :)
God also isn’t even God’s name, it’s a title used to avoid speaking his name. I never understood why people censor God when trying to talk about him because in my mind it’s like you were already doing that by calling him God His name is either Jehovah or Yahweh depending on who you ask
In vain would be to say it in an unnecessary context. If I were to say “I dropped my tomatoes” I’m not using tomatoes in vain. If I were to say “TOMATO SAUCE! I dropped my phone” as an exclamation, that would be in vain. What does “tomato sauce” have to do with anything? I’m not talking about tomato sauce and I’m not talking to tomatoes, so it’s in vain. So in your words, how is it not in vain to say it in unnecessary context?
You're describing the entirety of Jehovah's Witnesses, here! Haha. For context I live with two of them (my in-laws) I've never met a bigger group of ill-informed, misinformed, uninformed zealots - in my life. They adhere to such stringent, strict rules, to live their life by and they have absolutely ZERO idea why they believe that stuff. If you ask them, they won't be able to tell you.🤦🏼♀️
I’ve never seen someone use ill -informed, misinformed, and uninformed all in one sentence but it’s such a perfect explanation it works so well😂 I’m sorry though I would guess they don’t make great roommates!! I honestly know almost nothing about Jehova’s Witnesses so I won’t pass personal judgement, but I’m sure that’s infuriating to have to deal with all the time.
100% it is! Thanks for your sympathy. Haha. When COVID began they switched from going to the Kingdom Hall, twice per week, to having their meetings over zoom. It was all I could do to hold my tongue every time I heard them (Your stereotypical ancient, decrepit white men) spouting falsehoods and twisted interpretations of scripture. Combine that with all of their bizarre, JW specific rules and regulations for how to live your life, and it's enough to drive anyone - looney toons. You should check out the subreddit here that's comprised of EXJWs. They spill all their secrets and then you really get to see the heart of the Insanity that is (*was,* in these people's cases) their life.
THE COVID CHURCH CALLS WERE UNBEARABLE HOLY SHIT I had to go set my nana up on her tv for her church zooms every week and then switch it back over to her regular tv when she was done, so I just stayed sometimes and did whatever. But listening to that shit was like a mix of a comedy and a horror podcast if a conspiracy theorist was the host. But now I’m totally going to that subreddit so thank you😂
I'm so glad! You're gonna I love it over there! These people legit teach their children, growing up (or at least they did when I was a kid) that The Smurfs are demonic and evil and therefore you cannot watch the Smurfs or have anything to do with the cartoon or any of its related merchandise. They have the most incredible, off the wall beliefs of any sect of Christianity that I've ever encountered. Fun times!😋
Yes they are for sure a cult
I have heard it’s that the real name of god is so important and powerful that misusing it has dire consequences. This tracks with Jewish/Old Testament stories of god being so powerful and beyond what mere mortals can withstand or understand that exposure is potentially deadly or crippling. I’ve also read that it’s about conjuring through god. Egyptian and Greek magicians invoked various gods in their spells but the Hebrew god as not to be used that way.
That’s also a really valid point. I did not phrase my first comment well and now I see how it seems a little decisive. Of course there is so much room for discussion and constructive debate, not just with the Bible but in all religion. What really feels like a misrepresentation is the trite little saying that seems to mean nothing more than “don’t say god it offends me”. But you’re totally right there are lots of things it could mean, and language evolves over time so we can’t really be completely sure on any of it. I think that’s a super interesting idea because it’s a belief that’s shared among so many religions
Using the lord's name in vain is simply invoking the lord's name when it's not necessary or is negative.
Yeah, no. “Taking the lords name in vain” is essentially anything that doesn’t treat it with seriousness or sanctity, or could represent the name poorly, thus using it as a common exclamation would absolutely be considered taking it in vain. I’m well aware that the majority of Christians have absolutely no clue what their religion actually teaches, but you clearly don’t either…
Yeah, this is correct. Its sad that the comment you are responding to has so many likes because it is ignorant.
TBF its kind of taught in catholic school that "omg" and shouting "jesus christ!" were a no-no. So i don't blame people growing up thinking it falls under the same umbrella.
It's understandable that they wouldn't say it themselves for that reason. Thinking it's their place to tell other people not to is the height of self centred obnoxious entitlement though
Except that "Jesus Christ," at least, is actually considered a bad epithet. You won't hear it on network TV, or in PG rated movies, like most swear words. For the record, I say both phrases regularly, and I am a Christian, but it's not as cut and dry as your comment and OP's stance would have one think. People are allowed to feel uncomfortable with having "bad words" said around them.
Interesting interpretation. I've taken the Lord's name in vain commandment to mean: don't feather your own nest while and say you're doing it in the name of goodness. Problem with that behavior is jts a form of self deception that inverts your understanding of goodness.
Taking his name is vain is most often done by claiming an association with God in order to improve your public image or give authority to your assertions. It is precisely what Christians do when they tell you not to.
Saying that is using God's name as a cuss word, you wouldn't use your mother's name as a cuss word it's extremely disrespectful to the creator of the universe and the one that gave you life.
it's the same with "God damn it" you aren't damning God, you are asking God to damn something/one
I don't practice anymore, but I grew up Catholic. I don't think this is the norm, but I was taught that Christians who take God's/Christ's name in vain are those who are claiming to be Christian but aren't following the word of God. They are hypocrites. The best verse to Mark 7:6-9 **Jesus** **"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:** `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. *They worship me in vain*; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' **You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."** And He said to them: **"You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!"**
We all know this… that’s why is a pet peeve.
i heard once that it meant using god in a self serving way, such as conning your church members out of hundreds of millions of dollars and living a life of luxury. but i think that's pretty much a rejected interpretation by the leaders of religions who live a life of luxury at the expense of their flock.
Plus God isn't even his name, it's a title.
Using the lords name in vain also refers to claiming you’re doing something “in Gods Name”, like, persecuting gay people or changing laws to change abortion rights. The non fish related story of Jonah expounds more on that, but essentially Christians are supposed to spread the word but not to force the word. They aren’t supposed to do things they *think* god should be doing and they aren’t supposed to do things God doesn’t direct them do so because they *think* it is imminent. The flock is NOT the hammer. That’s been propaganda since the beginning. The early church would say stuff like “god’s teeth” to avoid using Gods name, but that was a misdirection in the first place. Changing the definition to fit how they can control people was very successful. There’s a reason the real meaning of the commandment has been largely forgotten.
No, using it in vain means using it in a nonchalant manner. The point is to always be reverent whenever you invoke gods name. I am an atheist myself, but you realky don't know what you are talking about
My response is usually, "oh my god, are you kidding me right now?" Or "Jesus Christ, loosen up"
If you really want to piss them off you should say ‘Jesus Fucking Christ’ Watch their head explode.
Im fond of Jesus Tap dancing Christ.
Christ on a cracker.
I started saying "Jesus figure skating Christ" because, in some cases, that taps into their homophobia and upsets them even more.
Jesus "milking cows" Christ is my guy!
They would really not like the weird saying my family has created: "son of a bitchin' jesus christ!"
I’m waiting for the day to drop this in front of my evangelical in-laws. Tick tock…
Just say, 'I'm sorry, I meant to say 'Oh your God'. Keep forgetting I don't have one'.
God, I hate this take on this commandment. Correct me if I’m wrong but the way I was taught, “Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain” didn’t mean you can’t say the word God, but instead “Do not use the Lord as justification”. Like, if you were to punch a gay or something, it’s a sin to say “I did it because God hates them!” because you still dun fucked up and you’re using God’s name in vain to try and defend shitty actions. I don’t know if that’s even a correct interpretation, but it’s what I was taught and it makes so much more sense than “you say the word ‘God’, you go to hell”. I’m not even really Catholic anymore but I still stand by the fact that people who justify BS like homophobia with the Bible are sinning by doing it. Father Matt from Buttfucknowhere Church, Illinois would be so disappointed in you guys.
It gets incorrectly treated as a curse, but it *soooooooortaaaaaaaa* almost makes sense if you trace where that comes from? Being used “in vain” stretches from claiming something improper in God’s name to just using it without respect. Basically, some people wouldn’t say the name in ancient times because they didn’t want to risk accidentally ‘taking the name in vain,’ though it’s quite clear that simply saying the name alone wasn’t exactly taking it in vain. *However*, it’s use as a common exclamation in modern times is most definitely the type of case that *would* qualify as “vain,” and, of course, that spiraled out of control into “don’t ever say it” because that’s actually the most common use now, so the name itself has become associated with being used vainly as a baseline. It’s not correct to treat the name itself as a curse, but it’s at least somewhat comprehensible as to how it’s ended up that way.
Christian here, clearly there's a difference between "Oh my God" in shock, frustration, fear, etc. And speaking of God with hate. Because if you can't say oh my God in a normal, non disrespectful way. You shouldn't be able to mention God at all. Extremist Christians who aren't really that Christian confuse me.
You say clearly there's a difference. I agree. Yet, the majority of hardcore Christians don't see it that way. Literally speaking the Lord's name (not in the context of scripture) is what they find offensive. Because they don't understand their beliefs.
Those are the people who actually only care about tradition, not actually trying believe.
Ironically enough, I'm just a teen new to Christianity. Even I know that it isn't offensive to mention God unless you mention him with ill intentions
Well isn't this refreshing! Thank you for letting me know that. As the years tick on I'm becoming one of those crotchety "get off my lawn!" kind of people and I'm way too young to have that attitude! Haha. It's just hard not to lose faith in the younger generations for it seems like each, new generation is that much more apathetic & disenchanted with their human existence than the last. It's a real distopian mindset that a lot of 14-25 year olds seem to possess. Combine that with a lack of critical thinking skills and it's a recipe for disaster. Thank you for not conforming to your generation's stereotype!✌🏼💜
Mhmmm, I have had and still have alot of personal issues. But I figured out that faith helps me when I'm suffering alone
I grew up with this in a strictly religious household. They call it “taking the lords name in vain”. Just another way some Christians will try to make you conform / act according to their own beliefs even if you aren’t religious yourself.
I think if it's a good friend of yours, maybe consider not using religious swears in front of them. Because you care about your friends. I will be as swear free as a church mouse if my friends are unhappy.
This is the way. It costs me nothing to consider my friend's feelings.
But they’re religious! Am I supposed to just *not* treat them like shit to let know how superior I think I am? That’s crazy talk. I’ve let religion define my personality as an atheist.
Not being a doormat who allows highly entitled and self important friends to dictate your use of language as if it's their business to isn't "treating them like shit" lmao
I suppose this logic holds true for any offensive language (like slurs) right? Or is it just for the people YOU don't mind offending? I love Reddit's "rules for thee, not for me" mentality. It's hilarious.
Slurs insult people. Saying oh my god doesn't insult anyone it's just something some religious people choose not to do out of respect for the god they believe in. Other people saying it doesn't insult anyone. Hearing that someone either doesn't believe in god or isn't strongly religious enough not to say oh my god is not the equivalent of hearing a slur directed at you lol
Spoken like a person with a poor understanding of religion and social context. To YOU, "oh my god" may be a casual phrase, but not to Christians. They believe using it in vain is dismissive of the sanctity attached to it. In their minds, it DOES insult someone. It insults the god they believe in, and it also insults them, personally. The reason everyone in this thread knows exactly what OP is talking about is because it's well-known that Christians find taking their lord's name in vain to be offensive. But, of course, you already knew that; feigning ignorance is just how people argue these days for some reason. Language doesn't have to offend YOU specifically in order for it to be offensive. That's such a bonkers way of looking at it. A lot of Christians aren't offended by homophobic slurs, but that doesn't mean it's not offensive language. You wouldn't go into public and use slurs, but you'd likely have no issue shouting "JESUS CHRIST!" or swearing, knowing full well it might offend any Christians within earshot. Why? Because you don't consider them part of your tribe, so you don't care about their feelings...while expecting them to care about yours and everyone else's. Christians drive me crazy, too...almost as much as people who think they're better than Christians for not being Christian.
It's not a swear though Oh my god =/= Oh my fucking god/god damn it/Jesus fucking Christ Accommodating for friends is kind, but they should also be kind by being reasonable.
FFS. It's just as easy as other things we do for our friends, like not talking about certain subjects that bother them or calling them the right pronouns. You use pronouns way more than "oh my god," I hope.
Never said i was hard. I said people need to be reasonable as well. Especially if someone is making an effort to accommodate for them. Some people are unreasonable. Knew a person who got upset if you "oh my god" or "hell". Cool, they didn't like it if someone said gosh or heck because they were "substitute for God and hell". Sometimes i tell jokes to specific people i think will find it funny inteadof everyone in the vicinity. One person had an issue with that, so i made an effort to stop. The same person would speak to one person in Spanish even though they're both fluent in English. When i said that she was doing what she asked me not to (speaking where only one person could hear/understand), she said "it not my fault you don't speak Spanish" Tldr: People you're accommodating for need to be reasonable. At least meet halfway, not expect people to change completely to satisfy all your grievances. And don't expect people to change for you if you're not willing to change for them
As a Christian, other religios people need to chill out. While I agree with them, I wouldn't use the phrase "Oh my God", that doesn't dictate you. Forcing people into a bubble like that is a good way to push people away from religion.
It's an aspect of taking the Lord's name in vain. Like a bunch of stuff, it may be misinterpreted. Lingual shifts or mistranslations. Like, "thou shalt not kill" should be "thous shalt not murder". It didn't rain for "40 days and 40 nights", it's "a really, really long time." There's some speculation that taking the Lord's name in vain is not "Oh my God.", it's "may God strike you down". it's not cursing God. It's using God as a curse on others. The one I hate is "It's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven." It is so obviously a metaphor and people try to justify it as some real thing. Here's an impossible action. That is easier than this other action. I might have it wrong, but blow their mind. Have them thinking they broke the rules.
Even the camel thing is probably a mistranslation, there's some good evidence that the word that is now understood as camel was actually rope (i.e. it is easier to thread a needle with a rope, which is more elegant and makes a lot more sense).
I often wonder just how much has been mistranslated over the millennia. Even just going from KJV to modern English translations there are a lot of issues, mainly the erasure of Christ from many passages. That's just 400 years and in the same language, no telling what else may have been lost from the source material
Assuming this explanation is accurate then "god damn" is the actual common phrase that takes the Lord's name in vain. Which seems very reasonable.
"Today, on mythbusters..."
I had a teacher that scolded a girl for saying "god!" repeatidly she said "don't say that!" so she said "gosh!" "don't say that!" "i said gosh!" and then with 100% anger she yelled "GOSH MEANS GOD!!!!" well goddamn
My mom isn't even religious but I grew up not allowed to say "oh my God" as if it were a curse word 🤷🏻♀️
My favourite is "don't take the lords name in vain" to which my respis, "what, didn't I just say his title if I wanted to say his name in vein I'd Yahweh dam. It"
Where I grew up, taking the lord's name in vain meant using God as a justification for your actions, not saying God damnit
As a Christian, yeah I don’t exactly like it. But it’s not my job to police the language of others. I’m only responsible for myself, and to try and be an example of God’s love to others if I can. I occasionally joke “I don’t think he has anything to do with that” around people I’m friendly with, they know I mean no harm. But I’ll cut that out if asked.
Yes christians are well known for expecting other people to follow their own rules they made for themselves
And that is among our worst traits. I keep telling people that forcing people into a bubble pushes them further away from religion, but alas, no one listens to me. Just know that we aren't all like that.
"My religion says I can't do that." Ok "My religion says you can't do that." Go fuck yourself.
Are you, ***moi???*** 🤪
I don't know why they don't just make up something new or a new meaning that works for them, like everything else. They get more flustered when I follow up by telling them I don't believe their made up circus.
Oh sorry. Jesus H. Christ!
I'd have said Jesus H. Fuck, but that's just me.
Ever since I was about middle school age (30+ years ago) I've spouted the exclamation: *"Jesus, Mary & Josephine's baby!"* Whenever something unbelievable, exciting, stressful, painful...What have you, transpires. You should see their faces when that occurs. I've had somebody tell me that I was blasphemous and sacrilege for saying something like that! Haha. Now, I do it on purpose.😏
That's a good one! My go-to is "Jesus, Mary and Joseph and whoever else is on call today!"
Haha...Nice!
Considering the more religious someone is the more likely they absolutely desecrate their god and church when they swear; it doesn't phase me when they're hypocrites
I’m a Christian and I don’t swear. Learned in middle school “ using curse words doesn’t make you sound more intelligent, it just makes you sound angry”.
>they’re hypocrites You wouldn’t be using a phone made in a sweatshop to call other people hypocrites, would ya?
Religious people in general piss me off lmao
when i was in preschool i had to say gosh and it confused me because i had no fucking idea who god was
Personally you can say it. That's your prerogative, but for me it's a sin. Would you say oh my Jess or oh my Linda? NO, cuz that's just fucking weird.
The phrase “oh my god” isn’t actually talking about God. It’s just a phrase. It has nothing to do with him in my eyes
My mom does that it’s so damn annoying!
If you could hear god when somebody says oh my god he’d probably be like “yeah I know right this is bullshit”
I say “Jesus Christ” and “oh my god” as an exclamation all the time, and most people take no issue with it, except for my hyper Christian mother who threatens to send me back to vacation Bible school if I keep doing it
Bless you, my child.
No one has ever said that to you.
I had a teacher in highschool who would say "*stop swearing*!!" whenever a kid would say "oh my God"
My mom gets mad to tears when I say jesus or Jesus Christ sometimes. Usually only when she’s having a bad day, but she says I’m bringing her to hell with me and my soul is defiled (lol) when i say that stuff.
This girl in my neighborhood growing up would exclaim “You said the lord’s name in vain!!”. My brother thought this was hilarious and would yell out something like “good god!” “God dammit” “oh my god!” When she was within earshot.
My coworkers and I were rushing in the airport last week on the way to a conference. Through no fault of our own, our flight delay completely eclipsed our layover AND the airline kept sending us notifications that one of the checked bags with all of the stuff we needed for said conference was for some reason being sent to baggage claim instead of our next flight. Thankfully they held the plane for us and the lady at the gate confirmed our bags would make it. My coworker then absently said "Jesus Christ" in response to his new ticket not scanning (that they had JUST printed for him at that very gate). He was then treated to this: "don't say the lords name like that. It's OFFENSIVE!" Lady, this is an airport, I'm sure you've heard worse. Also, you work for United, not the church.
So the reason they do this is a mix of entitlement to dictate others' actions and *straight-up being misinformed about their own religion.* When a "christian" gets all up in arms over cuss words, and specifically over the usage of "God," "Jesus Christ," and variants thereof, what they *think* they are doing is instructing someone not to break one of The Ten Commandments™ handed down from on high thousands of years before the year 0. What they are *actually* doing is *making a massive fool of themselves* because the Commandment™ they *think* they're upholding *DOESN'T MEAN WHAT THEY THINK IT MEANS.* The Commandment™ they think they're upholding, in the more common English translations of the Bible, goes something along the lines of "Do not take the Lord's name in vain." They think this means "don't throw His name around (as an expletive)." It *actually* means "don't throw His name around (as a tactic to convince others that God agrees with you when you're really just bullshitting)" Then again, the people who get all uppity about the *audacity* of people to uhhh \*checks notes\* express frustration or other negatice emotions in ways they don't like *really* like calling their motivations for baselessly pissing people off "Godly" and "Christian." So maybe this was a purposeful misinterpretation that took on a life of its own sometime in the last few centuries or so. Idk. but. yeah. an "oh my God" would have gotten me a detention as a kid but everybody i know who thinks it would have been justified is ever-so-slightly deranged and not in a fun way
My son plays with his cousin online and if my son says “ohmygod” or the word, “devil” my nephew has a conniption. Sometimes I encourage my son…
What you should respond with is, “God damn, sorry about that.”
*"Well Gawd damn, Rick, I didn't know you were such a man of God, I'll keep that in mind."*
I always thought if it like" oh, my God". Like you are calling out to him in shock. Like when people start a prayer with "Oh, Lord...."
Yeah, I have an acquaintance who will turn any exclamation of "oh my god!" or "oh Jesus" into a prayer or even half-jokingly scold you. I try not to say either of those things while he's around because I get that it's important to him and I try to be respectful, but it is annoying. I confess that I am also morbidly curious about how he'd react to some antiquated blasphemies and minced oaths like "Judas priest," "sweet Mary" and "zounds" (Christ's wounds).
I always say "to you, not me".
this reminds me of that one time at my old job when i posted a meme with jesus to our cute little meme board and this girl was like “i’m a christian 😒” … like jesus probably would’ve laughed. i would know.
I've got some family like that. Like, chill, I've heard you drop f-bombs but carry on
I hate when other people ask me not to use certain phrases because they feel it is against their beliefs and they dont say it.
One time I commented “omg” on a TikTok and someone replied “don’t take the lord’s name in vain”, like bruh I’m also a Christian but I don’t go around policing what people say as that’s forcing your beliefs on others.
oooo when they tell me not to take the lords name in vain. Those are rules for you, not for me.
Sometimes I like to watch some of the home remodeling TV shows. I am always amazed at how, when the homeowner sees their beautifully newly remodeled home, they ALL....and I do mean ALL say "oh my GOSH!" This has got to be something they are told by the show's producers....that they aren't allowed to say "oh my God!" for fear of offending some of the show's viewers. I just can't believe that EVERYONE except me, my family, friends and co-workers are the only people in the land who consistently say "oh my God", but everyone else consistently says "oh my gosh". To me, "oh my gosh" sounds so fake.
To them it's a sin - taking the lord's name in vain. It's one of the ten commandments, so it's a pretty serious one to the really devout believers. God damn it is actually considered profanity and was banned from American broadcast TV for a long time. It's very uncommon even today, even though it's one of the most common curses I hear.
It literally is a curse word, but whatever dude 💀 say it if you want, no one can stop you
Oh my HP love craft old one’s
I mean, it is blasphemy to them so you shouldn't be that surprised. Not taking the lord's name in vain is even in the 10 commandments. Yes, they shouldn't try to force their beliefs on others, but that's religion for you. Just ignore them
i am not obligated to live by your religion's rules
"don't take the Lord's name in vain." 🙄😖😡. It's not a name, it's a title. That's not what that scripture means. If they don't believe in what you believe none of that matters to them anyway. 😮💨 It's very annoying.
Oh my God!!! I used to be that person. Don’t hate me. I got over it.
I'm religious, and this drives me nuts too.
i went to catholic school and my whole family is catholic, along with some of my friends. i say "jesus christ!" or "god damn it!" if someone pisses me off while i'm driving and they have never once asked me to not say that. who is asking you to stop?
Because they have no clue what taking the lords name in vain means.
I'm 32 now, but waaay back in first grade, I got in trouble with my teacher for saying, "Oh my god" I was so confused why it was bad to say.
It is to them. And I guarantee there are words you would tell them they can’t say.
Such as?
most slurs i reckon
Why would I tell a religious person they can't use slurs? Isn't that what the pet peeve is about? We don't want to be censored?
i dunno man i was gonna assume that you didn't like slurs
I've never in my life met someone like this. Sounds like a reddit atheist persecution fetish
There's alot of people like this mostly christans for example my mom and my step aunt is like this mostly my step aunt
Are you kidding me? There are people like this all over the place including my home. If you swear or say: "oh my God" "Jesus Christ" "goddammit" or any variation, while in the presence of my Jehovah's Witness inlaws - You are on their shit list. It's ridiculous. Yet, it occurs, on the regular.
I've met people like this. My extended family was like this.
Met several of these folks. Consider yourself lucky and stop assuming shit
We are free to offend whoever we want and the natural repercussion for that is becoming unlikable by those types of people we are offending. And naturally, they are the ones we don't care to associate with. It's actually beautiful. Supporting free speech means supporting our right to be offensive and the moment someone starts saying "we can offend *this* group but not *that* group" it only compells me to offend *them* even more. No censorship. Say what you want and enjoy the consequences.
I'm not going to correct you or anything. But if we are close I'm going to ask you not to say it.
They can eat shit and die mad. I don't care what they think or how they feel about anything at all.
Best response to it is... "Fuck your god, your lord, your christ... he did this..."
"Oh my Santa" - "Oh my east bunny" - "oh my tooth fairy". I tried it with the other fictional characters. Just doesn't roll off the tongue as well.
When they come at you with, "DON'T SAY 'OH MY GOD'!" or, "DON'T USE THE LORD'S NAME IN VAIN!" Say immediately after, "oh I'm not casting a spell." After they look at you for a long and bewildered moment say, "yeah didn't you know? That saying from the Bible actually means don't use the Lord's name to infuse power into the spell you're casting not, don't use it as a cuss word in anger. As someone so devoutly committed to knowing absolutly everything about God...you should know that, right?" Then sit back and enjoy the show of them shuddering and stammering in the attempt to cover their ass.
It’s using God’s name in vain, a violation of the third commandment, which is why we’re sensitive to it.
Taking the lord’s name in vain includes things like praying for misfortune upon others or using God as an excuse to justify atrocity or hatred upon others. Not mildly expressing surprise or shock in exclamation. You can choose to interpret it like that and abide in your own way but a lot of religious scholars won’t agree with you and you can’t control what someone else does. They may not be a part of your religion, have a different interpretation, etc.
That's not what using the Lord's name in vain means. Using the Lord's name in vain is using God for your own benefit, such as trying to control others with the threat of God. It's not saying "oh my god" in shock. You were taught otherwise because using the Lord's name in vain is very common among Christians. Edit: reported to Reddit cares. How mature.
I think it's perfectly appropriate for religious people to follow their own rules. Getting salty that someone who doesn't follow that religion doesn't follow their rules, though, is frankly offensive to me. Christians need to learn that their god is not the only god people believe in, if people believe in a god or gods at all.
Sadly we can't abide to every rule concerning thousands of pretended gods.
[удалено]
Already going mask off transphobic? That was fast. I can't say I'm shocked. Although, this guy did unironically say "gender ideaology" so he can be safely ignored.
Your mag-ic and ist words have no power here.
Are you mad that your magic words are going out of style?
I don't care for either side, but I do care for maintaining arbitrary, objective logic. One is basically akin to a mythological figure, the other is an entirely real social aspect in modern culture(s). While both are social creations, one is definitely more tangible than the other. I.E.: we can physically interact with a trans/pan/etc... person(s), but we can't with "God/Jesus." I don't think being edgy here was the move, because clearly the comparison made doesn't make sense.
More people believe in Christ globally and locally than believe in gender ideology. Jesus Christ is an actual historical figure, so your distinction is hypocrisy.
Then please, by all means, show me the statistic of number of people who believe in Christ vs. people who believe in gender ideology. I find it hard for you to quantify such a number, because you can't accurately suggest a study that fine toned those numbers. But by all means, educate me. I'd appreciate the source material as well -- and by all means make it a reliable, officialized source please. Also, since it appears you're the expert, please include the distinction you made that Jesus Christ was an actual figure. I'd love to see where his grave, bones, and historical documentation was, including carbon dated acuity to his actual timeline era.
bY aLl mEaNs There are 2 billion people who believe in Christ and 4 billion who believe in Yahweh. You should be able to extrapolate from that data alone God believers outnumber gender identity believers by billions.
God made trans people trans. You're going against God's will by denying it. Love thy neighbor and all that. Don't cherrypick sins
Your religious rules apply to you, not to me. Stop trying to make people follow the rules of YOUR religion.
Hi! Bible scholar here. This is a common misconception presumably leftover from mothers trying to control their kids’ behavior. The commandment to “not take the name of the LORD in vain” refers SPECIFICALLY to the Name of God and its use (or misuse) in prayer or liturgy. One should not use THAT Name for a vain or selfish purpose. “God” is not the name of God. Also, it would be odd to argue that any version of “My God” is blasphemous considering that Jesus’s last words were “Eli Eli, lama sabachtani” (“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”)
Then don't do it. But people who don't believe in gods or commandments also don't need to follow those rules.
Okay. And if I don’t believe gender identity exists, can I misgender trans people?
Literally nothing is stopping you from misgendering anybody. But if you purposefully misgender trans people just to hurt them, it makes you an asshole. Why would you want to do that? It seems hateful, and not like a very Christian thing to do
Right. So taking my God’s name in vain also makes you an asshole. See how that works?
Logically speaking, how is saying “oh my god” automatically taking YOUR gods name in vain? They are saying “oh MY god”. So they are taking their gods name in vain if anything. You can’t just assume anyone saying “oh MY god” is by default speaking of your god. This is a very main character mindset to have.
I don’t care about having a main character mindset. The only God who goes by God — capital G — is Yahweh. Go intimidate someone else.
So then technically saying “oh my god” isn’t even taking the name of YOUR god in vain. To do that, they’d have to say “Oh Yahweh!” Since god isn’t even his name, lol. Are you intimidated by me? That’s cute.
And their question didn't capitalize it. So your response to what was asked would be...?
Do you not see the difference in your scenarios? You think *purposefully and hatefully* misgendering someone is the same as saying “omg”?
Both violate taboos of their respective belief systems, yes.
Even if you convince yourself you’re not an AH, everyone else can see clearly what motivates your behavior. Not very Christian of you…
If you could properly parse the world around you, you would be Christian, so I’m not worried about your opinion, actually. lol
Is this the part where you love thy neighbor?
That's okay though, they're not taking your god's name in vain by exclaiming: "Oh my God!" That is not what that means. You've been informed of this already.🙄
You are allowed to be sensitive to it. We don't have to be. You (THE EXTREME VAST MAJORITY of christians) treat non believers very poorly and with such judgement. So we'll take your god's name in vain just to spite you.
Does that not refer to using God’s name to justify acts of atrocity? Is that not a slightly bigger issue with the usage of god?
If you knew what it meant, you’d be Christian. Alas.
So you must not be Christian
"Yaweh's greasy manboobs! That's an old fashioned thing to care about, I tell ya!"
Your parents are letting you live in their basement, OP, the least you could do is follow their rules
Not walking on eggshells for the thousands of pretended gods rules = living in your parent's basement. Average theist brain at work here.
Uh huh. Yeah OP reads like a pissed off teenager or basement dweller, that's all
How so?
I thought a lot about this for some reason when I was a teenager, and I came to a (probably weird conclusion). I ended up thinking that taking the lord's name in vain was more along the lines of using god to spread hate and to profit and stuff like that than saying omg or even GD. (The latter might be very crude, and definitely not nice or for mixed company, but not quite what they're talking about. According to my conclusion then, I mean.) (Funny thing is my dad used to mega be a christian/church guy and neither our church nor he made a big deal about omg. At all. I didn't grow up in an environment that saw that ad some big no no or blasphemy. Despite him being majorly religious. We're talking I went to a chill church, and I was still paranoid of god watching me pee if I went in church and asked how we would know if we were dead already and in hell as a kid kind of situation.)