Is OMG or Oh My God considered swearing (or cursing)?

[Anonymous]

I have to admit. I'm mid 30s and still say OMG a LOT. Now my 3 year old daughter is saying it and she's at a christian preschool! I have to stop

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather hear the f-word than "Oh, my God." (I cringe just typing it). On the other hand, it tells me who isn't safe to disclose to that I'm a Christian, so it's good to hear in that respect.

- went to Catholic school and heard plenty of omgs

Ok? What's your point? Some of us are devout and bothered by these things.

My point is that it is INSANE to me that it would be your barometer as to who it is 'safe' for you to disclose your Christianity to. Sure, be offended by it fine. But I know MANY MANY devout Christians who say oh my God. It is certainly not an accurate barometer of who is or is not Christian or friendly to Christian beliefs.

Ah, got it. For me, it works. Someone who's ok with saying it isn't going to be ok with me, say, declining a brunch invitation because I've got church, and it's hard enough to make friends who don't mock your beliefs. Just gun-shy of bullying and overcautious, I guess.

But I also wonder who these devout Christians who say it so ligthtly are!

The united states is 71% Christian. I'm sure with vast varying degrees of devoutness. I think you are really overestimating the amount of grief you would get if you were just yourself. I am a lapsed Catholic but know many devout Catholics and while I say oh my god and wouldn't skip brunch on a Sunday myself I wouldn't blink an eye if someone turned down Sunday morning plans for that reason.

I think 'devout' means different things to different denominations. For Catholics, the priest would give me a look but generally that isn't on the top of the list of things to look out for. The focus is more on charitable acts and living the way Jesus lived. I think in an evangelical setting the bible is taken more literally and things like that become more important. But if we looked for the things that connect us instead of the things that differentiate us you would find more in common than not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The united states is 71% Christian. I'm sure with vast varying degrees of devoutness. I think you are really overestimating the amount of grief you would get if you were just yourself. I am a lapsed Catholic but know many devout Catholics and while I say oh my god and wouldn't skip brunch on a Sunday myself I wouldn't blink an eye if someone turned down Sunday morning plans for that reason.

I think 'devout' means different things to different denominations. For Catholics, the priest would give me a look but generally that isn't on the top of the list of things to look out for. The focus is more on charitable acts and living the way Jesus lived. I think in an evangelical setting the bible is taken more literally and things like that become more important. But if we looked for the things that connect us instead of the things that differentiate us you would find more in common than not.

Huge difference between claiming it and actively practicing (that's nowhere near 71%). I don't personally have any practicing Christian friends - lots of agnostics and cultural Christians. I simply don't run into them. So yeah, I'm wary of telling people, and I'm mainline Protestant.

[Anonymous]

Neither. It is mentioning God’s name in vain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The united states is 71% Christian. I'm sure with vast varying degrees of devoutness. I think you are really overestimating the amount of grief you would get if you were just yourself. I am a lapsed Catholic but know many devout Catholics and while I say oh my god and wouldn't skip brunch on a Sunday myself I wouldn't blink an eye if someone turned down Sunday morning plans for that reason.

I think 'devout' means different things to different denominations. For Catholics, the priest would give me a look but generally that isn't on the top of the list of things to look out for. The focus is more on charitable acts and living the way Jesus lived. I think in an evangelical setting the bible is taken more literally and things like that become more important. But if we looked for the things that connect us instead of the things that differentiate us you would find more in common than not.

Huge difference between claiming it and actively practicing (that's nowhere near 71%). I don't personally have any practicing Christian friends - lots of agnostics and cultural Christians. I simply don't run into them. So yeah, I'm wary of telling people, and I'm mainline Protestant.

Why would someone who claims to be Christian be hostile towards a practicing Christian? That doesn't make any sense. Like even if they don't walk the walk if you are claiming that you're christian you're probably feeling mildly guilty for being so bad at it, not mad at people who are showing up every Sunday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Sweet Jesus?

Unacceptable. Sweet baby Jesus? Perfectly acceptable when exclaiming this during the witnessing of a miracle. Like no line at Trader Joe’s. Or seats on rhe metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The united states is 71% Christian. I'm sure with vast varying degrees of devoutness. I think you are really overestimating the amount of grief you would get if you were just yourself. I am a lapsed Catholic but know many devout Catholics and while I say oh my god and wouldn't skip brunch on a Sunday myself I wouldn't blink an eye if someone turned down Sunday morning plans for that reason.

I think 'devout' means different things to different denominations. For Catholics, the priest would give me a look but generally that isn't on the top of the list of things to look out for. The focus is more on charitable acts and living the way Jesus lived. I think in an evangelical setting the bible is taken more literally and things like that become more important. But if we looked for the things that connect us instead of the things that differentiate us you would find more in common than not.

Huge difference between claiming it and actively practicing (that's nowhere near 71%). I don't personally have any practicing Christian friends - lots of agnostics and cultural Christians. I simply don't run into them. So yeah, I'm wary of telling people, and I'm mainline Protestant.

Why would someone who claims to be Christian be hostile towards a practicing Christian? That doesn't make any sense. Like even if they don't walk the walk if you are claiming that you're christian you're probably feeling mildly guilty for being so bad at it, not mad at people who are showing up every Sunday.

Some of it is guilty - and never underestimate how awful guilty people act. Some of it is just - I don't even know. But when a bunch of Christian "friends" in college found out I was a virgin and waiting for marriage, they spread it all over and did some other pretty awful stuff. Now I just keep it secret unless I know I can trust the person.

[Anonymous]

Was Jesus using the Lord's name in vain.... "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me"

[Anonymous]

I'm sort of a cultural Christian--grew up Lutheran, I do attend a UU church but not really for spiritual reasons, and I have no religious beliefs.

But I had a pretty solid grounding I think. When I was in confirmation class our church pastor was a younger guy who liked to challenge people (he got pushed out, mostly by a lady who liked to control things and also got rid of our junior high band instructor)--like, for "thou shalt not kill" he brought up Viet Nam, which led to a pretty intense debate (I don't think he ever put his own view in there). Anyway, for taking the Lord's name in vain, he shocked us by saying it did not mean the "words written on the rocks" (rural graffiti??) and even SAID some of those words, specifically f*** and s*** which stunned us.

Seems to me that taking the Lord's name in vain would be more like claiming the authority of God when trying to impose your will on others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The united states is 71% Christian. I'm sure with vast varying degrees of devoutness. I think you are really overestimating the amount of grief you would get if you were just yourself. I am a lapsed Catholic but know many devout Catholics and while I say oh my god and wouldn't skip brunch on a Sunday myself I wouldn't blink an eye if someone turned down Sunday morning plans for that reason.

I think 'devout' means different things to different denominations. For Catholics, the priest would give me a look but generally that isn't on the top of the list of things to look out for. The focus is more on charitable acts and living the way Jesus lived. I think in an evangelical setting the bible is taken more literally and things like that become more important. But if we looked for the things that connect us instead of the things that differentiate us you would find more in common than not.

Huge difference between claiming it and actively practicing (that's nowhere near 71%). I don't personally have any practicing Christian friends - lots of agnostics and cultural Christians. I simply don't run into them. So yeah, I'm wary of telling people, and I'm mainline Protestant.

Why would someone who claims to be Christian be hostile towards a practicing Christian? That doesn't make any sense. Like even if they don't walk the walk if you are claiming that you're christian you're probably feeling mildly guilty for being so bad at it, not mad at people who are showing up every Sunday.

Some of it is guilty - and never underestimate how awful guilty people act. Some of it is just - I don't even know. But when a bunch of Christian "friends" in college found out I was a virgin and waiting for marriage, they spread it all over and did some other pretty awful stuff. Now I just keep it secret unless I know I can trust the person.

This is pp. I'm very sorry that happened to you and makes your posts make more sense.

As an atheist lapsed catholic I can assure you I never would have done that. Hopefully you can find more good people out there. I guess as you've learned, religion doesn't always make a person a good person.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was Jesus using the Lord's name in vain.... "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me"

Nope, he referred to him as sovereign lord and not just his father in his darkest hour. It wasn’t in vain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was Jesus using the Lord's name in vain.... "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me"

Nope, he referred to him as sovereign lord and not just his father in his darkest hour. It wasn’t in vain.

How do you know others are not doing the same?!? If you see something horrible and make a similar exclamation...

[Anonymous]

This is the sort of chat I would expect on an ISIS or Taliban site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the sort of chat I would expect on an ISIS or Taliban site.

This thread predates ISIS by 2 years.

But point taken.

[Anonymous]

I am a follower of Christ and yes, what you say is swearing/cursing. We are to not say His name unless we are talking to Him or about Him. Yes, it’s offensive to me but what truly matters is it is offensive to God.

“"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”
??Exodus? ?20:7? ?ESV??
https://www.bible.com/59/exo.20.7.esv