THE CURSE OF PROFANITY

NEVER USE PROFANITY OR MINCED OATHS: Someone once wrote: “Profanity is simply an evidence of a vulgar mind, sadly perverted, whose influence must inevitably be bad. We pity and loathe the weak mind which falls into a habit so silly, so impotent, and so foolish.” Though written over 150 years ago, this is still true —  of individuals, and of whole societies.

Present day America is a tragic example of how profanity contributes to, and evidences, the moral decline and overall rottenness of a society. Profanity has been, and always will be, a curse to any people. The prophet Jeremiah wrote this to Judah in the 6th century BC: “For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right “ (Jer. 23:10).

Profanity in America is popularized, epidemic and epic in proportion; unrestricted by age, gender, social status or by how shockingly, obscene, vulgar or blasphemous it may be. Millions of American’s mouths need to be washed out with soap. Purity isn’t possible for those who use profanity. Civility can’t coexist with it. Those who use foul language can never expect to “find favor” with God or man (Prov. 3:4).

Not so long ago profanity in the media or general public was generally frowned upon. But no longer. I recently noticed the “f” word in the titles of four different books on display at a Barnes and Noble bookstore for everyone, including children, to see. What a disgraceful place America has become. Listening to the average podcast, radio or TV program is now equivalent to standing immersed in a cesspool up to ones earlobes. Again, regardless of age, gender, or education, etc., profanity saturates our society.

Not one positive thing can be said of profanity. It corrupts, corrodes, and defiles the human mind and puts into play a kind of creeping brain rot. People who use it almost always never get anywhere near first base in having a meaningful relationship with anyone with whom it is worth having a meaningful relationship.

Here’s a newsflash: Nobody has ever been offended, is offended, or will be offended by the non-use of profanity, but plenty of people are still offended by it. Salespeople who use crude and nasty language lose commissions. Its use causes people who want employment to be rejected and people who are employed to be passed over for promotion. People who use it don’t really realize how expensive their indulgence in dirty talk is. They haven't made the connection between their profanity and how much they have, or may be, losing out in life. But then, these poor souls shouldn't be counted among the “brightest bulbs” in the lamp of intelligent, respectable life. Why would they be?

Those who use profanity communicate much to others about themselves: (1) that their company isn’t desirable, and (2) that their common sense is doubtful. They communicate disrespect for others with their presumption that others are as lame-brained and low-caliber in character as they themselves are. Profanity doesn't enhance, it diminishes the reputation who those who apparently don’t understand or care that they'll never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:24). Nothing is more suggestive of a person’s true character than whether or not they use profanity. Dirty, obscene, blasphemous words say a lot about a person’s heart—not only to those who hear the words, but also to those who say them.

(Almost everything said here about profanity applies to the use of minced oaths. But, this is a subject for another post).