Such Language!

dunebat · Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:45 am

So, I'm on my Tumblr page and I repost a funny response a friend made to a Kindle ad. In the original post, she used such colorful words as "fucking". (Actually, she only used that word once.) For some strange reason, this was the last straw for my cousin - let's call her L, as I'd rather not reveal her full name here - and it set her off.

L wrote:

What do u use such horrible language....then post scriptural things...

It took remarkable restraint to keep from posting George Carlin's bit about the words not allowed on television as my response. I am well-known for my religious views, as well as for cursing. (I imagine that is why many of my straight-laced Pentecostal friends no longer post on my Facebook page anymore. Que sera, sera.) My response:

Agent Bat wrote:

‎1. This is a repost from a friend of mine.

2. I stopped seeing swear words as "bad" a while back.

If it offends, though, I will use less of such words or none at all.

I will point out, though, that I believe in absolute freedom of speech. In other words: I have no right to tell others that they should not say what they say, and they have no right to tell me the same. (Though, if they're wrong - like, say, a Neo-Nazi blathering anti-semitic garbage, for example - I am free to respond with why I feel s/he is wrong, and he is free to rebut. If it becomes an argument, I am free to continue arguing or to walk away. That's how absolute freedom of speech works.) Moreover, I have grown more and more intolerant of censorship over the years. I don't mind self-censorship; that shows forethought. I do mind censorship imposed from others. That is the highest form of insult I can imagine.

I thought I stated that rather well, yes? I didn't tell her to "shut up" or anything. I used no swear words in response. In fact, you could read into that last paragraph that I gave her every right to post negative responses on my Facebook page about the sort of language she sees on it (such was my intent), just as it is my right to post such a response to her response, so on and so forth. Moreover, I even stated my intent to refrain from cursing further, so as not to further offend my cousin.

Well, that wasn't good enough for her. I had hoped she would just dismiss me after seeing that, but for whatever reason, she felt she had to continue her diatribe.

L wrote:

Its not about ur freedom of speech...if u call urself a Christian, and u use words that shame Christ, and set a horrid example to others...then why even call urself anything but a formist to the world and their language....

I have heard this argument from Christians before. Before I continue, I would like to reiterate for those of you who don't know me: yes, I do believe in Jesus. I believe He is both God incarnate and the Jewish moshiach. I do not wear the label "Christian" because I espouse beliefs that the majority of Christians deem "heretical" in nature (for example: my stance against the doctrine of the Trinity; my desire to observe the biblical Jewish holy days instead of the traditional Christian festivals; et cetera ad infinitum), but I can be considered a "Christian", and if you call me a "Christian" I shall bear the label proudly.

Once upon a time, when I myself was a straight-laced Pentecostal, I would have made the same argument to a friend of mine who cursed. Actually, to be honest, I wouldn't have; I knew full well why they cursed, and while I believed it was their right to do so, my own beliefs lined up more with what my cousin L had posted in response. Regardless, my views have changed over the years and I no longer see swear words as negative as I once considered them. Granted, I probably swear a little too much at times, but I no longer consider swearing itself to be as offensive as I once did.

How could I communicate this to L, though? How could I put things in a manner she would comprehend?

Granted, I probably responded in a manner more brusque than I originally intended to:

Agent Bat wrote:

Ladina, you HAVE actually read through the Bible, right? The Book of Judges? That would probably be Rated R if I were to film the entire thing. How about Ezekiel the prophet? He's a man of God, right? His words were inspired by God? So, he wouldn't say ANYTHING vulgar or shameful, right?

I point you to Ezekiel 23, where Ezekiel is referring to the two adulterous sisters who became prostitutes (an allegory of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, who had become unfaithful to God and idolatrous). I point you to verses 14-21:

"14 But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red,
15 with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.
16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.
17 Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.
18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.
19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt.
20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.
21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled."

This is horribly graphic and perverse language... coming from a man of God who God authorized to speak in His holy name. Granted, this is the New International Version. [Note: Some fundamentalist Christians take issue with any translation that is not the Authorized Version, commonly known as the "King James Version". That's a debate I won't get into here, but I expected that attitude and prepared an appropriate response.] Let's look at the King James Version to make certain I'm reading this correctly, focusing on verse 20...

"20 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses."

The King James translators were famous for "cleaning up" verses of the Bible they deemed too scandalous. How about other translations? All of them are about as vulgar as the NIV: [multiple translations of Ezekiel 23:20]. Check that link and see for yourself.

And that ISN'T the only example in the Bible I can pull from, either.

Heck, just to make certain that verse 20 has been translated correctly, I'll look in the Hebrew for you!

Here's where I brought out my handy dandy e-Sword program, with Hebrew and Greek lexicons included.

Agent Bat wrote:

The word that the KJV translates as "flesh" is the word "basar" in Hebrew. According to Strong's lexicon, this means: "From H1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension body, person; also (by euphemism) the pudenda [Note: That means "penis".] of a man: - body, [fat, lean] flesh [-ed], kin, [man-] kind, + nakedness, self, skin."

How about the word "issue"? This is the word "zirmah": "Feminine of H2230; a gushing of fluid (semen): - issue."

Again, this is just ONE verse I can use as an example. I reiterate: this is written by a man of God, speaking against Israel's idolatry on authority from God, and he is speaking in terms so vulgar that *I* wouldn't say anything like that, and I have cussed like a sailor in the past.

My point is: the language you speak with and the euphemisms or metaphors you chose to use does not reflect your spiritual status at all.

I could've stopped there, but no, I just had to make my point...

Agent Bat wrote:

As I stated, however, if my language offends, I am sorry that I have offended you. I will not apologize for my speech, but I will endeavor to use less of such words in the future.

Yeah, I was going to rant further, but the rant short-circuited en route from my brain to my fingers and my conscience took over. "L is family," I thought. "Time to be diplomatic about this."

In the end, I received the response I expected from her: none at all. I know I probably upset her, and I'm sorry that this affected her so...

My questions to you: Was I wrong to say what I said or use the examples that I used? Was I wrong in my assessment? Was I wrong in my own defense? Was she right? Am I just being stubborn about this?

What are your thoughts on the matter? Should a religious person swear? If they did, would you see them as a hypocrite, or would you see them as more human, more relatable?

This is a matter I have been struggling with somewhat. As the Passover month of Nisan (the biblical "New Year", according to Exodus 12:1-2; Jewish calendar: begins 5 April) approaches, I have been making a mental account of my life in an endeavor to better myself, as a (would-be) follower of God and as a human being. I realize there are several aspects of my personality that need improvement (dramatically so, in some cases), and in a ceremonial fashion, the First of Nisan will be the official "beginning" of these endeavors (though I have already been making attempts at self-improvement, the month of Nisan is seen as one of the "clensing" times of the year, when Jewish households purged themselves of leaven in preparation for the Passover). Is this a matter that needs improvement. Does cursing matter?

Such Language!

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