If you attended your local church, you might have heard the saying: “Don’t smoke, don’t cuss, don’t drink, don’t chew, don’t run around with women who do”. Rest assure, it is not a question of gender, but a question of people’s overall behavior. Christians try to follow God’s words as much as possible by avoiding the things said to be bad. But what exactly does God say about cussing and using not-so-polite language?
Let’s take a look at what’s in the Bible.
What does the Bible say about crude language?
Profanities, or what is considered one, might vary from one culture to another, but, in general, it refers to using words of a sexual nature, references to bodily waste, words that offend and are vulgar. If you want to strengthen your connection to God, as a Christian, the Bible says you should refrain from using vulgar language of any kind.
Ephesians 4:29 instructs us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what helps build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” In other words, if you don’t have anything better or encouraging to say, better shut up.
The Bible calls for believers to be loving and kind, and use words that reflect God’s teaching, instead of having derogatory and disrespectful speech.
James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” It might seem difficult to always keep a positive and loving attitude, but this is what being a Christian is about: love and understanding. What comes from our mouths should be about love for God and people.
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What does the Bible say about cursing?
First of all, let’s explain what cursing means. It refers to calling people names, insulting others, or using bad words to hurt someone. As Christians, we are taught by the Bible to praise people, not curse them.
As it can be seen in Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Bad words spoken when we are angry or with ill intentions have serious negative effects not only on the person addressed to but also on the person uttering them. More than that, cursing can also lead to discord, division, and strife.
The Bible says believers can counteract the effects of curses through repentance and prayers. Rather than cursing, believers should be blessing, even when it comes to people who do us wrong. Responding to curses with love is the best way to demonstrate the power of God’s love.
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What does the Bible say about swearing?
Another type of profanity that, unfortunately, is quite widespread, refers to swearing. People swear at other people or things whenever they feel nervous, angry, stressed etc. But it leads to nothing good. If anything, it only makes the person swearing feel even more bitter and angry.
The Bible, however, does not take swearing lightly. Swearing is considered a vow or an oath, and these are highly important in demonstrating one’s faithfulness and commitment. Rather than taking an oath, either good or bad, Jesus says to keep our speech simple, and not take any oaths at all.
’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool[…] And do not swear by your head […]. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:33-37)
In other words, it is more important to have a clear and simple speech, that shows you honor God rather than swearing oaths that invoke Him. As Christians, we do not need to flourish our speeches and use all sorts of vows to show how much we love God. Our simple words should be evidence enough of our integrity and strong belief in God.
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Is what we say really that important, according to the Bible?
Of course, as followers of Christ, we have to practice what we preach. We cannot use profanities and then go to church as if nothing happened, expecting other people to see us as good Christians. But it’s not really about the words we say, but about what is in our hearts that makes us utter those vulgar words.
The motives behind our words matter to God more than the words themselves. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says: “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” – Matthew 5:21-22
Jesus tries to open people’s eyes to the real origin of certain sins, such as murder or adultery, for which, people in those days were hardly punished. In His words, adultery originates in lust. Adulterers might have been condemned, but lustful people were, apparently, not committing any crime. But God knows that the lust of the heart cannot be overlooked.
Same with murder. Murder is generated by hate. While murderers might have been punished, hateful people were not considered guilty of anything. God, however, does not condone hate and cannot overlook it. In that context, Jesus uses the word Raca, a word which was very vulgar and offensive in those days. It meant ‘you fool’. People using that word in those times were usually punished by the religious authorities. But Jesus is more interested in the reason that determines a person to call another one Raca. Yes, you can call another person a fool and get away with it in the eyes of religious authorities, but in the eyes of God, it shows the true nature of your heart. And a heart that does not want to spread love and kindness is in danger of going to Hell.
What can we do?
God wants us to be sincere in our thoughts and actions, love one another and stay true to His words. If one only pretends to be self-righteous and honest, they are only a small step away from becoming hypocrites and ending up in Hell. If one is driven by hate, then they are not true Christians.
God is love and this is what we, as believers, should seek to spread and instill in others: love, understanding, forgiveness and sincerity in our feelings toward God and the world.
Using crude language and profanities is proof that one’s heart is not in the right place. It shows that it is full of anger, frustration and hate. Luckily, one’s heart can be set on the right path again. Focus on seeing the good in people, try to respond with love instead of hate, and think positively and positive actions will soon follow, you will see.
If it seems difficult, that’s because it is. But it is not impossible. We might not be able to do this on our own, but we have God to rely on. Through His Spirit, we can find the necessary strength to have the right thoughts, use the right words, and act with love and kindness in all aspects of our lives.
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