Bad language disdain

Shun evil companions; bad language disdain;
God's Name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest, kind-hearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus and He will carry you through.

(Horatio Richmond Palmer, 1834-1907)

This verse from the hymn Yield not to temptation, seems positively quaint and old fashioned. This is especially the case with the admonitions of the first line. Surely evangelicalism has outgrown such simple pieties! I propose that we rewrite the opening line so that we can sing it in all good conscience today,

Hang out with the worldly; bad language proclaim;
God's Name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain;

I left the second line unaltered becasue I suppose that most Christians still think blasphemy is wrong. But it is difficult to get away from swearing these days. You will hear it on the streets and in films and TV dramas. You will read it in serious newspapers and contemporary novels. You may also find it on the lips of Christians and read it in their blogs. It seems to me (I say this to their shame) that some "liberated" ex-fundie believers glory in using swear words. However, the Bible seems to forbid the use of such language. I know that I will have damaged my cyber cred by quoting Scripture, but I just can't help myself,

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)

neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks (Ephesians 5:4)

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth (Colossians 3:8)

Call me a proof- texter, I don't care. These verses have something to say on Christians using swear words - that we must not! This is F. F. Bruce's comment on the first verse I cited, "foul language of any kind is inappropriate on the lips of those who confess Christ as Lord." Bruce was hardly a fundie firebrand now was he?

For Paul, swearing belonged to the old, pre-Christian life of believers. The old man must be put off and the new man put on. I can identify with this because I used to swear a lot before I became a Christian. I could have made even the most "liberated" believer blush. But the Lord put a new song in my mouth and I learned not to swear.

If you think about it, most swear words fall into a couple of categories, they demean body parts (you know which ones) or they refer to the sex-act. Why should believers mock God-given, but "unrepresentable" parts of the body? Has not God given greater honour to these parts? (1 Corinthians 12:23 & 24). Such swearing is tantamount to a Docetic loathing of the flesh. Sex is one of God's good gifts, designed to be enjoyed in the purity of the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4). Why, then do Christians casually use the "F" word? How can that be squared with the intimate language of the Song of Solomon? What are we thinking? As for rude words about bodily waste, just grow up! Is it not the case that in using bad language, Christians are being conformed to the world rather than transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2)?

Now I know that there are worse sins than swearing and that a Christian may never swear, but be a hypocrite in other areas of his life. It is also the case that language can be used abusively without resorting to swear words. But is this really an excuse for swearing? Our speech is meant to impart grace to the hearers, not to needlessly offend. This appplies to our blogging too. Horatio Richmond Palmer was right, bad language disdain!

Comments that include swear words will be deleted, so don't even think about it!