What are the rules of swearing?

Answer 1

I assume that you mean swearing in the sense of bad language rather than swearing an oath. We are told by Paul in The Bible that we should refrain from unkind and offensive language - language that would hurt or offend others. Saying ********!!!! under your breath if you hit your thumb with a hammer is not in the same league, though, as calling someone an offensive name, whether swearing or not. The Bible makes one thing clear though; we should never take the Lord's name in vain. On a personal note in the UK bad language has become almost commonplace on TV. After the 'watershed' hour of 9.00pm, you can, on some channels, frequently hear the words f***, s*** , on very isolated occasions even the 'C' word, (relating to the female genitalia not male). However, as a Christian, athough I find these words 'unacceptable' I appreciate that, for many, these expletives are part of everyday speech. They mostly refer to bodily parts or functions and show to me that the deliverer is somehow lacking as they cannot communicate effectively without resorting to such language. However, what really grates is if I hear the words Jesus Christ as an expletive. We are expressly forbidden in the 10 commandments to do this, and, the use of our Lord's name - reduced to nothing but a swear word - to me is more offensive than all the f's and c's one could possibly hear.