← The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast
The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast
When Crude Language Becomes Sinful
00:06:24
Do you struggle with taking the Lord’s name in vain or with cussing? Are you trying to avoid cussing entirely, but are still saying something crude? Today, Fr. Mike shares the distinction between the words we use regarding foul language. Because our words reveal our hearts, our words matter greatly.
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Father Mike Schmitz
Why can you say crap but not. I don't want to say anymore. Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and this is Ascension presents. I've already done a video on the second commandment, which is thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. I'll just little recap of that. We're called not to take floors name in vain. That means what? That means taking the name of Jesus in vain. I believe it's saying things like oh my God, also including the saint name of the saints. Like that kind of that exclamation of Jesus marrying Joseph even where it's just like made as meant kind of as a, as a throwaway line. You know, I know sometimes people, I mentioned this the other video. I think sometimes people say, well, I didn't take the God's name in vain. I said it, but I didn't mean it like that's what in vain means. Also a person could use God's name as a curse, right? They could. I'll give an example. But I will not. That's always going to be a violation of the second commandment. Well, what about like, you know, swear words, you know, cuss words that have nothing to do with the Lord's name but are, you know, what our culture considers swear words? Again, I have a video on this. Trent Horn has a great video on this. The words that are cuss words are kind of arbitrary. Those are more like social mores rather than this. Always and everywhere, never ever say X, whatever X is. In fact, I remember I was watching the kids from Harry Potter at one point when they were little, they talked about, I think with Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry Potter, he was going on some kind of press junket and he was laughing at the fact that when he's in America, he can say a word here among kids that in England would be considered like, oh no, you don't say that word among kids. And he just thought it was interesting and kind of laughed at it because he could essentially British swear in front of American kids and then even didn't even know it. Again, I'll saying is sometimes those cuss words, those swear words are just arbitrary. Can we just say them then? There's still some rules. For example, if the word like the swear word, cuss word has something to do with like sacred things, say the sexual act that a swear word or cuss word about that, you're talking about something that actually is sacred, talking about something that actually is meant to be holy. It's, it's Good and beautiful. And there's something about this that gets stripped down when saying that particular swear word. We don't want to strip things down, especially things that are good, things that. Beautiful, potentially holy. I don't know how many times I've been out in public and I hear people. Whether they're young or old doesn't matter. Young or old people with that crass language. I just think, okay, that's. That's just not kind. That's a. That's not an act of love for the people around you. Especially if, like, there's kids present or there's families present. There's some things you don't have to say. I get it. Like, you're tough. I get it. You're like, you know, really gritty and whatnot. But there's something about just sound pollution. And again, once again, when it comes down to it, if there's some crass language that isn't a violation of anything that's sacred or holy or good in itself, but you just say that in private conversation, maybe, I guess that could be the thing, but also reveals our own heart. But when there's a shared space, I think it's worth considering in love, the fact that there are other people around. Some things are not arbitrary, like the Lord's name and whatnot. Some things are relatively arbitrary, like what words are swears in your language or your culture. And there's some things that are just like, yeah, but as an act of charity, act of kindness, it would make sense to kind of avoid that. But the big question is, what about what you call minced oaths? So a minced oath, if I get that phrase right, is what about when you take, like a. Like the name of God and don't say the name of God anymore but you say something else? Let's say I'm guilty of that, but I'm not guilty of anything because I don't think there's anything wrong with it. For example, oh, my goodness. Goodness is a substitute for God. Or oh, my gosh, gosh darn. Ah, Jeepers. Jeepers is a substitute for the name of Jesus. Jeepers Creepers is a substitute for the name Jesus Christ. I would say that in those cases, what I'm trying to do, what a person's trying to do, is you're trying to avoid saying the name of God. You're trying to get away from saying the name of God. The normal exclamation of surprise, oh, my gosh, or of wonder, oh, my goodness. Like that kind of thing. Or of Some kind of shock. Jeepers creepers, what the heck? That kind of idea. You're trying to avoid saying God's name. So I would say that that's a good thing because you're recognizing the sacred name of God and you're making the words you're pronouncing or enunciating are different enough that you're making an effort. Again, making an effort to avoid saying God's name. Now, there are other. Some other minced oaths that are meant to make it sound like you're saying God's name. So, for example, maybe you've heard someone say cheese and rice. So cheese and rice would be like. Instead of saying Jesus Christ, it seems to me that that's close enough that you would say, oh, you're not saying cheese and rice in order to avoid saying God's name. You're saying cheese and rice to make it sound like the name of Jesus Christ. Maybe. I don't know. Slow your roll on that one. Because there's a difference. I would say, again, there's a difference, a sensed difference, a felt difference. Not only for you, the speaker, but also hearers, that is. I'm using this minced oath to avoid the name of. Avoid the name of God to avoid sinning in blasphemy versus I'm using this to make it sound like I'm blaspheming without blaspheming. You know what I'm saying? Like, I think that. I think there's something dishonest and I think there's something potentially blasphemic and that should be avoided. At the same time, as I go back to this and say words like. Or phrases like, oh, my goodness. Oh, my gosh, Sheesh. These are all things that originally come from God or Jesus. But there are ways to avoid this. Some people would say completely avoid it altogether and say something like, ah, shoot a pickle. Okay, fine. In the meantime, though, as long as you're saying that minced oath to avoid God's name, I would say go for it. If you're saying that minced oath in order to make it sound like God's name while getting away with something, then I'd say, stop it. Stop it. How does Michael Jordan say it? Stop it. Get help. Anyways, I hope that made sense. And regardless, however this video comes out, I have to tell you this right now. There was a lot of editing happening in this one, because words getting them out, making sense. It's a whole nother thing. Anyways, Rob is here to send presents on his father, Mike. God bless. Oh, my goodness.