Stop Cussing

Vulgarity literally means “commonness.” When religious people wanted to control people’s access to the Scriptures, they made rules against translating them into “vulgar” languages that people understood. When religious people get offended by certain words, they call some of those vulgar words “cuss words.”

What slang word you may use for feces does not change the matter you are speaking about. It is still just as nasty and stinky. Religion has lured us to believe that using the words that are more vulgar and less scientific for poop and other verbs and nouns is cursing. Yet, it frequently promotes the practice of saying things like, “You’re going to get sick if you keep doing that,” or “She will never amount to anything,” or permanently labeling someone a “thief” or “junkie” or “whore” or “atheist.” These practices are cursing. Blessing can change lives. So can cursing. Saying the most offensive word you can think of for manure probably won’t.

Stop the practice of cursing. Help people through the process of changing their speech. Not the vulgarity – the condemnation. Spread the blessing. “Bless those who curse you. Bless, and do not curse.” (Romans 12:14)