I see people so casually take the Lord’s name in vain, here as elsewhere. The few times I’ve noted it, the responses have been as defensively hostile as you could imagine. So most times I see this, I simply ask the Lord to forgive them, for they know not what they do.
But read this post, folks. If you didn’t know before, now you do. If you really feel the need to curse, I’d strongly suggest you don’t drag the Lord’s name into it.
Legitimate question, Is saying G dammit taking the lords name in vain? I always thought of it as asking him to damn whatever crappy circumstance you say that about. I guess my main question is what constitutes vain in this context? I’m not very religious, but find myself leaning into it more and more lately due to reading this site and also crappy circumstances that I’m currently in.
My understanding of the commandment is using G-d's name to justify doing evil, or something G-d's name does not want to be associated with.
A priest telling the altar boy G-d wants him molested is carrying G-d's name in vain.
Heck, the priest marrying a same-sex couple and invoking G-d's name is probably violating this commandment as well.
There's no getting out of it either because the commandment said such action will not go unpunished. My interpretation is that Christians erase their sins with repenting with Jesus. Jews erase their sins through Teshuvah. Neither process will fully escape the punishment of violating this commandment.
As for not using G damn it, there's a Jewish custom of not writing out the full name of G-d, or even G-d itself. (As you may notice I've been doing in this post). That's to prevent the erasure of G-d's name, because you don't know what happens to the piece of paper you write it on... if it gets burned or thrown away or ripped, it would be a desecration, so you don't write the full word out to prevent that.
Thanks SO much for this explanation! I've only stopped taking the Lord's name in vain probably in the last year. I take it seriously very seriously now and was wondering about the G-d thing.
I can see the Jewish perspective. It's very reverent. Plays into mysticism too. The Power of G-d and the Power of Words and Meaning.
On the other hand, I'm a Christian, and trying to better understand the Christian viewpoint. Do some Christians also omit the "o"?
Personally, I'm currently of the belief that intentionally mentioning His name, in a celebratory way (for instance "I am saved by God!" Etc) shows glory to His name. As if you realize He is The Light over everything you do. I guess I'd best describe writing it this way almost as "singing a song to Him" in appreciation, an outwardly declaring your allegiance to Him.
However, I write this knowing I have a lot of guilt for deliberately and selfishly turningy back on Him for a very long time. That obviously influences my perspective.?
I'm pretty sure writing the name with a dash is a Jewish custom, not a Christian.
Part of the reason for not writing out the full name of G-d is you don't know what's going to happen to that piece of paper after you're done with it. Suppose you write out the full name on the document. A hundred years after you die, some jerk breaks into your house, finds the document with G-d's name on it, snorts with disdain, and uses it to wash his hands, fudging out the name of G-d you wrote all those years ago by cleaning the dirt off his grimy fingers.
That would be a desecration of the written name of G-d. And there's no way you could foresee this guy's action a hundred years after your death.
So to prevent that from happening, you write the name with a dash. That way, it's not the full name of G-d. It's just a G dash D. So if the guy wipes his hands on the document, it won't matter any more than if it was a paper towel.
Don't feel guilty about turning your back. I mean, if you think it helps, go ahead and feel a little guilty. Maybe it keeps you on the good path. I'm not Christian but there are a couple wonderful stories that Jesus told in the gospel, even to me. And among the best is the Prodigal Son. You can always be welcomed back to G-d.
Not super guilty, more like aware that I made a bad decision and stuck with it if ignorantly for many years. Always a little bit of bummer to realize you were your own worst enemy. ?
Those are all super legitimate questions... that I know I’m not qualified to definitively answer. But I think you just need to consider both what you understand what/whom your words reference, and how others would reasonably hear it. We are all sinners, and always will be, but as long as your intent is there, your heart will follow, and then so can your actions.
And although the state of our world is beyond concerning, if that leads you to Jesus, then I say this with all sincerity and perspective... all this madness has been a blessing.
And I wasn’t a true believing Christian most of my life. I first accepted Christ sometime after a friend suggested I read CS Lewis’ “Mere Christianity.” It’s a short, modest book, and it’s been well over a decade, so I honestly don’t remember much detail about... but I just remember I liked it. It made all the difference for me, and my direction. And so I’d recommend it to you, if you’re curious.
If you're not serious when you day it, then yes, it's taking His name in vain. If you are serious about it, then you're not taking His name in vain. (But possibly you should think long and hard about condemning things in general, in order to not do it lightly.)
Saltyarmyanon, that is the truth if I have ever heard it. How do we know how awful it is unless we hear it or see it and then begin hating it so much that eventually we do it or say it less and less.
Thank you for that.
I'm posting something another commenter here said to me last month, because it changed the way I feel about this commandment.
In Judaism there's the concept of "Chilul Hashem" which means a desecration of G-d's name. Which I think is the commandment here. This is when you do disgrace to G-d's name, like a Jew who behaves immorally while presenting himself as pious. (Which should be everyone, but isn't). Same thing would probably apply to Christians who proclaim themselves as loyal followers of Jesus, but do things that would make Jesus embarrassed.
The opposite is Kiddush Hashem -- sanctification of G-d's name. Which is bringing honor or respect to G-d.
There was a story I read from a survivor in a Concentration Camp during World War 2. I can't remember the exact details. I'm going to mess up this story. The survivor tells about a man who was not particularly religious, who was given a small amount of authority over the other prisoners by the Nazis. When the Nazis issued ham sandwiches for the prisoners to eat on Yom Kippur, this man said to them: "Are you sure? Non kosher food on Yom Kippur?" So the Nazis shot him. The observer was astounded that such a non-religious man actually ended up giving his life for Kiddush Hashem
This makes a billion times more sense to me. Requesting Him to act in righteousness (damn a traitor, bless the sick, etc) is not taking His name in vain. Claiming He wants an action done on His behalf which is not righteous, is to take His name in vain, as it casts disrepute upon Him by deed, not just thought.
In vain doesnt mean to curse, as we think to curse/swear/cuss.
It means not to bolster your EGO and PRIDE by claiming the name of the Lord.
Essentially, it means to be a humble servant of the Lord God (who is nameless) and not use God as a means to and end that will make YOU look good to others.
In our modern internet meme jargan, it means DONT BE A GLOWFAG.
The Fighting for the Faith YouTube channel did a video on this, and the original Hebrew probably sounded similar to “don’t carry the name of God into falsehood.” It wasn’t so much about about saying cuss words like “god damn,” but about using the name of the lord for false intentions, much like many false preachers and “prophets” do today.
I love me some x22 usually
I flat out turned it off and I may never listen to him again after he said G-D in his last broadcast. I take the Lord very seriously and his name.
I thought the most accurate translation was to not take on his name in vain. Which makes more sense. I have a very hard time believing that anyone who says his name in vain will never be forgiven. Though anyone who lays claim to being his follower or a desciple of his teachings & then blatantly refuses to follow them so many go astray due to not understanding what God really is, those will never be forgiven.
Either way, I strongly support being kind to your fellow man & not actively offending others by using his name in vain.
Every knee shall bend at His Holy Name. When you call oon Him to damn something, think about what that means. Don't speak idly. His Name is the most powerful Name in the universe. Use it carefully. Use it well.
Thank you.
I see people so casually take the Lord’s name in vain, here as elsewhere. The few times I’ve noted it, the responses have been as defensively hostile as you could imagine. So most times I see this, I simply ask the Lord to forgive them, for they know not what they do.
But read this post, folks. If you didn’t know before, now you do. If you really feel the need to curse, I’d strongly suggest you don’t drag the Lord’s name into it.
Legitimate question, Is saying G dammit taking the lords name in vain? I always thought of it as asking him to damn whatever crappy circumstance you say that about. I guess my main question is what constitutes vain in this context? I’m not very religious, but find myself leaning into it more and more lately due to reading this site and also crappy circumstances that I’m currently in.
My understanding of the commandment is using G-d's name to justify doing evil, or something G-d's name does not want to be associated with.
A priest telling the altar boy G-d wants him molested is carrying G-d's name in vain.
Heck, the priest marrying a same-sex couple and invoking G-d's name is probably violating this commandment as well.
There's no getting out of it either because the commandment said such action will not go unpunished. My interpretation is that Christians erase their sins with repenting with Jesus. Jews erase their sins through Teshuvah. Neither process will fully escape the punishment of violating this commandment.
As for not using G damn it, there's a Jewish custom of not writing out the full name of G-d, or even G-d itself. (As you may notice I've been doing in this post). That's to prevent the erasure of G-d's name, because you don't know what happens to the piece of paper you write it on... if it gets burned or thrown away or ripped, it would be a desecration, so you don't write the full word out to prevent that.
I like that concept of dececration. Thanks for the info.
Thanks SO much for this explanation! I've only stopped taking the Lord's name in vain probably in the last year. I take it seriously very seriously now and was wondering about the G-d thing.
I can see the Jewish perspective. It's very reverent. Plays into mysticism too. The Power of G-d and the Power of Words and Meaning.
On the other hand, I'm a Christian, and trying to better understand the Christian viewpoint. Do some Christians also omit the "o"?
Personally, I'm currently of the belief that intentionally mentioning His name, in a celebratory way (for instance "I am saved by God!" Etc) shows glory to His name. As if you realize He is The Light over everything you do. I guess I'd best describe writing it this way almost as "singing a song to Him" in appreciation, an outwardly declaring your allegiance to Him.
However, I write this knowing I have a lot of guilt for deliberately and selfishly turningy back on Him for a very long time. That obviously influences my perspective.?
Thanks all, WWG1WGA
Hey there, glad to be helpful.
I'm pretty sure writing the name with a dash is a Jewish custom, not a Christian.
Part of the reason for not writing out the full name of G-d is you don't know what's going to happen to that piece of paper after you're done with it. Suppose you write out the full name on the document. A hundred years after you die, some jerk breaks into your house, finds the document with G-d's name on it, snorts with disdain, and uses it to wash his hands, fudging out the name of G-d you wrote all those years ago by cleaning the dirt off his grimy fingers.
That would be a desecration of the written name of G-d. And there's no way you could foresee this guy's action a hundred years after your death.
So to prevent that from happening, you write the name with a dash. That way, it's not the full name of G-d. It's just a G dash D. So if the guy wipes his hands on the document, it won't matter any more than if it was a paper towel.
Don't feel guilty about turning your back. I mean, if you think it helps, go ahead and feel a little guilty. Maybe it keeps you on the good path. I'm not Christian but there are a couple wonderful stories that Jesus told in the gospel, even to me. And among the best is the Prodigal Son. You can always be welcomed back to G-d.
Thanks again. The explanation was great.
Not super guilty, more like aware that I made a bad decision and stuck with it if ignorantly for many years. Always a little bit of bummer to realize you were your own worst enemy. ?
Again, thanks. It was a pleasure.
Hey, we all have our sins and our shortcomings.
The challenge is fixing them, not avoiding to have them in the first place. (I mean, you can pull that off with some, but not everything)
Swear words mean jack.shit to God. However I don't use his name to curse people.
Those are all super legitimate questions... that I know I’m not qualified to definitively answer. But I think you just need to consider both what you understand what/whom your words reference, and how others would reasonably hear it. We are all sinners, and always will be, but as long as your intent is there, your heart will follow, and then so can your actions.
And although the state of our world is beyond concerning, if that leads you to Jesus, then I say this with all sincerity and perspective... all this madness has been a blessing.
And I wasn’t a true believing Christian most of my life. I first accepted Christ sometime after a friend suggested I read CS Lewis’ “Mere Christianity.” It’s a short, modest book, and it’s been well over a decade, so I honestly don’t remember much detail about... but I just remember I liked it. It made all the difference for me, and my direction. And so I’d recommend it to you, if you’re curious.
Legit answer:
If you're not serious when you day it, then yes, it's taking His name in vain. If you are serious about it, then you're not taking His name in vain. (But possibly you should think long and hard about condemning things in general, in order to not do it lightly.)
Saltyarmyanon, that is the truth if I have ever heard it. How do we know how awful it is unless we hear it or see it and then begin hating it so much that eventually we do it or say it less and less. Thank you for that.
I'm posting something another commenter here said to me last month, because it changed the way I feel about this commandment.
In Judaism there's the concept of "Chilul Hashem" which means a desecration of G-d's name. Which I think is the commandment here. This is when you do disgrace to G-d's name, like a Jew who behaves immorally while presenting himself as pious. (Which should be everyone, but isn't). Same thing would probably apply to Christians who proclaim themselves as loyal followers of Jesus, but do things that would make Jesus embarrassed.
The opposite is Kiddush Hashem -- sanctification of G-d's name. Which is bringing honor or respect to G-d.
There was a story I read from a survivor in a Concentration Camp during World War 2. I can't remember the exact details. I'm going to mess up this story. The survivor tells about a man who was not particularly religious, who was given a small amount of authority over the other prisoners by the Nazis. When the Nazis issued ham sandwiches for the prisoners to eat on Yom Kippur, this man said to them: "Are you sure? Non kosher food on Yom Kippur?" So the Nazis shot him. The observer was astounded that such a non-religious man actually ended up giving his life for Kiddush Hashem
This makes a billion times more sense to me. Requesting Him to act in righteousness (damn a traitor, bless the sick, etc) is not taking His name in vain. Claiming He wants an action done on His behalf which is not righteous, is to take His name in vain, as it casts disrepute upon Him by deed, not just thought.
Hey, I think I wrote that! I'm glad it touched you!
Sometimes we all just need a reminder! :)
amen
In vain doesnt mean to curse, as we think to curse/swear/cuss.
It means not to bolster your EGO and PRIDE by claiming the name of the Lord.
Essentially, it means to be a humble servant of the Lord God (who is nameless) and not use God as a means to and end that will make YOU look good to others.
In our modern internet meme jargan, it means DONT BE A GLOWFAG.
The Fighting for the Faith YouTube channel did a video on this, and the original Hebrew probably sounded similar to “don’t carry the name of God into falsehood.” It wasn’t so much about about saying cuss words like “god damn,” but about using the name of the lord for false intentions, much like many false preachers and “prophets” do today.
I shall say, 'Goddangit' from now on.
Also, I never thought of it as damning His name. I always used it in the context of God damning whatever was giving me problems.
Godsmitehim!
Like that.
I think most people who say it think that. Or at least many of them do.
How about gosh dang it?
Thank you!
I love me some x22 usually I flat out turned it off and I may never listen to him again after he said G-D in his last broadcast. I take the Lord very seriously and his name.
I thought the most accurate translation was to not take on his name in vain. Which makes more sense. I have a very hard time believing that anyone who says his name in vain will never be forgiven. Though anyone who lays claim to being his follower or a desciple of his teachings & then blatantly refuses to follow them so many go astray due to not understanding what God really is, those will never be forgiven.
Either way, I strongly support being kind to your fellow man & not actively offending others by using his name in vain.
Every knee shall bend at His Holy Name. When you call oon Him to damn something, think about what that means. Don't speak idly. His Name is the most powerful Name in the universe. Use it carefully. Use it well.
not how very anti-communist these are
I needed to hear this today.
Hilarious. And it's all Biblically written about.
Also, learn the truth about who Christ is. He is The Son of God. Ditch the babalonyian trinity the Roman catholic church gave us.
Awwwww. Such a self-hating, loathsome, miserable, angry, deranged animal you are.
Part of the left progressives no doubt. Fuck off and die now.