There are many people who believe in God; there are many different ways of honoring those beliefs. Perhaps as many there are people, or even as many as there are hours of the day! It can be hard to follow those beliefs, despite earnest faith, passion, care, loyalty or tradition towards those inner or outer practices and belief-systems. Some people and their respective faiths value the power and reverence of things uttered, either in prayer, song, sermon or simple communications between each others or oneself.
In my faith tradition, for example, we take care about "using the Lord's name in vain" because we think it is one of the ten commandments that is valid, a core tenet of how we try to live and behave.
All the commandments are important. Some are more difficult to qualify. It is certainly easier to measure "thou shalt not murder" as opposed to "honor thy father and thy mother".
Following the commandments is subjective.
When some people invoke the name or names of deity, they perhaps feel they are bringing themselves closer to those they nominally worship.
I and others take the other tack. Using the Lord's name in vain is to invoke a name without special meaning or significance. I would choose to show emotion or surprise by uttering "my goodness" rather than "my God".
"My God" would be more appropriate to utter in reverent tones of faith and appreciation, in times of faith and "witnessing". As some call it. We, in my faith system, call it "bearing testimony".
One thing that bothered me as a child and still can today are people who do not believe in certain Gods or divine characters and yet utter their names anyway. A friend named Jeremy comes to mind back in the 1970s and 80s; more recently a co-worker named James. They come to mind as egregious offenders of this principle, but I know in my own ways I can offend, too. But this is simply my point of view.
Be careful how you talk. Does "holy cow" offend Hindus? If so, I apologize and I will try not to say it around them. Not being a divine, but rather bovine being for me, then I will say it without trepidation.
Christian, Jewish, agnostic or atheist, we should be accountable for what names we utter, invoke, swear by.
Right?
I guess we can be over-sensitive, but it is worth serious reflection.
Blog on. EMC.
In my faith tradition, for example, we take care about "using the Lord's name in vain" because we think it is one of the ten commandments that is valid, a core tenet of how we try to live and behave.
All the commandments are important. Some are more difficult to qualify. It is certainly easier to measure "thou shalt not murder" as opposed to "honor thy father and thy mother".
Following the commandments is subjective.
When some people invoke the name or names of deity, they perhaps feel they are bringing themselves closer to those they nominally worship.
I and others take the other tack. Using the Lord's name in vain is to invoke a name without special meaning or significance. I would choose to show emotion or surprise by uttering "my goodness" rather than "my God".
"My God" would be more appropriate to utter in reverent tones of faith and appreciation, in times of faith and "witnessing". As some call it. We, in my faith system, call it "bearing testimony".
One thing that bothered me as a child and still can today are people who do not believe in certain Gods or divine characters and yet utter their names anyway. A friend named Jeremy comes to mind back in the 1970s and 80s; more recently a co-worker named James. They come to mind as egregious offenders of this principle, but I know in my own ways I can offend, too. But this is simply my point of view.
Be careful how you talk. Does "holy cow" offend Hindus? If so, I apologize and I will try not to say it around them. Not being a divine, but rather bovine being for me, then I will say it without trepidation.
Christian, Jewish, agnostic or atheist, we should be accountable for what names we utter, invoke, swear by.
Right?
I guess we can be over-sensitive, but it is worth serious reflection.
Blog on. EMC.
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