If I know people will get offended by it, I don't say it. I've never needed to curse THAT badly.

In Swedish, most curses has to do with the Devil. Is that okay?
Like if you hit your toe, and you say "Satan!"...

because it's their religion (or so they think) god damnit!

It makes me somewhat uncomfortable if someone around me says it, but I don't say anything to them. I've never said it myself. I rattle off every cuss word in the glossary, but I've never said that. Why? It makes me a little uncomfortable knowing that I'm directly opposing a set of religious laws that I believe in. Oh well, some people I know that are Christians don't have a problem saying it, and others do. I certainly won't comment if anyone else says it, like I said before. How they stand with religion and how I stand with it has nothing to do with each other.

-Lasereth

Actually there is a big difference in using a racist term to label someone and using goddamn to iterate a point.

"God damn I hurt my thumb" and "you nigger" are two very different phrases. One gets you stared at or a finger shaken at you from someone religious the other gets your ass beat.

edited for rude comment

The whole Idea of a swear is to be offensive to as many people as possible to show your anger or displeasure. Try using the dreaded "C" word around a bunch of women and see the reaction. lol. It's people that are offended that give words their power.

They are both curses and they can both offend someone equally, don't be such a hypocrit sp*

Bullshit.

Goddamn and Jesus Christ are not downing religion, anyone of that religion, or really have anything to do with that religion. Some people think it is taking a Gods name in vein while others of the same denomination do not. By taking a Gods name in vein it is not hurting anyone other than the so-called sinner.

By calling someone a Nigger, coon, fag, etc, you are downing them as a person for either their race, sexual preference, etc which is very different than the other.

If you cannot see the difference you are ignorant.

Calling me ignorant for my perceptions is just as bad as calling me a fag or a nigger. I'm sorry but you can't control how some people would feel if you say goddamnit (gods last name isn't damnit) it doesn't offend me but guarenteed there is someone who it would.

Ok, I am not going to continue this but calling you ignorant and saying goddamn it is very different than calling me a nigger. The fact that you are blind to that tells me a lot. For the record I did not call you ignorant, I said if you could not tell the difference then you were ignorant. You have to make that decision yourself.

Why ask God to damn something?
.... the origins of "sayings" sometimes are forgotten

"Woe unto those..."

It's traditional prophetic language used to call out the failings of the people to be humane to each other. Pretty serious shit, for those who know...and thus the reason that it may truely be as offensive as labels and insults based in gender, race, or orientation.

Very insightful.

BTW, please keep it nice, people :D

If I Goddamned you then yes I would see where you were coming from. When I goddamn my stubbed toe it would be none of your business then correct? I can damn myself all I want right?

Goddamn myself!

See?

Now for Jesus Christ. Usually this stems from people invoking his name in prayer. When something bad happens they would ask for his help. Now when something bad happens it is habit to say his name even without asking for help. This is bad for me to do? You may think so but then again if I am condemning myself to an eternity of burning in hell that is my choice, not yours.

Now, you call me a nigger and we got issues. That is by far worse than me damning my foot to hell or invoking Jesus Christ’s name when not praying. Do you truly not see that?









~edit ~ Also, I want to apologize for calling someone a f@#$ing racist. While I truly believe that person is, it was an insult that I should have kept to myself. I am sorry for the rest of the viewers who had to read it. I am working on controlling my temper so things like that do not happen again.

Why is that such an insult? it's just words and letters put together to make a sound, i've never understood how anyone could be offended by any swear words. They are words that society decided were bad therefor they are offensive, wow a bunch a sounds just kills me, Dont be so fu**ing sensitive.

(edited for sensitive people)

Beltruckus,

Respecting fellow members is a sine qua non of TFP.

You may not be offended by "sounds" but sounds have meaning, and when they are intended to insult and demean each other and generally contribute to a downward spiral in the quality of the conversation, then yes, we take notice.

I never called anyone a name I was just explaining how I felt, I would NEVER call anyone by a deragatory term, I understand it offends people, it just doesn't make sense to me. sorry if it appeared I was calling anyone names. :apologize:

Here’s a new thought.....I don't say God damn it or Jesus Christ.
Not because it offends me, but because giving something a name justifies it's existence.

I like that. I may never say either one again.

It doesn't offend me to hear it. I don't allow my child to say it simply because all of our family and extended family is very religious and it opens a whole can of worms when she says curse words. Personally I don't say it - mostly because it was ingrained into me as a child and also I feel that I can express my displeasure in a more refined way by actually using the words that express it instead of an oath.

The curse words using a name of a deity offend christians and religious persons simply because they feel they are obligated to defend the use of the name of their god. They feel that their god's name is sacred and shouldn't be used in any sense other than in reference to them. If their don't defend the name of their God then they become responsible for it being said. It is all a part of their form of worship. I don't approve of them ripping into someone for saying it but also I think we should respect their religion. Just as an athiest would like them to not talk about their God all the time.

ME:
A good friend of mine is Christian (Catholic? What's the difference?)

I devoutly refuse to believe that there is any real difference. Say anything you like.

:thumbsup:

There one big problem is the Lords name in vain. A curse with his name in the same sentance.

Nope, not ignorant since I do know the difference. However, saying one or both of these curses, "goddammit" or "nigger", in any context, are bound to piss someone off equally. People are making judgements that just because it doesn't offend them it shouldn't offend other people as well. Having them push religion on you is just as intrusive to them as offending their beliefs in God, JC or whoever the fuck they believe in.

To think otherwise is ignorance.

It's always fun to get a rise out of overly religious people b saying god damn it and things like that, but nothing beats debateing with people on the existance of a God, always a back and forth type of deal.

Well, I don't understand the problem with "God damn it." But I would find it irksome if someone used my name as a swear word. I figure Jesus deserves better than that, and I'm agnostic.

I can't believe this thread was revived...but I will post again just for fun.

God damn it, it is saying Goddamn what ever I am doing right now that is pissing me off. It is not saying anything about God. It is not degrading God, it is not hurting anyone. Saying Nigger, is telling the black person you are directing it at that they are property, not human, less than you, ignorant, and many more things. God damn it, is something you say when you stub your toe. You would not say Nigger for stubbing your toe. You say nigger with the sole purpose of hurting someone or degrading them.

There IS a fucking difference.

Seems like a gross mischaracterization of the differences between protestants and catholics.

I think it's a matter of respect to not say certain things around people if they ask you not to. If it offends them, and they ask you not to, is it really that hard to show them the same respect you would want?

My old man used to say that swearing was for people who were too ignorant to say something constructive ( he also had a problem with people saying "uh" or "um" ) but I ah,er, um never fuckin' caught on....and besides it's not taking gods mane in vain:
1)if god isn't really his name and
2) if you really mean it....that kinda negates the "vain" part of it...
My 2 cents..hope it doesn't rub anybodies goddamn panties the wrong way! ;)

Haha, nice. I am pagan, but yet, I don't mind hearing or using these phrases, because I really don't care that much .. they're just speech explaining how you feel, and shouldn't be taken seriously.

If he's your friend why can't you explain it to him?

Oh well better safe than sorry I guess.

I would have to say that they are different but equal. You are jokingly calling on the omnipotent God of the Universe to use his almighty power to curse your toe or your situation.

That is like waltzing in past the secret service, whipping everything off President Bush's desk, and demanding that he convene congress to declare full scale war on your dog for crapping in the living room.

You don't think anyone could be very offended by you calling on their God to do the following to your toe?
1 : to condemn to a punishment or fate; especially : to condemn to hell
2 a : to condemn vigorously and often irascibly for some real or fancied fault or defect b : to condemn as a failure by public criticism
3 : to bring ruin on

Saying 'God Damn ______' implies that you either 1. Don't believe there is a God, or 2. Believe that he is impotent and incabable of hearing or heeding your request. This is bound to ruffle some feathers in certain circles.

*edit: sorry, didn't realize this was such a dead thread, posting anyways*

takes really strong language to even start to offend me, and I am more likely to be impressed if someone is really creative with the profanity and the terms used. I have heard more than a few former shipmates (ugh, still hate that term) use the word f*ck in some form as almost the entire sentence - just because the word is unbelievably flexible and can be used as nearly all parts of speech does not mean it should be.
Do not have a problem with the main phrase in question and the air can get quite blue when the computers start giving me fits, but usually I curse very sparingly around most people. It can give an undesirable impression unless they really know you.

Judging by some of the hostility on here toward the Christian faith, I would assume that many of you have a line of Christian's following you 24-7 everywhere you go tugging on your coat-tail begging you to be Chrisitian. Born again's may have a tendency to be a little eccentric and set in their ways when talking about their religion, but this is a small minority, and that's far from forcing or shoving anything down your throat. As someone else said, "some people like to be offended", some people just like to hate christians.

well, its also their fault for asuming you are allways talking of their god when you say god damnit. they think its blasphemy, which is quite lame, because if you dont believe in christianity, their rules and religious ethics should neither apply to you. silly religious people.

I couldn't care less what you say or what profanity you use... I'd prefer it wasn't done TO EXCESS around my children, (movie theaters, etc.) as I don't particularly care to have them sent home from school having told a teacher to kiss their farking arse. Goddammit.


Lord knows I don't try to hide my language from them, I think it's a part of modern language and it's important to learn when and where things are appropriate.

God damn it. God fuck it. God shit it. God cunt it. God bitch it. God whore it. You know... I don't believe in God cause god is a ...

Seriously though. The one thing we can thank those Christians and God believing folks for is the name.
God makes such a good word for frustration:
Where are my goddamn keys?
Goddamn it, where is that rubber chicken?
Who turned up the goddamn heat?
I can't find my goddamn car!

The list goes on and on. You can't do that with other gods:

Get outta my Zues damn house you Brahma damn idiot. I'll kick your Vishnu damn ass.

It only works with the god named God.

Even Jesus's name works well when you're frightened:

Jesus Christ you scared the shit outta me! God damn!

I like when people give Jesus extra names:

Jesus H. Christ on a fucking stick!

Keep up the good imaginary friend worship, it's bound to give us good cuss words for many generations to come.

God sounds like popeye. "Goddamn it, i am what i am"

I have no problem with the phrase because i'm not really christian. Apparently, god doesn't have a problem with the words either. What would the world be like if god actually damned every little thing that god has been asked to damn? Big toes, cars, and video games would all be melting in eternal damnation. Most of the people who post on this board would be burning already.
God, if you believe in god, is no dummy. I'm fairly certain that god is also not so petty and unaware of the ways we use words as to actually get upset when we use the words god or christ outside of prayers.