Pardon my French

Have you ever stopped to think about what makes a bad word "bad?" If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you've probably noticed that I don't use obscenities of any kind. This is partly the way I was raised and partly personal preference. I don't think this makes me a better or worse person than anybody who does use those words. But I do think people don't necessarily understand the different types of "bad" words out there.

The first type is the vulgarity. These are the taboo words, the words not said in polite company. The "f" word, the "s" word, various words that refer to different parts of the anatomy. I'm trying to be delicate here. You all know the words I mean. These are the words which have a stigma attached, some because they come from the lower classes centuries ago, others because of recent social events. Well, I'm here to say there is nothing wrong with those words! They are just words, words with meanings. Many people prefer to use other words to mean the same thing, and that's okay too. Of course, I still don't use these words, but again, that's personal preference. And because of the social stigma, people who use these words will be seen as vulgar (which just means "of the common people"). That's just the way it is.

The words that worry me are the other "bad" words. The words that actually mean something, but are used as if they don't. The two in particular I'm thinking of are "damn" and "hell." These two words have specific meaning in the Bible. I think the reason they have become commonly used in other ways is because it's Satan's way of desensitizing people to their actual meaning. When everything is "damned" and when we say "what the hell," it takes away from what those words actually mean. Then, when they're used correctly, they don't have the impact they're supposed to. I think that's dangerous, and I don't use those words unless I'm using them in context.

So rest assured that I will not be offended by a few colorful phrases (though I will in fact delete them from my comments, thank you very much). But the next time you go to use one of these words, stop and think about what you really mean. You might be able to come up with a better alternative.