original source (edited by me)
If you have been reading my material since I joined this site you will have noticed that I rarely use 'bad language' in my posts. I wrote an introduction to my original novel for steemit Today Again and I mentioned that there would be swearing, that F bombs would be dropped, that poop would start with sh. In case I am being passed over due to such unsavory language please allow me to clarify the reasons why I feel it's not only appropriate, but necessary for this story.
original source (edited by me)
First reason: The main characters come from a life and background where it would be incredibly unrealistic for them not to use those words.
Second reason: The life they are living currently would also make it incredibly unrealistic, not just for them but for the people they surround themselves with, not to use those words.
Third and most important reason: This is a story that will rely heavily upon character growth. In order for the growth to make a significant impact on the readers the characters must have a great deal of growing to do. While I may not agree with the sentiment, course language does tend to be looked upon as either - "shock value" or "lacking class and/or intelligence".
Now in my opinion there are times when no word can quite get the point across better than Fuck. In my own everyday speech I tend to use it sparingly because overuse causes it to lose its impact. Overuse also tends to make it abrasive, which is largely the point of it in the beginnings of this story when it comes to certain characters in particular. I also admittedly use it sparingly in my own speech out of respect for those in society who find it so offensive as I dislike hurting people even if I might think it's somewhat silly to be hurt by mere words (unless of course they are intended to be hurtful, but in that case you could angrily shout Frack You! and it would mean the same thing, in my opinion)
original source (edited by me)
Now for the Bible Study. For those of you who read my Playground Series, you will have heard a bit of this from the episode entitled Swear No Oaths. But I am going to take it a few steps further today.
Many modern day followers of the Bible believe that the use of Four Letter words is a Sin. This is at least partially due to terribly misinterpreted verses. One example is Matthew 5:34-37
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Profanity had absolutely nothing to do with this decree, and if you're truly concerned about following this particularly edict than you ought to begin preparations to live as the Amish do. And not the modern day Amish who have bent the rules, but the old school Amish who followed them to the letter, because from this day forward you will no longer be able to "swear that the above information is true" or the many other variations of this phrase, which you will find in every single contract that you have ever come across, from your driver's license, to your bank account, to your credit cards, to your mortgage (which, by the way, the Latin root word mort means “death.” And the definition of gage in Merriam Webster is pledge, so mortgage is literally a death pledge) or any loan you have ever taken out, not to mention most online accounts you might have.
And if that were not enough, most of these things also require the use of your social insurance number or SIN number (in Canada they are more above-board by calling it this, in the US they hide it slightly by using the word security in place of insurance)
And just to make sure the point is firmly driven home for any of you that think you can still skirt this somehow, let's take a look at the word SIGN. How many of you think that throwing a silent G in this word is an arbitrary thing, done for the hell of it? (hm, perhaps that was an ironic way of phrasing that) And how many of you, following the general rules of the English language wherein a vowel will be pronounced with it's short sound unless a silent e is placed at the end of the word, can say that this word is not in fact SIN? Well I suppose you can say it, but you'd be hard-pressed to make a good case for it.
So all ye people who are concerned about sinning, it is time for you to put your pens away and go live off the land. At the very least get a horse so that you can climb down off it for I guarantee that saying Fuck is far more preferable to your Lord than all of the many, many ways you have sinned and will continue to sin according to the accurate interpretation of Swearing No Oaths.
So what have we learned by the information above? That four letter words, while they may be considered vulgar or course, while they may be socially unacceptable in some circles due to societal views, they have nothing whatsoever to do with swearing,
And they also have nothing to do with cursing. Putting a curse on someone or their house goes something like this: "A pox on Jones and the house of Jones and the ancestors of Jones, and thereby the house of Jones will suffer all the days of their lives." Definition of pox; (Merriam-Webster) Saying Fuck you Jones and Fuck your house is certainly not a nice thing to say, just as giving someone the middle finger is not a nice gesture, but neither are these things a curse. They are empty words that can be mean when said in anger. So in Conclusions (Conclusion Number One): The vulgar words must be in my book for the reasons I outlined in the beginning of this rant and ramble. Conclusion Number Two: If you are someone who believes saying or using the word fuck is a terrible sin you should probably do a bit more research on the subject of sin and deal with the vastly more worrisome sin that your guilty of on a daily basis. And now a song because talking about cussing reminds me of it. (Disclaimer: It is South Park. It is vulgar and may be considered offensive to some, while hilarious to others)
1: a : a virus disease (as chicken pox) characterized by pustules or eruptions
b archaic : smallpox
c : syphilis
2: a disastrous evil : plague, curse
You say Jesus came to save us from sin--I say if we'd actually listened to him then the sin of debt leading to debt slavery may well have been avoided, of course that would have required pastors to teach the Bible accurately. Hell is defined in Black's Law dictionary as "a debtor's prison" and it refers to an actual prison, here on earth, not an esoteric afterlife. Jesus came to save you from the sin of debt, and also hell. Rather than some impossible to prove mysticism, might there actually have been a practical message in this book of law and equity? Something to think about.
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