Exodus 20:7

Cursing causes linguistic spiritual corrosion. This is why cursing with God’s name is explicitly prohibited in the Ten Commandments. The worst prohibited curse is using the word “God” followed by the word “Damn.”

Using “Jesus Christ” as a curse is just as bad.

In full disclosure, I must tell you that I was once called out by Tommy (my dear friend Father Tom Hartman) for using the JC curse. After overcoming my embarrassment, I understood that my insensitivity was the result of not having the reverential associations with the name of Jesus planted in the soil of my soul as a child.

Many of the ways we hurt each other arise not from hatred or cruelty but from simple ignorance. That’s why we all need friends who are not just like us in every way. I don’t curse with the name of Jesus anymore, but I am struggling with what to scream when I drop a heavy object on my toe. “Aw, shucks!” or “Youch!” don’t provide the emotional catharsis we all need to express at times. So I’m a fan of “DAMN!” (without the God prefix).

The point of all this is that the way we express anger and disappointment must not just allow us to wallow in our self pity, but must also point us back to a time when anger subsides and we can speak the name of God in joy.

Rabbi Gellman

Comment:
The biblical notion of cursing goes beyond the use of bad, and offensive language. It is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune may befall someone. This is much worse than the use of bad language, foul speech, dirty words, and cussing. However, the latter forms of cursing should be avoided, too, for they are offensive, vulgar, and in bad taste. It makes more sense for Christians to express frustration by the use of acceptable, non-offensive language, than by the use of foul and vulgar speech. By the way, the word “Darn” is preferable to “Damn” as a way to express frustration.

Fr. Hugh Duffy

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