“Bleep Bleep” Language!

Have you noticed a proliferation of swearing? Political candidates and elected officials are “dropping F-bombs” (obscenities) increasingly without fear of public disapproval. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has regulations prohibiting obscenity and profanity on TV and radio, but the broadcast moderators today must be busier than ever “bleeping” out the cursing. What does the Bible have to say about profanity?

While cursing has been in movies for decades, it still was frowned upon in polite society until recent years. Cursing and filthy language has become “normalized,” seemingly eroding societal standards. Perhaps a lion’s share of the blame can be placed on the entertainment industry, which allows filthy language as well as raunchiness, gross immorality, and violence into movies, musical performances, and “comedy” routines.

Older generations will remember the buzz about a curse word being uttered by actor Clark Gable (Rhett Butler) in Gone With the Wind. It was a clear violation of the Hollywood Production Code at that time when the movie came out in 1939. It was still being talked about when I was a child more than a decade later.

Language has certainly degenerated since then. Today, many people no longer reign in their language and are “unapologetic” in doing so. In a 2019 article in The Hill, research showed “… members of Congress swearing up a storm more than ever before…. the frequency of lawmakers using words that might make one’s grandmother blush has increased steadily since 2014.”

The FCC does not regulate print media, which follows Associated Press Stylebook policies that generally censor expletives (swear words) by replacing letters of the swear word with dashes or stars (asterisks). Cartoonists have long used grawlixes or obscenicons (typographical symbols such as *&%#@$!) to replace and represent swear words. But why allow such a low standard of communication in society?

Such language used to be condemned. What happened? Why do we allow our language to degenerate into vulgar obscenities? Where did the societal taboos go? Swearing today has become commonplace in many venues: the workplace, the school, television, music, social media, and—sadly—the home.

A New York Post article concluded that “When it comes to expletives, U.S. citizens are the most prolifically profane…. The Brits ranked second when it came to the use of the F-word.” What a shameful and sad commentary on our people!

What does the Bible say on this subject? Colossians 3 encourages us to seek a higher level of thinking and to “put to death” the baser nature and “put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth” (vv. 1–8). In Ephesians 4, we are told to “put off, concerning your former conduct” (v. 22) and to “put on the new self which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (v. 24). And finally, we should “let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers…. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you” (v. 29, 31).

In Exodus 20, the third commandment is, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (v. 7). A follower of Jesus Chris should never take God’s name in vain, and it should be repugnant to hear it said by anyone else this way.

In Jesus’ sermon on the Mount of Olives, He gives instructions regarding swearing oaths. We should not swear at all but simply say “Yes” or “No” and that “whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:34–37).

While cursing and foul language have become “normalized” and our culture has eroded what is acceptable language, we can resolve to rise above the norm, speaking cleanly and, when necessary, forcefully, but without vulgar obscenities. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).

For more on this subject, please read the Tomorrow’s World article “Profanity!” Also be sure to order or read online the free study guide What Is a True Christian?