Saying something in vain

[Just_me_Mike]

Whether you are in the throws of passionate love making, or experiencing the pains of hammering your thumb accidentally, whether you are so perturbed and frustrated at what just happened, we are often compelled to express these sensations with an idea that could convey the significance of what just happened.

"Oh my God" as expressed in highly pleasurable sex.
"Jesus ***** Christ" as expressed from pain of a smashed finger.
"God D--It" as expressed from a child doing something so against your will.

Now you may not fall under any of these, but the point is, I am explaining what it means to say something in vain. When we don't believe something exists, such as God, yet we offer up when emotionally charged times call for it the implication of God, it is a curious thing.

If there is a God, and you use his name as such, yet you believe there is no God, you are using his name in vain.
However, if you do believe in God, and use his name I would find it much less in vain.

 

[Meow Mix]

"God D--It"

Guilty!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Whether you are in the throws of passionate love making, or experiencing the pains of hammering your thumb accidentally, whether you are so perturbed and frustrated at what just happened, we are often compelled to express these sensations with an idea that could convey the significance of what just happened.

"Oh my God" as expressed in highly pleasurable sex.
"Jesus ***** Christ" as expressed from pain of a smashed finger.
"God D--It" as expressed from a child doing something so against your will.

Now you may not fall under any of these, but the point is, I am explaining what it means to say something in vain. When we don't believe something exists, such as God, yet we offer up when emotionally charged times call for it the implication of God, it is a curious thing.

If there is a God, and you use his name as such, yet you believe there is no God, you are using his name in vain.
However, if you do believe in God, and use his name I would find it much less in vain.

Personally, I tend to say "pig ****er!" when I hit my thumb.

 

[tomato1236]

Personally, I tend to say "pig ****er!" when I hit my thumb.

Sex: Uh! Yeah!
Smashing finger: Ow! or Dah! or FFFFFF! or SHHHHH!
Kid doing something against my will: Hey! or ELI!

 

[sandy whitelinger]

"Oh my God" as expressed in highly pleasurable sex.
"Jesus ***** Christ" as expressed from pain of a smashed finger.
"God D--It" as expressed from a child doing something so against your will.

Now you may not fall under any of these, but the point is, I am explaining what it means to say something in vain.

Actually you are not. The usages in each of those examples has a reason behind their use which means they are not in vain.

Now, here is a vain use (outside of the context of using it as an example):

"God damn it."

 

[Just_me_Mike]

Actually you are not. The usages in each of those examples has a reason behind their use which means they are not in vain.

Now, here is a vain use (outside of the context of using it as an example):

"God damn it."

And saying "God damn it" has no reason?

Maybe where you live it is different, but I seldom here people for no reason just say God damn it?
Where is it you live? Interesting place!

 

[Levite]

Whether you are in the throws of passionate love making, or experiencing the pains of hammering your thumb accidentally, whether you are so perturbed and frustrated at what just happened, we are often compelled to express these sensations with an idea that could convey the significance of what just happened.

"Oh my God" as expressed in highly pleasurable sex.
"Jesus ***** Christ" as expressed from pain of a smashed finger.
"God D--It" as expressed from a child doing something so against your will.

Now you may not fall under any of these, but the point is, I am explaining what it means to say something in vain. When we don't believe something exists, such as God, yet we offer up when emotionally charged times call for it the implication of God, it is a curious thing.

If there is a God, and you use his name as such, yet you believe there is no God, you are using his name in vain.
However, if you do believe in God, and use his name I would find it much less in vain.

It might be worth mentioning that, when the Torah says lo tisa et shem YHVH la'shav, which is usually translated "Don't take the name of the Lord in vain," what it is actually referring to is the use of God's name [and by this we mean not any old name for God, but the correct pronunciation of the tetragrammaton, YHVH, which has been lost for millennia] when one takes an oath before a court, whether to give testimony, or to commit oneself to a vow, or anything similar; or to the use of the tetragrammaton in formal cursing (not profanity, but cursing in the magical sense of laying a curse on someone).

Since this commandment applies only to the correct pronunciation of the tetragrammaton, even if we swore "to God" in a court and then perjured ourselves, we would still not be violating this commandment (although we would be violating the commandment against bringing false witness, and the Rabbinic commandment to obey the civil laws of the country in which we live, provided they do not directly contradict Jewish law). And likewise, if one were practicing magic, and in the course of cursing someone, brought down "the wrath of God" or suchlike, it would not be violating this commandment, because the correct pronunciation of the tetragrammaton was not employed (although other commandments, concerning other matters, might be violated by such behavior).

But even if we knew the correct pronunciation of the tetragrammaton (which we do not), it would still only apply to these two kinds of uses. While it was never encouraged to pronounce the tetragrammaton too often, in casual use, it was also never prohibited.

 

[Circle_One]

Personally, I tend to say "pig ****er!" when I hit my thumb.

Yeah, I tend to say "c*** sucker!" or "cu** wh***!"

 

[sandy whitelinger]

And saying "God damn it" has no reason?

Maybe where you live it is different, but I seldom here people for no reason just say God damn it?
Where is it you live? Interesting place!

Not a lot of Turrets out where I live. It's strange that you would think there was. The example I gave was a vain usage in that there would have been absolutely no reason for it being said, which, by definition is vain.

 

[lilmama1991]

i have been guity for using god's name in vain a few times not on purpose but its still wrong

 

[YmirGF]

Sex: Oh Angellous, oh Angellous... oh yeah... Who's yer DADDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYyaaaaaaahhhhhooooowwwwww

Smashing finger: ANGELLOUS!

Kid doing something against my will: "Infidel dog, come here!"

 

[Jacksnyte]

Whether you are in the throws of passionate love making, or experiencing the pains of hammering your thumb accidentally, whether you are so perturbed and frustrated at what just happened, we are often compelled to express these sensations with an idea that could convey the significance of what just happened.

"Oh my God" as expressed in highly pleasurable sex.
"Jesus ***** Christ" as expressed from pain of a smashed finger.
"God D--It" as expressed from a child doing something so against your will.

Now you may not fall under any of these, but the point is, I am explaining what it means to say something in vain. When we don't believe something exists, such as God, yet we offer up when emotionally charged times call for it the implication of God, it is a curious thing.

If there is a God, and you use his name as such, yet you believe there is no God, you are using his name in vain.
However, if you do believe in God, and use his name I would find it much less in vain.

Well, technically, the Judeo Christian god(I am assuming this is who you are referring to) has a name, and it isn't "God". You will likely never hear anyone take this particular deity's name "in vain", due to the fact that the vast majority of the people who worship said deity are ignorant of his/her/it's actual name!

 

[gerobbins]

Well with all the religions out there, you never hear mohammed, buddas etc... names used in vain.

 

[YmirGF]

Well with all the religions out there, you never hear mohammed, buddas etc... names used in vain.

It's the price of popularity.

 

[gerobbins]

It's the price of popularity.

Despite the fact that Islam is the worlds second largest religion?

 

[RitalinO.D.]

Personally, I tend to say "pig ****er!" when I hit my thumb.

I've been known to use this doozie on more than one occasion.

I think my personal favorite is "God F****** Damnit!" Kind of famous for it with my friends and coworkers, although i'm not sure that's a good thing to be famous for.


I think those terms are so ingrained in the English language they have just become second nature to those of us that do not find them in vain.

 

[YmirGF]

Despite the fact that Islam is the worlds second largest religion?

It is also helpful if one has rather savage rules against blasphemy in place. Given such, Muslims are not likely to go too far with the "name in vain" thingy.

 

[Vorinn]

I tend to swear "Jesus Christ!" or just "Christ!" when I'm upset or shocked. It comes entirely from the larger culture, and I'm not comfortable with it, since I'm not Christian. It feels almost like an invocation of sorts of a deity that I don't worship, and I don't like that. I haven't managed to change yet, though.

That said, I prefer it to some of the stronger alternatives suggested here, that might be more likely to cause offense or otherwise get me in trouble if they slipped out of my mouth in a thoughtless moment (and those moments are almost always thoughtless!)