Jesus and Culture:  Profanity and the Christian Blogger

First of all, let me assure you that I have had my moments.  In a fit of anger I had said some not so pretty words, usually to my husband.  Those days, thankfully, have passed, but just so you know that this post is not about throwing out a few salty words as punctuation to overflowing emotion and then being regretful afterwards.  This post is about Jesus followers…His teachers… the ones He has sent out… who deliberately chose their words and typed them on the page.  Then when editing, they say to themselves, “This is a good idea.  I think these words will make my point.”

My Christian Alma mater sends out a quarterly alumni magazine and I noticed that a popular blogger (that I was not familiar with) had come to speak on blogging in today’s culture.  So naturally, I went to her blog to see what she had to say.  The current blog post was a rant about people who had annoyed her with stupid questions about a family activity.  At some point she felt it necessary to capitalize HOLY S***. to let the reader know, without a doubt, she was MAD.  I had assumed she was a Christian because of the title of her blog.  Y’all, after picking my jaw off of the floor, I went to investigate her ABOUT page.  Yes, she is a Christian…her husband is a pastor.  And this is not an isolated incident.  I have observed other Christian bloggers with just as much profanity.  I guess they are attempting to be relevant.

I have two points to make about this.

Teachers are Held to a Higher Standard

I think some have forgotten this verse.  Maybe their version of God is different than mine.  But from what I read in scripture, God is pretty serious about being represented well.

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. James 3:1 NLT

This one statement should cause all Christian bloggers to pray passionately before hitting the publish button.  The theme of this passage is taming the tongue.  In essence our keyboard is our tongue. Maybe you would like to read all of James 3 here.

It is possible that this blogger’s overall theme does not involve teaching.  That her select audience is clicking to be entertained not led in deep discussion.  Christians that find themselves in the national spotlight, like the Robertson family from Duck Dynasty, or Candace Cameron from The View, are also entertaining the masses, but make no mistake they too are actively teaching the world what a Christian walk looks like.  If you have confessed to belong to Jesus in your Bio, then you are a Christian blogger.

It is impossible to write a blog without teaching.   We are light.

 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! James 3:10 NLT

I am sure I will not convince some of you that this is a big deal.  I am sure some will mark me down as out of touch.  But I can’t help myself y’all, it’s the mission of this blog to encourage holiness within our culture.

And speaking of holy…

#$%!  is NOT holy, God is!

I have heard the word Holy put in front of many not so nice words, even in front of hell itself.  It’s the culture y’all.

Maybe culture needs a review of what holiness is.  How about… perfection beyond comprehension, or purity beyond imagination?  It is the first name of the Holy Spirit.  He is what makes us holy and sanctified.  When Christians use holy in an unholy manner are they misunderstanding the Spirit within them?  Are they disregarding the unseen world, the heavenly places?  Just because we can’t see the invisible doesn’t mean our words are not effecting the unseen. I am just speculating y’all, but wouldn’t calling poop holy be an anti-prayer…the opposite of the living beings in heaven singing,” Holy, Holy, Holy?”

In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.  Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Revelation 4:6-8  NLT

I would love to hear back from you on this subject.  Have you run across profanity from Christian bloggers?  Does it bother you like it does me?

 

 

Pictures:  +  a forlorn looking gate to the entrance of an old oil refinery that is no longer standing. Located on the Neches River in Texas.  ++original picture of the sun setting taken on my way home from Houston through the front windshield of the passenger side.  It was HUGE that day.  +++ taken inside the chapel at my Alma mater.  Many couples love to use this chapel to get married because of the exquisite stained glass.

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