No one should ever get offended at the phrase “God damn it”, because it is not offensive.
I sympathize with your sensitivity as there was a time when it hurt my ears to hear it as well. In the late 90s when Southpark was a brand new show, Cartmans voice was more gruff and high pitched and I could do a perfect impression of him that got major laughs at school – which, as a budding comedian – that was my life. The students were my audience and that bit killed every time. The only problem was that Cartman said “God damn” a lot and at the time I was going to a Catholic school and I felt terrible about saying it. I tried a few times and it felt like the worst swear word ever. It felt like it would have been better to drop a dozen “f*ck”s than one “G-D it”.
Then in 11th grade, in a public school in Missouri, my awesome English teacher and practicing Christian, Mr Kirk informed us that the phrase “God damn it” is not taking the Lords name in vain, briefly explained why, and moved on.
Wait…whaaaaat?
Further research into the biblical history and context of the commandment proved him right – but I shouldn’t have had to know a single bit of theology to have known that. All I needed to know was English…
FIRST: The bible is full of people requesting God to damn something or someone. its just become a popular misconception among religious people that its “using the Lords name in vain” because idontknowwhy, but probably just because someone heard the word “damn” in the same sentence as the word “God”, didn’t pay attention to the context and got offended by assuming someone was damning their God.
That’s not what the phrase says..
God. Damn. It. = Noun. Verb. Noun.
You are calling to God to damn something – to curse it. And isn’t that the whole point of religion? To ask your God for things you want, thank Him for what you get and ask damnation to the physical world obstacles that trouble your daily life?
Using the Lords name in vain is when you A) use the Lords name & B) use it in vain.
Vain means “to no avail”. like: “he tried to open the locked door in vain”.
Using the Lords name in vain is giving a false testimony after swearing to God. “I swear to Jesus Christ that I’m telling the truth” and then lying, is a proper example of this sin. It’s a sin because sinning in the name of God defames Him and that’s the worst sin Christians can do.
The actual commandment is “do not carry the lords name in vain”. It means not to do evil in the name of God. Don’t make him look like an a-hole. That’s it.
It has nothing to do with getting frustrated and saying the curb you just stubbed your toe on should be damned.
If you ever talk to God, ever – and all Christian sects do (and lets face it – it’s only the Christians who ever care about this. Jews don’t give a crap and Muslims…well. that’s another thing all together) then you are doing nothing different and nothing worse than calling out to him to damn something in response to your frustration. Everyone who believes in the Dude thinks God is there to turn to turn to in times of trouble – it makes no sense to ban this one phrase as an example of that.
This myth needs to end.
Thank you for clearing up my questions on taking Gods name in vain. I believe taking the Lords name is using Gods name in error. And we know that todays church doctrines are in error.
I’m glad I happened on to this. Since I was very young I have beaten myself up for the extremely few times I’ve said it. I’ll use any other cuss word and think nothing of it, but a G dammit or a JC is like scratching the chalkboard to me. What you state makes sense and I do not feel like the low life sinner for having said it in my lifetime. Will I be comfortable enough to start practicing it’s use, I doubt it.
I’m glad I looked this up , thank you for clarifying this , I too thought when you said God damm it was using God’s name in vain . Thank you
Also “God” isn’t his name. It’s Yahweh, or El Shaddai.