Photo By John Brundage

When I returned to my faith in university, one of the first and most obvious things about my life that needed to change was the way I spoke. Aside from the fact that foul language stood out like a sore thumb in my new social circles, I could no longer speak this way in good conscience. My gut feelings on the matter were confirmed when I led a Bible study on the topic of speech. I was astonished by the severity which scripture treats swearing. 

The greatest severity is reserved for taking the Lord’s name in vain (i.e., using God’s name as a curse, or swearing to God with a false or trivial oath). Sirach warns us: “Do not accustom your mouth to oaths, and do not habitually utter the name of the Holy One” (Sirach 23:9). Here’s a condensed list of what this section says about the man who does not heed this warning and takes the Lord’s name in vain:

“…[he will] not be cleansed from sin.” 

“…[he will] be filled with iniquity.” 

“…the scourge shall not leave his house.”

 “…his sin remains on him.”

 “…he will not be justified.” 

 “…his house will be filled with calamities.”

What a list! This is the type of language reserved for murderers, adulterers, and those who exploit the poor. It’s that big of a deal. There’s no excuse for misusing God’s name, even if phrases like ‘oh my God’ have become very common in our culture.

Scripture also admonishes us to avoid vulgarity. Sirach says: “Do not accustom your mouth to lewd vulgarity, for it involves sinful speech” (Sirach 9:13). Paul’s letter to the Colossians contains the following command: 

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth” (Colossians 3:5-8).

Why must we put to death obscene talk? Because Jesus has taught us that “from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). What is my heart full of if I speak words that are blasphemous, sexist, crassly lewd, scatological, or which misuse the awful realities of damnation and hellfire? James gets to the heart of the matter when he writes:

“With [the tongue] we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh” (James 3:9-12 – my emphasis).

The bottom line is that when we become Christian, it should change our lives, and that includes our speech. Paul writes: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). In Romans, he admonishes his readers: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

Do you still swear? I have the following encouragements for you:

Knock it off!: Self explanatory if you’ve made it this far in the post (thank you for reading 🙂 ).

Don’t be too hard on yourself: Cursing can be hard to stop. For me it became a habit so deeply ingrained that I would, (and unfortunately from time to time still do) blurt out a curse word before I’ve had a chance to think. Focus on what’s in your control. Never choose to swear, and pray for the grace to have better things come out of your mouth when you’re startled or angry.

Don’t be too quick to judge others: As I mentioned above, swearing is a very challenging habit to break. Additionally, what is and isn’t “swearing” can vary widely depending on many things, including culture, upbringing, context, and intention. And the rules don’t always make sense. For example, the s-word is considered profanity, but people think nothing of someone using the word ‘crap,’ even though they mean the same thing. Not everything is black and white, and you don’t know the person’s heart. Focus on setting a good example, and exercise prudence and restraint in correcting others.

Test the grey areas: A priest I know gave me a saying which has served for a useful test. He said, “I understand that you’re upset, but the blessed Mother wouldn’t have said that.” Can you imagine a saint saying this word? Do you think we will talk this way in heaven? Lately I’ve been trying to phase out words which don’t meet that standard.

May God bless you and may you become transformed by the renewal of your mind and of your speech.

John Brundage is a seminarian with the Companions of the Cross. He also writes a Substack Newsletter called Integrated Prayer.