Does the Bible swear?
A sign that designates no swearing in a city. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths…” - Ephesians 4:29 How does the Bible guide us here? Not only for children just asking for the first time, but for all of us? There are two basic ways we might handle swear words . We could call them the List Strategy and the Heart Strategy. Making a List The List Strategy puts on a short list a handful of words we should never utter, and all the rest of the words in the world that are legitimate to use on another list. We then go through our lives making sure we use only the words on the longer list and avoiding all the words on the shorter list. The List Strategy can take forms that appear right and wise . We tell our people, for instance, “Honor God with your words” and remind them of the damage that can be done with the mouth. We quote the commandment about not taking the Lord’s name in vain and remind one another of the Bible’s command that no cor...