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A Case for Clean Speech
(A brief paper that seeks to persuade others to use clean speech instead of profane, vulgar, crude, or obscene language)
We live in a day when many people have decided that profanity is a key ingredient in humor, drama, and general communications. For some it simply sounds "cool." Some enjoy an adolescent kind of rebellion against the rules of their childhood by flaunting filthy speech. You might hear them saying, "Nobody is going to tell me how I can or can't talk." And some others honestly believe that, since bad language reflects the real world around them, they cannot be true to reality unless they use words that are profane, vulgar, crude, or obscene.
So, what's the big deal? Nowadays even kids' shows feature a fair amount of crude speech. Why not just accept it as part of our culture and move on to more important issues?
First, let me confess that I am an anachronism. I am one of a significant, though dwindling, number of people who stubbornly refuses to use profane, obscene, or crude language. I even walk out of the room if someone else is watching a TV show that features a hefty amount of bad language. So let me offer some reasons why I choose to use only clean language.
Moving Toward Repugnance
Most of us can agree that some things are rightfully considered to be "clean" or "holy" in a society, while other things are considered "unclean" or "unholy." (To use more modern terminology, some things are considered to be "appropriate" and others "inappropriate." )
Most people would never dream of going into someone's home and beginning to defecate or urinate on their living room floor. In fact, we would not dream of even threatening to defecate or urinate on their living room floor. Most of us would consider it a "nasty" unthinkable thought--very "inappropriate."
Most of us who believe in God would be deeply troubled if someone came into our home and began to loudly curse God or use certain four-letter words to disparage the character of God. We would probably be very unhappy if a visitor even began to speak negatively about God at all.
Most of us would be extremely upset if visitors came into our home and proceeded to have sexual intercourse on our living room floor in front of the kids. We would be quite uncomfortable if they simply began to discuss the possibility of engaging in such behavior. We would not want them top talk explicitly about their sex lives at all in the presence of our kids. (Yes, I realize that there are some immature adolescents who would think all of this would be "cool." I'm talking to more mature people here.)
Most of us could never imagine going into someone's home, taking a blowtorch, and torturing them to a slow and agonizingly painful death. We would never even dream of threatening to do such a horrendous thing.
Most people would have no problem labeling these things as very inappropriate, wrong, repugnant, disgusting, demented, and repulsive--not to mention unclean and unholy. They are so wrong, we would not even dare to suggest that we would engage in such things. We would not talk about it. We would not want anyone to think we would even think such things.
Most of us would never dream of discussing these kinds of things with other people, then (when they expressed shock or dismay) respond by saying, "Hey! I wasn't really going to do it! I was just talking about it!" Yet, when we allow ourselves to use crude, profane, and obscene language, we are clearly moving in the direction of such total repugnance. Why take that step? Why make any movement at all in such an "inappropriate" direction? Is it just because somehow the entertainment industry, by immersing us in it, has been able to convince us it is "cool?"
It's Not Appropriate for Some People
Many who use vulgar, unclean language recognize the importance of avoiding this kind of language when in the presence of small children, or perhaps their grandparents, or perhaps a spiritual leader. Yet, they have no compunction about using those words with friends or even strangers. Does that make sense? Would we say to our kids or grandparents, "I know you wouldn't want me to slaughter another human being in your presence, so I'll do that only in front of my friends and other people?" or "I know you are pretty sensitive and wouldn't like it if I defecated on the floor in front of you, so I'll just do that in front of other people." Why do those things at all--in front of anybody? If it is inappropriate for our kids, grandparents, and spiritual leaders, maybe it is inappropriate for other people as well.
I Would Be Considered a Weirdo
Some use profanity because their peers and friends use it. They don't really feel totally comfortable about it, they just don't want to be "different." They don't have the courage to take a bit of teasing or ridicule in order to stand alone. The issue of having courage to stand alone is worth another entire paper. I will simply say that most of us admire courage and despise cowardice and conformity. It takes courage to choose to use clean language when it seems the whole world is going to ridicule us for being such old fogies.
It's the Only Way I Can Communicate Authentically
There are some who feel they cannot communicate effectively without profanity, vulgarity, and crudity. Isn't it interesting that some of the greatest communicators somehow learned to communicate powerfully and effectively with little or no filthy language? J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis did a pretty good job of communicating. Have you ever heard of someone reading one of their books and saying, "Well, it could have been a pretty good read if they had only included more profanity, vulgarity, crudity, and obscenity?"
How Mature Is It?
Is it not interesting that very young children can learn to curse quite fluently? However, they cannot communicate on a higher level of thinking until they become more mature. Does that not say something powerful about the maturity level required for the use of profanity? The dullest people and the people who have the least creativity often use profanity as an unimaginative (and ultimately boring) way to communicate anger, frustration, surprise, etc. Try this thought experiment: Think of two or three of the most mature people you know. Now think of two or three of the least mature people you know. Who uses the most profanity?
Is it OK to Be Unnecessarily Offensive?
There are still a significant number of people in the world who do not enjoy hearing or reading offensive language. The interesting point here is that no one is ever offended because someone else chooses not to use bad language. If some (like me) believe it to be offensive to use it, and no one believes it to be offensive not to use it, it seems like the choice to use it or not use it is a no-brainer! Unless, of course, our goal is to be offensive.
Scripture
I realize that many who choose to use bad language have no regard for anything that the Holy Bible has to say about the issue. But for those who might be interested, let me include some Scripture.
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (Isaiah 6:5-8)
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew12:34)
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:37)
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. (James 3:6-12)
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (Ephesians 5:3-8)
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. (Ephesians 5:12)
Steve Hall
March, 2007