Myrhaf Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 By Myrhaf from Myrhaf,cross-posted by MetaBlog Here is an interesting signpost of how America is changing. Up to the '70s, one heard "goddamn" in polite conversation. It might have been considered salty, but it was something adults said regularly, kind of like saying "hell." You can find the expletive in Ayn Rand's novels. I remember being surprised in the early '80s the first time a religious man asked me not to say "goddamn." I could hardly believe this person took the idea of God so seriously as to object to a meaningless swear word. Hell, I was an atheist saying the curse. It's not like I meant "Let a supernatural creature come forth and consign thee to the everlasting bonfire!" Today the word has become less common. I think it has joined the four-letter words as a dirty word one should not say. I take this as another indicator that religion is taken more seriously today. Lawrence Auster objects to the use of this word in the title of a book by William F. Buckley. 30 years ago, Auster would have been dismissed as a puritanical freak. Today I fear he is the future of conservatism. View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capitalism Forever Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Funny, it was just this morning that I reflected on how certain sexually explicit swear words that would have been unimaginable in polite conversation a couple of decades ago have been becoming much more common and almost "mainstream." As far as I'm concerned, I'd much prefer to hear more of the goddamn religious blasphemy than the filthy language that desecrates something that actually is sacred. But I'm sure I'll be called a Puritanical Christian for this within a couple of posts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Gosh CF, you sound like a Puritanical Christian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chops Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 (edited) My grandpa, a very religious man, says "goddamn" more than anyone I know, and is the man from whom I got my usage of the word. Meanwhile, my mother throws a fit when I say it. It's a goddamn travesty. Edited April 25, 2008 by Chops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capitalism Forever Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Gosh CF, you sound like a Puritanical Christian Just a little correction: I sound like a goddamn Puritanical Christian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aequalsa Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Along these lines, I noticed recently that on the radio when someone says goddamn, they bleep out only the god and leave the damn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeatherFall Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Along these lines, I noticed recently that on the radio when someone says goddamn, they bleep out only the god and leave the damn.That bothers the hell out of me. I turn the radio off when that happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Well it's really not even blashpemy. The phrase is referring to something as being damned by god, not that god is damned, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Nonetheless I get my butt chewed for using it if I am so incautious as to use it in front of a goddamned fundamentalist ("fundie" or "fundament" for short). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capitalism Forever Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 The phrase is referring to something as being damned by god, not that god is damned, right? Right. Blasphemy would be: "That goddamn God of yours..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom K. Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Along these lines, I noticed recently that on the radio when someone says goddamn, they bleep out only the god and leave the damn. I noticed a while back that they did the same thing to films they re-edit for television. Damn is OK, but not when preceded by God. I mean goddamn! What the goddamn hell do these goddamn jerks want anyways? Complete and utter elimination of goddamn from the goddamn collective memories of every goddamn person who ever heard goddamn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Radiaki Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Jesus Christ! I'll swear the way I was goddamn brought up to swear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McVey Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Looks like shops can look forward to a roaring trade in soap for a while, methinks. JJM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JASKN Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 (edited) It took me several years of concentrated practice to get used to swearing out loud, so it kind of pissed me off when my religious family would chastise me for it. Now, however, I think I have earned the "Southpark Pass," where they have come to expect it. So it's just me swearing again, already a sinner and doomed for hell, no big deal. But when used, these words still induce physical winces from some of my family: goddamn, fuck, and (wait for it) "Oh my god." "Goddamn fucking [whatever]" is something I say sometimes, just to get the reaction. Edited May 7, 2008 by GreedyCapitalist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kori Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Also, why do they bleep out 'hole' in 'asshole'? What's the deal with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benpercent Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Well it's really not even blashpemy. The phrase is referring to something as being damned by god, not that god is damned, right? I think it's blasphemy according to how one of the ten commandments is worded: "Thou shalt not take the lord's name in vain." In this wording I think it means not to use the lord's name in a manner that will not accomplish anything, that is, in a manner where calling upon the lord or making decisions in his name will only serve to tick him off, not for him to act. Considering logic and a good chunk of this board's member's religious beliefs, that's means the word "God" itself is blasphemous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 (edited) Also, why do they bleep out 'hole' in 'asshole'? What's the deal with that? Because everyone likes the ass part but hole is offensive part. That's where all the bad, concentrated evil comes from. Anyways, speaking of "goddamn" and "assholes", at the beginning of the year we had a meeting for the dorm. When they asked if anyone had anything too say I said "Yeah, we are all fucking adults in this dorm, and you guys should have learned how to use a toilet at the age of 4, so please flush the goddamn toilets!" Goddamn sent everyone in a rage. "Fucking" sneaked by unnoticed. I was confused. People still don't flush those goddamn toilets. Edited May 7, 2008 by GreedyCapitalist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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