Do We Even Know What Bad Language Is Anymore?

Editor’s note: A version of this article posted in 2017. It has been updated.

Everybody has always lived in changing times. Today, the times just change faster. The speed and quantity of information, coupled with the scope and density of communications interconnectedness, has accelerated cultural change in the West and to some degree everywhere else.

One sign of the times is that attitudes about what constitutes appropriate language have shifted. Certain anatomical references, body-emissions references, and “F-bombs” used to be considered rude and unfit for professional or public discourse. But for a while now—not so much. It’s harder now to find settings where this sort of talk isn’t routine.

So what’s a Christian to do? The answer to this is less simple than many think—and also more simple than many think. I hope these observations may be of some help.

1. It’s somewhat mysterious what actually makes bad words “bad.”

Isn’t it curious that the English language offers dozens of terms for excrement, but only one of them has been treated as “patently offensive” by the FCC (at least, from the 1970s up until a couple decades ago)? Similarly, English offers numerous terms for copulation, but only one or two have a history of being on the definitely impolite list—and the unwritten list of “words good Christians don’t use.”

So, why are different terms that refer to exactly the same thing controversial? Kids have been asking this question for generations! We still don’t have a short and simple answer, unless we count, “Because I said so, and if you say that again I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap!”

What we do know is that words have connotation as well as denotation. They carry some emotional and social-contextual baggage. If you have any kid left in you, the word “excrement” probably sounds vaguely humorous. “Feces” sounds medical or academic. Some of the other words just sound crude and repulsive.

But pointing out connotation only backs the question up a notch. Where does connotation come from?

What we’re forced to admit, whether we like or not, is that these conventions derive from the shared sensitivities and preferences of a society and they are subject to change over time. That being the case, some formerly not-bad words become inappropriate and some formerly-off-limits words become generally excepted.

Further, there is no list of bad words in the Bible. If there was a list, it would be in Hebrew or Greek, and we’d have to decide what the equivalents are in our language, and we’d be right back where we started.

2. A higher level of precision might help.

Many who are firm that certain words shouldn’t be said (or even voluntarily listened to) are lumping all forms of unacceptable language together as “cussing” or “swearing.” This is fine until you want to think through—or teach someone—why an expression should be avoided or accepted.

And as Christians, why matters.

It turns out that English used to have a good set of tools for classifying why a word or phrase would constitute some kind of “bad language.” Over time, as Western culture has ceased to care, these terms have sort collapsed into each other so that they all mean basically “bad language.”

For Christians, there’s benefit in un-collapsing them, so we can be more thoughtful about our word choices.

Here’s a short list of different kinds of controversial language, noting where the controversy tends to arise. I have linked to dictionaries and similar sources that might be helpful.

• Scatology – words having to do mostly with excrement and related topics people tend to find disgusting
• Obscenity – language considered offensive or immoral, usually having mostly to do with human sexual behavior
• Cursing – pronouncing a wish of evil on someone or something (often including profanity; see also “What’s the Difference Between Cussing, Swearing, and Cursing?” at Dictionary.com)
• Profanity – irreverent references to the sacred; often takes the form of insincere invocation of a deity (closely related to blasphemy, the latter tending to be more clearly intentional; more at American Heritage Dictionary)
• Swearing – a promise or oath in the name of something sacred or exalted, controversial when casual or insincere, often crossing over into profanity (more at Webster 1828)

Some readers have difficulty distinguishing between concepts and the names we use for them. The terms above reflect five distinct and important concepts, regardless of whether the historic terms are the best labels for them. It’s the concepts that matter. Bodily waste is a thing. Sexual activity is a thing. Sacred things exist. People do verbally wish ill on others. They also try to solemnize promises by reference to something exalted.

These are distinct phenomena. Distinct realities remain distinct, even when we’ve lost precise terms for them.

In conversations on this topic with my children and with students, I’ve tried to help them consider values that push back on these forms of bad language: kindness and respect toward others, honoring God’s design for sexuality, reverence toward the sacred, and honor and integrity in making and keeping promises. As the list above shows, these values relate directly to the kind of language we choose to use.

3. Scripture calls us to aim high in the language we use.

As a kid, it always used to annoy me when a pulpiteer would address some popular amusement by saying “Don’t ask what’s wrong with it; ask what’s right with it!” It’s still rhetoric I would avoid, but there’s a kernel of truth there. Some evangelicals—think “celebrity preachers”—seem to always want to be on the cutting edge of acceptable language. It’s as if the goal is to be as low as possible without being too low.

But this isn’t a biblical attitude. The teaching of Scripture on this is so abundant and familiar, it’s hard to see why there is any confusion. This is the “more simple than many think” part I noted earlier.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Pr 25:11)

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Eph 4:29)

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (Eph 5:3–4)

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, (Mt 12:36)

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (Mt 5:37)

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col 4:6)

so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (Php 1:10)

4. There’s not much to gain from using “edgy” language.

The Bible does use strong language at times, and some may see these as examples that justify the use of inappropriate language. But this is hasty. The cases of strong language we find in Scripture are not the same thing as indulging in popular vulgarities in our culture. What we do find is that the Bible occasionally uses language that is …

• intentionally disturbing (e.g., Nah. 3:5, Isa. 30:22 NIV, Mal. 2:3, Ezek. 4:12, Ezek. 23:20 NIV)
• anatomically and physiologically frank (e.g., 1 Sam 25:22 KJV, Gen. 38:9, Deut. 25:11, Exod. 4:25)
• poetically frank, if it can even be called frankness (e.g., Song 7:8, Prov. 5:19)

Scripture gives us no reason to think that we’re more effective in evangelism and discipleship if we try to use edgy, “gritty,” or “earthy” language. Who is really impressed by that? Not sinners whom the Father is drawing to faith (John 6:44) and certainly not saints “born again to a living hope” (1 Pet 1:3).

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17), not by our clever attempts at cultural relevance.

Over time, language Christians once rejected as not befitting saints may well become suitable for general use. But while these cultural shifts are in progress (or perhaps regress), our privilege is to shine as lights (Phil. 2:15) by using language that is above reproach (1 Pet. 2:12).