"language is becoming more raw on broadcast networks [AND] violence and sex ... has migrated to earlier time slots"

When I was working my first job in commercial radio in the mid 1960’s, I was reprimanded for playing “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” (from My Fair Lady) because it included the score’s thrice repeated “damn” before the song. 10 years later stations were playing Elton John’s “The (female dog) is Back” every hour.

The vulgarity and even more offensive blasphemy of the media is reflective of the crudity of our times.

BTW, I dare someone in prime time TV to take Allah’s name in vain. Watch the reactions if someone says “Oh My Allah!”

What will happen next is that those who want to be shocking and vulgar will have to invent new words. It’s all happened before (minus the mass media element).

I find it fascinating that the names of the one true God are the only names regularly used in the capacity of swear words. I believe the reason for this is that, though they may not be consciously aware of it, people know instinctively that these names are the only ones with any power. Swearing by Buddah or Allah just sounds silly. Swearing in God’s name provokes a visceral reaction.

Television is indeed getting bolder in its use of blasphemy. I’ve been amazed in recent years to hear both “Jesus” and “Christ” used as exclamation blasphemies.

[Aaron Blumer] What will happen next is that those who want to be shocking and vulgar will have to invent new words. It’s all happened before (minus the mass media element).

Well, the current trend is to add vulgarity (or absurdity) to blasphemy in creative ways. For example, I’ve seen many references on the internet in recent years to things that “make baby Jesus cry.” It’s an absurd reference, but further serves to cheapen the name of Jesus.

Yes, profanity lives on for as long as people have some sense of the holy. That is, as long as people have a belief in God, profaning Him and things associated w/Him has some shock value. But I’ll bet societies where atheism represents the vast majority, profanity has no visceral response at all. It has no reference to anything they regard as real.
As for “Allah,” I don’t know but I suspect people do use “Allah” to utter profanity in Arabic. “Allah” is the Arabic word for “God,” and is not a proper name as many assume.

It’s a good thing people are so ignorant. They don’t know that God’s proper name is Yahweh, so at least they don’t take that in vain. Not that taking His titles is any small sin!

[Ed Vasicek] It’s a good thing people are so ignorant. They don’t know that God’s proper name is Yahweh, so at least they don’t take that in vain. Not that taking His titles is any small sin!

Interesting portion from a review of “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” on Christiananswers.net:

When Henry starts going through Mr. Magorium’s paperwork, he asks about various employees and fictional persons including a “King of Planet Yahweh” whom Mr. Magorium claims is real. I can’t say for sure what was intended by this and maybe it is for the best that they did not elaborate much more, regardless it didn’t come up again.

I noticed this too, when I got it from the library to watch with my kids. Curious.