Dirty Deeds & the Christian Author
I'm sure much has already been said on this matter somewhere on the blogosphere, but I got to thinking about it today:
My characters are generally bad people. The whole stinkin' lot of them simply reek of original sin. They're perfectly awful which is only perfectly natural given the general state of humanity. Even us Christians are only sinners saved by grace.
But how do we write it?
Take swearing. [Those with gentler constitutions probably should stop reading and go do something else now.]
My characters never really swear. Oh, they use the words "friggin," "sodding" and "crap." I suppose some would consider that cussing of a sort. As someone who wasn't always a Christian, someone who sang in a horrid little metal garage band and spouted and sang the F-word at every available opportunity, I can honestly say that my pastor found these tamer substitutions immensely preferable! Did you know that if you sing something, it becomes second nature? That's why congregational singing is so important and should not be neglected for the sake of current musical trends in worship; congregational singing helps to form our shared liurgy! In any case, I swore in song and was in such a habit of swearing that I did it as unconsciously as breathing. I'd raised it to an art form. Of course, my favorite profanity was the F-bomb. The F-word in particular has always been versatile for the more brazen soul: a noun, adjective, verb.. you could even add new syllables to common words for added effect: for example, out-friggin-rageous! I digress.
So if you were to ask me if those words were cussing, I'd laugh. I do laugh! I laughed when people used them back when I peeled the wallpaper off the walls with every profane utterance! It wasn't really swearing at all. It was hinting at it.
When someone who grew up in church all their life or has become now so acclimated to Christian social norms that they've forgotten what they were like hears those words, some of them are convinced that I may as well be cussing.
Thus, we have a great divide in Christian fiction, an is/ought contradiction that must somehow be dealt with. As I understand it, there are two camps on the subject [I'm oversimplifying, I'm sure]: the Honesty camp and the Holiness camp. The Honesty party thinks we ought not sugar-coat sin. We ought to paint it as it is so real people can then see themselves reflected in the pages of our books and then be pointed to a real Savior. Something to that effect anyway. The Holiness camp thinks we ought not do anything of the sort. We ought to write our characters as role models. A sort of what would Jesus write crowd.
Which is an excellent question all it's own, btw! What would Jesus, the Master Storyteller write? His parables reflected the lives of real people. The Prodigal Son's protagonist is a disrespectful hedonist who finds grace. It would be intersting to study His parables anew with that question in mind.
Anyway, two camps overgeneralized. And I don't really fit into either. I think the Holiness camp authors write saccharine pieces that are a little too gilt-edged. They don't show people as they are, but how they prefer them to be. Are we really to suppose these fictional worlds contain no cigarettes, alcohol or dice. The characters seem too plastic. If any of them have flaws or sins they are either destined for conversion or they're the villains. No one struggles with a thorn in the side. Yet I know Christians who struggle with addictions. I know Christians who don't always do the right and proper Christian thing. I know Christians who often act self-righteously instead of graciously. One of them looks me in the mirror every day!
On the other hand, the Honesty guys are equally unappealing. Take gore and violence. I'm writing a sci-fi adventure piece. There are super-powered fist fights, guns, rockets, alien death rays and all of the high-flying action you'd expect out of a classic good versus evil brawl through downtown. Now, I could write a scene with lots of graphic gore and blood with people spitting out teeth and what-have-you [I don't] and that would be honest, but it would also be unnecessary. To be honest [and brutally so, as is my custom], I do have a scene where I note that someone's shin bone is jutting out of their leg. That's my goriest scene and it's simply necessary so that you know the extent of the character's injuries at that point and that, well, its a serious leg injury, not a sprain or a mere fracture. That sort of medical gore is necessary in a case like that, but I think that there's a line that can be crossed where it becomes gratuitous. Where we might as well follow that act with lions and Christians...
There's also the issue of the protagonist's faith. In almost every Christian novel I read, the protagonist is either a Christian at the start or he is by the end of the book. In my current book, only two Christians are evident. One's a preacher [supporting cast] and the other is the protagonist's dead father. The protagonist's Christian upbringing is evident, but it's also evident that he's not actually converted himself. As a preacher, I'm not a fan of forced conversions, in real life or in fiction. In my novel, which takes place over the course of one action-packed day, there simply wasn't time for reflection much less the sort of mini-sermon some Christian authors force into their novels. I'm not disrespecting those guys, if it's forced, it's superfluous - and it would never, ever happen that way in real life! So write something else.
But this raises a question: Should the protagonist be a role model? Or are we free to write our characters in different stages of their lives? What I mean by this is are we justified as Christian authors in writing a novel with a protagonist who isn't saved and doesn't get saved in the book and might not even get saved if I write a sequel? Or to give a more personal example, can we write about a protagonist from my foul-mouthed band days, influenced somewhat [or even greatly] by his Christian upbringing, but nowhere near the point of conversion in this segment of the plot of my life?
In exploring this [and I apologize for the length of this rambling discourse!] subject, I find it interesting to note that Christian authors can freely write murders and lies - it's the matters of Christian conduct [swearing, drinking, smoking, dancing, listening to metal, wearing Goth clothing, reading Harry Potter] that seem to set us off.
Any thoughts?
Rev Tony Breeden
Currently writing Johnny Came Home
Tags: Christian fiction, Johnny Came Home, Tony Breeden, ethics, profanity, protagonist, science fiction, writing
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kate Taylor Warren on -
Tony,
Your thoughts about the swearing issue remind me of how one of my favorite authors handled it. I was reading Alistair MacLean in my early teens. He wrote great war novels like the Guns of Navarone and espionage novels like The Satan Bug. Odd stuff for a girl that was also reading Grace Livingston Hill. I needed MacLean to balance all that sugary sweetness. :-) Even though there was plenty of violence in his books, MacLean didn't resort to hardcore swearing. The occasional d--n. But when he wanted to convey something more he phrased it like this..."he said something unprintable and then hit me on the chin..." That worked. It was perhaps part of the humor of the protagonist's narrative to say it this way, but t did the job in his books. And I never read anything more than that in his works though the stories were certainly full of bad guys. -
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Permalink Reply by Kate Taylor Warren on
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Here I am again.
Your musings about what a protagonist should be in a Christian novel... I am reading Story by Robert McKee for my writing course. It's about the substance, structure, style and principles of screenwriting. Not a Christan book, but I am really learning a lot and plan to purchase my own copy and let the library have theirs back. What I have learned is that the story itself is what conveys your message as the author. Readers identify with the protagonist through his/her/its similarity to us in certain aspects of life. Perhaps you can best convey your message through the failure of the protagonist as he journeys through your story. A biblical example, though not a "story" but a true historical event, is Samson. The guy failed all the time! But God still used him for His purpose. He was a failing, flawed protagonist who fit the story the Author gave us. I recommend Story. -
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Permalink Reply by Charles Martin Jr on -
Tony,
I, too, have struggled with the concept of "appropriate" characters in fiction. I've been writing short stories for many, many years, and few - if any - of my characters have been believers. But how to portray that? Sinners will swear, they will sleep around, they will be completely self-absorbed. While there's certainly nothing wrong with feel-good Chrisitan fiction, who is really going to read that? Only Christians.
What our true aim in fiction should be is for non-Christians to pick it up and, by the end of the book, be changed - hopefully for the better. Maybe you never work the Gospel into the book (and I agree, if it doesn't fit artistically, don't force it!), but you can work the idea that sin carries consequences. Or that the pursuit of power and money often leaves us empty. Whatever idea you're trying to convey doesn't have to be - and shouldn't be - sugar-coated.
But as Christians, we should also be careful not to glorify sin. And that's where Ms. Warren's comments are phenomenal. There are many ways to convey sin without being too graphic. There are moments of adultery in Christian fiction that never appear on the page. It's alluded to, and you get the idea, but it's not spelled out. Frank Peretti often uses the phrase "'he swore loudly, and then. . . .'" Or, "he muttered something about bovine excrement." Obviously, you want to do it in a way that fits your story and your style, but the idea is the same; we ought to be culturally relevant without being spiritually irrelevant.
And, yes, if you write this way, you will face criticism. There are many Christians out there who believe Christian fiction must be sweet, happy, and Bible-verse quoting. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, because it's good for us as a Church to encourage and uplift each other . . . but we also need to reach the lost. C.S. Lewis (and I promise this is my last point!) once commented that he never set out to write a Christian story. He told his story, and if the Gospel came through (as it does in the Narnia series), fine. If not, that's okay, too (as in his short story "The Dark Tower").
Be bold, Tony. Write as the Spirit leads you. I'll be praying for you. -
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Permalink Reply by Carol Flett on -
I find that anything that is recorded on my brain whether through singing or reading will regurgitate itself occasionally, If I read foul language my mind will repeat that language even if my tongue never does. And when that happens I feel dirty. If a reader is subject to unwholesome language often enough the brain will become filled with these words, instead of "whatsoever things are pure, and whatsoever things are lovely" (Philippians 4:8)
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Permalink Reply by Keith A. Robinson on -
I agree with everything that has been said! Great points, everyone.
As an author, I tend to use the Frank Peretti approach mentioned by Charles. I think it works very well. I am a huge fan of giving the reader the idea of what is happening without going into tons of description. I frankly wish they would do that more often in movies. So, I might write something like:
"Give me a break!", he yelled. Swearing vehemently, he slammed his fist onto the table.
Tony, great comment on the power of lyrics. I also have a Master's degree in Music Education and people underestimate the power of music to shape the mind. And, as authors, we have to remember that we are influencing people by our words. This is another reason why I believe that although we shouldn't sugar coat sin, we also shouldn't spell it out (literally and figuratively!) for the reader. -
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Permalink Reply by Carol Flett on
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I agree! We are not to enjoy seeing other people sinning." which means don't enjoy books that are graphic about sin, or watch videos where sin is openly displayed.
Keith A. Robinson said:I agree with everything that has been said! Great points, everyone.
As an author, I tend to use the Frank Peretti approach mentioned by Charles. I think it works very well. I am a huge fan of giving the reader the idea of what is happening without going into tons of description. I frankly wish they would do that more often in movies. So, I might write something like:
"Give me a break!", he yelled. Swearing vehemently, he slammed his fist onto the table.
Tony, great comment on the power of lyrics. I also have a Master's degree in Music Education and people underestimate the power of music to shape the mind. And, as authors, we have to remember that we are influencing people by our words. This is another reason why I believe that although we shouldn't sugar coat sin, we also shouldn't spell it out (literally and figuratively!) for the reader. -
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Permalink Reply by Robert Barnett on -
A few Christian friends and I have been batting this "cussing" subject back and forth. Including my father-in-law, who was born, bred, and raised Christian and raised his family similar. He feels that using the word according to its dictionary definition (many of them are in the dictionary) is not actually cussing. Using a word simply as a "substitute" word is. Using a word to attack someone else "you b-" is cussing. I've been looking through the Scriptures for guidance on this. What I found was Jesus saying: "You brood of vipers!" in Matthew 3:7/12:34.
It would seem that profane language as defined by Scripture is a bit different than that defined by modern Christian culture.
And yet it's not really just "christian" culture. It's also a reputation. People automatically assume I'm "religious" because I don't cuss (not for a long time). Similar with drinking (debatable that not drinking in excess is not a sin) and smoking, that sort of thing. A Christian isn't allowed to fight back, cuss, drink, smoke, or many other things. And some things in that reputation I'd straight up disagree with, like "judging". These days if we said it was a sin to be homosexual, or frankly anything outside of husband and wife, we're "judging" and it's starting to get called a hate crime.
The reason I don't cuss is largely because of that reputation (I make enough mistakes, don't need to add cussing to it) and because once I start, I get carried away and it's hard to stop. But that's just me, life is safer and healthier when I don't cuss.
I find little reason in Scripture to avoid using "cuss" words entirely. Especially when used with the appropriate definition.
On to fictional characters in writing...it's FICTION. You're telling a story to make a point. In Deadly Disclosures, which I'll certainly agree is an awesome book, you've got a hardcore drunk. If cussing isn't allowed, why is drinking and vomitting? It's allowed because it shows the specific state of the character. The more you can convince the readers how low the character has gone, the better the turn around when they come to Christ or whatever turning point is in the story. -
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Permalink Reply by Carol Flett on
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Reading about the drinking in the book is not going cause your mind to repeat words you don't want to be saying in your head. "Cussing" will.
There are two different kinds of cussing. One is using God's name in vain, using His name lightly without meaning. I've heard many Christian preachers put "my" in front of His name and it is nothing more than an excamation. This is taking the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
The other is vulgarities. The Bible does tell us to be a peculiar people. It says to be Holy in all manner of conversation. As you read your Bible through from cover to cover you will find that command sprinkled throughout the entire Book.
Robert Barnett said:A few Christian friends and I have been batting this "cussing" subject back and forth. Including my father-in-law, who was born, bred, and raised Christian and raised his family similar. He feels that using the word according to its dictionary definition (many of them are in the dictionary) is not actually cussing. Using a word simply as a "substitute" word is. Using a word to attack someone else "you b-" is cussing. I've been looking through the Scriptures for guidance on this. What I found was Jesus saying: "You brood of vipers!" in Matthew 3:7/12:34.
It would seem that profane language as defined by Scripture is a bit different than that defined by modern Christian culture.
And yet it's not really just "christian" culture. It's also a reputation. People automatically assume I'm "religious" because I don't cuss (not for a long time). Similar with drinking (debatable that not drinking in excess is not a sin) and smoking, that sort of thing. A Christian isn't allowed to fight back, cuss, drink, smoke, or many other things. And some things in that reputation I'd straight up disagree with, like "judging". These days if we said it was a sin to be homosexual, or frankly anything outside of husband and wife, we're "judging" and it's starting to get called a hate crime.
The reason I don't cuss is largely because of that reputation (I make enough mistakes, don't need to add cussing to it) and because once I start, I get carried away and it's hard to stop. But that's just me, life is safer and healthier when I don't cuss.
I find little reason in Scripture to avoid using "cuss" words entirely. Especially when used with the appropriate definition.
On to fictional characters in writing...it's FICTION. You're telling a story to make a point. In Deadly Disclosures, which I'll certainly agree is an awesome book, you've got a hardcore drunk. If cussing isn't allowed, why is drinking and vomitting? It's allowed because it shows the specific state of the character. The more you can convince the readers how low the character has gone, the better the turn around when they come to Christ or whatever turning point is in the story. -
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Permalink Reply by Robert Barnett on
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Does this mean that it's okay to write something in fiction that hopefully won't cause you to repeat the words in your head? What do you consider to be the limit? Is cussing the only "off limits for fiction" sin?
Ted Dekker's "Thr3e" novel uses a LOT of "substitute" cuss words. I loved the novel as a whole but thought that was a bit excessive at times. If there's going to be whole sentences filled with those words, I see no reason to continue subsituting.
"The Bible does tell us to be a peculiar people. It says to be Holy in all manner of conversation."
My Bible says to follow Christ's example. What do you then consider "You brood of vipers" if not cussing? It was meant as derogatory. Language "evolves" (changes over time, remains language) and since a cuss word is a word with that meaning represented, that appears to mean that context can make the difference between a word being appropriate or "cussing".
For example: there are words used for feces. I have grandparents that don't like to even say the p-word for #2. Yet it's official in the english dictionary that the s-word can mean feces.
Is "crap" in a sentence holy conversation? Holy is bringing glory to God, does that word do so? Then again, does a word like "aint"? Or any slang terminology? If you use advanced language skills and "big words" or simply proper english, with someone who only speaks street slang (just an example) is this holy in conversation?
My point is that I think (don't know for a fact) that culture defined certain words as "cuss" or not. I would be wrong to say the p-word around my grandmother because it offends her. I would not be wrong to say it in my own home, where it offends no one. Do not cause your brother to stumble.
Carol Flett said:Reading about the drinking in the book is not going cause your mind to repeat words you don't want to be saying in your head. "Cussing" will.
There are two different kinds of cussing. One is using God's name in vain, using His name lightly without meaning. I've heard many Christian preachers put "my" in front of His name and it is nothing more than an excamation. This is taking the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
The other is vulgarities. The Bible does tell us to be a peculiar people. It says to be Holy in all manner of conversation. As you read your Bible through from cover to cover you will find that command sprinkled throughout the entire Book.
Robert Barnett said:A few Christian friends and I have been batting this "cussing" subject back and forth. Including my father-in-law, who was born, bred, and raised Christian and raised his family similar. He feels that using the word according to its dictionary definition (many of them are in the dictionary) is not actually cussing. Using a word simply as a "substitute" word is. Using a word to attack someone else "you b-" is cussing. I've been looking through the Scriptures for guidance on this. What I found was Jesus saying: "You brood of vipers!" in Matthew 3:7/12:34.
It would seem that profane language as defined by Scripture is a bit different than that defined by modern Christian culture.
And yet it's not really just "christian" culture. It's also a reputation. People automatically assume I'm "religious" because I don't cuss (not for a long time). Similar with drinking (debatable that not drinking in excess is not a sin) and smoking, that sort of thing. A Christian isn't allowed to fight back, cuss, drink, smoke, or many other things. And some things in that reputation I'd straight up disagree with, like "judging". These days if we said it was a sin to be homosexual, or frankly anything outside of husband and wife, we're "judging" and it's starting to get called a hate crime.
The reason I don't cuss is largely because of that reputation (I make enough mistakes, don't need to add cussing to it) and because once I start, I get carried away and it's hard to stop. But that's just me, life is safer and healthier when I don't cuss.
I find little reason in Scripture to avoid using "cuss" words entirely. Especially when used with the appropriate definition.
On to fictional characters in writing...it's FICTION. You're telling a story to make a point. In Deadly Disclosures, which I'll certainly agree is an awesome book, you've got a hardcore drunk. If cussing isn't allowed, why is drinking and vomitting? It's allowed because it shows the specific state of the character. The more you can convince the readers how low the character has gone, the better the turn around when they come to Christ or whatever turning point is in the story. -
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Permalink Reply by Kate Taylor Warren on
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Anyone ever see the movie Witness? This isn't a Christian film or story, but it presents an interesting consideration on our topic. Harrison Ford plays a crusty Philadelphia detective who has to go on the run with an Amish woman and her young son who has witnessed a killing in the men's room of the Philly train station. He discovers this was a hit within the police force, gets wounded and flees with them back to Lancaster County before he collapses. He is cared for by the Amish people and spends several days there recovering and discovering their way of life. The cinematography was stunning. The "bad cops" eventually track him down and descend upon the farm cussing and swearing a blue streak and riddling the place with bullets. Now, I know movies are full of unnecessary foul language. This time, though, it was a very effective contrast of that raw ugliness to the peacefulness of the Amish lifestyle and countryside. Tough on the ears but it was vividly effective.
I, personally, cannot bring myself to write such language and will find other ways to convey it in my stories when I need to. But though I saw that movie many years ago, that portion of it still strikes me --the sharp contrast between wicked men and the peaceful "religious" community -- the only time I could ever see swearing actually accomplish something in a movie other than to be over-the-top gratuitous and repellent. -
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Permalink Reply by Carol Flett on
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No, I do not consider "You brood of vipers" a vulgarity. Jesus did say they were of their father the Devil, which I gather could also be called a viper. He was saying exactly what He meant.
I don't watch TV because I don't want to feed my mind a lot of garbage, so I guess I have become more sensitive to what I think garbage is. I consider vulgarity to be any word that has a sex or bathroom connotation that is just used simply as an expression, and my own conscience dictates what my mind should allow. I don't even like substitute words because I know what they are replacing, .
What a person writes is up to them, but it sure disappoints me when I have to throw out a book that would otherwise be good reading if it wasn't sprinkled with garbagy language.
Robert Barnett said:Does this mean that it's okay to write something in fiction that hopefully won't cause you to repeat the words in your head? What do you consider to be the limit? Is cussing the only "off limits for fiction" sin?
Ted Dekker's "Thr3e" novel uses a LOT of "substitute" cuss words. I loved the novel as a whole but thought that was a bit excessive at times. If there's going to be whole sentences filled with those words, I see no reason to continue subsituting.
"The Bible does tell us to be a peculiar people. It says to be Holy in all manner of conversation."
My Bible says to follow Christ's example. What do you then consider "You brood of vipers" if not cussing? It was meant as derogatory. Language "evolves" (changes over time, remains language) and since a cuss word is a word with that meaning represented, that appears to mean that context can make the difference between a word being appropriate or "cussing".
For example: there are words used for feces. I have grandparents that don't like to even say the p-word for #2. Yet it's official in the english dictionary that the s-word can mean feces.
Is "crap" in a sentence holy conversation? Holy is bringing glory to God, does that word do so? Then again, does a word like "aint"? Or any slang terminology? If you use advanced language skills and "big words" or simply proper english, with someone who only speaks street slang (just an example) is this holy in conversation?
My point is that I think (don't know for a fact) that culture defined certain words as "cuss" or not. I would be wrong to say the p-word around my grandmother because it offends her. I would not be wrong to say it in my own home, where it offends no one. Do not cause your brother to stumble.
Carol Flett said:Reading about the drinking in the book is not going cause your mind to repeat words you don't want to be saying in your head. "Cussing" will.
There are two different kinds of cussing. One is using God's name in vain, using His name lightly without meaning. I've heard many Christian preachers put "my" in front of His name and it is nothing more than an excamation. This is taking the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
The other is vulgarities. The Bible does tell us to be a peculiar people. It says to be Holy in all manner of conversation. As you read your Bible through from cover to cover you will find that command sprinkled throughout the entire Book.
Robert Barnett said:A few Christian friends and I have been batting this "cussing" subject back and forth. Including my father-in-law, who was born, bred, and raised Christian and raised his family similar. He feels that using the word according to its dictionary definition (many of them are in the dictionary) is not actually cussing. Using a word simply as a "substitute" word is. Using a word to attack someone else "you b-" is cussing. I've been looking through the Scriptures for guidance on this. What I found was Jesus saying: "You brood of vipers!" in Matthew 3:7/12:34.
It would seem that profane language as defined by Scripture is a bit different than that defined by modern Christian culture.
And yet it's not really just "christian" culture. It's also a reputation. People automatically assume I'm "religious" because I don't cuss (not for a long time). Similar with drinking (debatable that not drinking in excess is not a sin) and smoking, that sort of thing. A Christian isn't allowed to fight back, cuss, drink, smoke, or many other things. And some things in that reputation I'd straight up disagree with, like "judging". These days if we said it was a sin to be homosexual, or frankly anything outside of husband and wife, we're "judging" and it's starting to get called a hate crime.
The reason I don't cuss is largely because of that reputation (I make enough mistakes, don't need to add cussing to it) and because once I start, I get carried away and it's hard to stop. But that's just me, life is safer and healthier when I don't cuss.
I find little reason in Scripture to avoid using "cuss" words entirely. Especially when used with the appropriate definition.
On to fictional characters in writing...it's FICTION. You're telling a story to make a point. In Deadly Disclosures, which I'll certainly agree is an awesome book, you've got a hardcore drunk. If cussing isn't allowed, why is drinking and vomitting? It's allowed because it shows the specific state of the character. The more you can convince the readers how low the character has gone, the better the turn around when they come to Christ or whatever turning point is in the story. -
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Permalink Reply by Robert Barnett on
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I understand what you're saying as far as the use of substitute words. They are effectively the same as saying the actual words. Since I realized this, I've been working to remove them from my vocabulary. My reason is that if I get too relaxed about substitute words, I will probably start using the real ones. Once that happens I know I'll get carried away and I don't want to go there.
"Jesus did say they were of their father the Devil, which I gather could also be called a viper. He was saying exactly what He meant."
Exactly. In that same sense, the b-word is a female dog. And there's another b-word for someone who is fatherless, in fact there's a sword named that one. Jesus used the word properly and called the tree by it's fruit. While I don't consider myself a good enough judge to necessarily make that call, I use this as Scriptural support that to use a word by it's proper meaning is not a sin. Yet remember now to cause someone else to stumble. Therefore out of respect for you, I wouldn't even use the words you're uncomfortable with even though I personally may have no problem with them.
Carol Flett said:No, I do not consider "You brood of vipers" a vulgarity. Jesus did say they were of their father the Devil, which I gather could also be called a viper. He was saying exactly what He meant.
I don't watch TV because I don't want to feed my mind a lot of garbage, so I guess I have become more sensitive to what I think garbage is. I consider vulgarity to be any word that has a sex or bathroom connotation that is just used simply as an expression, and my own conscience dictates what my mind should allow. I don't even like substitute words because I know what they are replacing, .
What a person writes is up to them, but it sure disappoints me when I have to throw out a book that would otherwise be good reading if it wasn't sprinkled with garbagy language.
Robert Barnett said:Does this mean that it's okay to write something in fiction that hopefully won't cause you to repeat the words in your head? What do you consider to be the limit? Is cussing the only "off limits for fiction" sin?
Ted Dekker's "Thr3e" novel uses a LOT of "substitute" cuss words. I loved the novel as a whole but thought that was a bit excessive at times. If there's going to be whole sentences filled with those words, I see no reason to continue subsituting.
"The Bible does tell us to be a peculiar people. It says to be Holy in all manner of conversation."
My Bible says to follow Christ's example. What do you then consider "You brood of vipers" if not cussing? It was meant as derogatory. Language "evolves" (changes over time, remains language) and since a cuss word is a word with that meaning represented, that appears to mean that context can make the difference between a word being appropriate or "cussing".
For example: there are words used for feces. I have grandparents that don't like to even say the p-word for #2. Yet it's official in the english dictionary that the s-word can mean feces.
Is "crap" in a sentence holy conversation? Holy is bringing glory to God, does that word do so? Then again, does a word like "aint"? Or any slang terminology? If you use advanced language skills and "big words" or simply proper english, with someone who only speaks street slang (just an example) is this holy in conversation?
My point is that I think (don't know for a fact) that culture defined certain words as "cuss" or not. I would be wrong to say the p-word around my grandmother because it offends her. I would not be wrong to say it in my own home, where it offends no one. Do not cause your brother to stumble.
Carol Flett said:Reading about the drinking in the book is not going cause your mind to repeat words you don't want to be saying in your head. "Cussing" will.
There are two different kinds of cussing. One is using God's name in vain, using His name lightly without meaning. I've heard many Christian preachers put "my" in front of His name and it is nothing more than an excamation. This is taking the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
The other is vulgarities. The Bible does tell us to be a peculiar people. It says to be Holy in all manner of conversation. As you read your Bible through from cover to cover you will find that command sprinkled throughout the entire Book.
Robert Barnett said:A few Christian friends and I have been batting this "cussing" subject back and forth. Including my father-in-law, who was born, bred, and raised Christian and raised his family similar. He feels that using the word according to its dictionary definition (many of them are in the dictionary) is not actually cussing. Using a word simply as a "substitute" word is. Using a word to attack someone else "you b-" is cussing. I've been looking through the Scriptures for guidance on this. What I found was Jesus saying: "You brood of vipers!" in Matthew 3:7/12:34.
It would seem that profane language as defined by Scripture is a bit different than that defined by modern Christian culture.
And yet it's not really just "christian" culture. It's also a reputation. People automatically assume I'm "religious" because I don't cuss (not for a long time). Similar with drinking (debatable that not drinking in excess is not a sin) and smoking, that sort of thing. A Christian isn't allowed to fight back, cuss, drink, smoke, or many other things. And some things in that reputation I'd straight up disagree with, like "judging". These days if we said it was a sin to be homosexual, or frankly anything outside of husband and wife, we're "judging" and it's starting to get called a hate crime.
The reason I don't cuss is largely because of that reputation (I make enough mistakes, don't need to add cussing to it) and because once I start, I get carried away and it's hard to stop. But that's just me, life is safer and healthier when I don't cuss.
I find little reason in Scripture to avoid using "cuss" words entirely. Especially when used with the appropriate definition.
On to fictional characters in writing...it's FICTION. You're telling a story to make a point. In Deadly Disclosures, which I'll certainly agree is an awesome book, you've got a hardcore drunk. If cussing isn't allowed, why is drinking and vomitting? It's allowed because it shows the specific state of the character. The more you can convince the readers how low the character has gone, the better the turn around when they come to Christ or whatever turning point is in the story. -
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