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I can’t believe that this post is still getting hits and comments. Paul, you did a great job bringing up the topic. So much so, that you’ve inspired me to blog again. I wrote a long response. maybe thoughts can be used as a foil for yours. I hope things are going well for you. take care!

http://dysfunctionalpanopticon.blogspot.com/2011/10/seminar-on-cursing.html

I didn’t grow up hearing a lot of course language at home. Of course I heard it at school. I was never taught that it would make me more authentic. Or that the lack of it makes one inauthentic, legalistic, Pharisaiic, or in other ways posessing a disengenuous faith. My relationship with God is not an attempt to scam anyone else. I still battle the temptation (and sometimes fall) to curse in anger. But I’m not thinking about being authentic at the time. I’m thinking about how wronged I feel and how the “wronger” owes me.

I did picked up cursing in college. It didn’t pepper every conversation, but I wondered what makes it wrong. I didn’t think it of it as being authentic. Sometimes I used it as way around figuring out and expressing with more clarity what got to me, then dealing with it.

Also, a few years ago, I realized that others’ experiences with cursing as a release of anger was not mine. It actually feed it.

So, a few years ago, I started to pray and seek God as to why I curse/swear/profane, and to get His view. Bitterness was a root. For me, that was what I had to work on — my attitude. Anger’s not wrong. And God has every right to be angry at me. In all my quiet prayer and communion with Him though, He’s never spoken to me with course intents, degradation of body parts or functions, bitter hate of me for my sin, and so on. That is what I am hope shows in my reactions to others when they curse.

And so many apologize for offending me. I suppose because they hear me do it so little (if ever). I appreciate that.

Thanks for writing this blog. Discussion is good. Writing this reply has made me think of how to respond in a “nice” way to those who apologize.

A note about authenticity’s limits: if I was fully authentic, I’d act out (or at least share) every sexual thought, eat anything I want when I want, and drink too much. I’d disregard the discipline of getting up for work and staying through the day, I’d never hold the door open for someone whose arms were full, and I’d speed down rural roads with abandon. Among other things. That wouldn’t be good. So I’m limiting my authenticity to this description.

my main problem with the rhetoric of both sides of this is that it just wants to make everything far more simplistic than it actually is–including what you wrote.

(1) Really? This was so clearly addressed during the debate, I was so surprised to see you say this. Just a simple Google search for “health care tort reform” brought up article after article saying the same thing: lawsuits IN GENERAL only account for 1.5% of all health care costs, much less “frivolous” ones (maybe it’s just that Google “liberal bias”). Here are some examples that explain this well: http://goo.gl/Qpvn , http://goo.gl/Itzc7 , http://goo.gl/JsCvc

(2) This isn’t a “point”. This is fear-mongering. Most other first-world countries in the world have a single-payer system like that. It’s like saying “you can’t pass that bill, it will turn Congress into a Parliamentary system.” It’s not “argument” or “reason” to “counter” this. It’s throwing out some buzz words that sound “scary” to us Americans and saying “see? You don’t want THAT, do you?” Now, you may think that a single-payer system isn’t the best way to do health care in America–and that’s fine–that’s just a different “point” than simply saying “the scary and evil SOCIALISTS in Congress are conspiring to bring this about.” Your statement assumes that there is something inherently wrong about this system (which it’s not), that most people wouldn’t want it (which surveys continually showed that at the time this article was written, they did), and that American ingenuity couldn’t figure out a way to do it “Americanly”. That’s a lot of unproven assumptions that need to be addressed before you can simply say “they’re secretly doing this; be afraid!” Now, I personally, think those things have responses, and I don’t think a single-payer system is best in the long-run, but I just can’t stand the oversimplifying and fear and rhetoric-based things that keep being said about this.

(3) once again, this isn’t a “point”. Maybe what you said is true. Repeatedly, Democratic and Independent have said it isn’t true and you will be able to keep your insurance and Republicans are just twisting things; but maybe you’re right. But, even if so, you have to show that this would be bad. Perhaps many people aren’t satisfied with their coverage and costs, so slowly moving them off their already poor coverage may not be bad. Perhaps these “triggers” will be motivations for insurance providers to do what’s necessary to keep their clients. And even if the time comes when this happens, people will either be happy and content, or unhappy and freak out. And then, our legislators, terrified of not being re-elected, will rush some solution through Congress for us. So, either way, this is not some “doomsday scenario”

Once you get corporations and insurance companies get so big that they are wealthier than some nations in the world, “free-market forces” break down. Money doesn’t “trickle”, services/products don’t get better, things don’t get cheaper. The invisible hand is NOT the end-all-be-all of problem-solvers. Prices don’t “slowly start to fix” themselves when it comes to economies of scale of this size. Look at cable companies, utility companies, and phone companies. As more competition has entered the mix, prices HAVE NOT GONE DOWN. It’s NOT THAT SIMPLISTIC OF A SITUATION. People need to stop thinking in these black-and-white, either-or, good-and-evil, Republican-Democrat dichotomies that are KILLING us.

The Individual Mandate was first introduced by Republicans in the 90s. The bill that passed was very similar to the Republican bill offered to and rejected by Clinton. Most people are angry and see this bill more as a GIVEAWAY to the insurance companies–not the death of them. The CBO has said REPEATEDLY that it will LOWER the deficit. There are just as many opinions about this bill as there are people. This is complicated. I just wish people stayed away from talking points and overly-simplistic generalizations and actually gave some thoughtful, nuanced, and careful analysis to this. The above article represents what I feel is the closest to a REALISTICALLY achievable “biblical” picture of health care, NOT the most efficient or cost-reducing PER SE.

Do I think the that passed is ideal for health care? No, not at all. Do I have a comprehensive solution that ties up all the loose ends? No, not at all. Do I think there exists a single comprehensive solution that will tie up all the loose-ends for everybody? No, not at all. Do I think this bill will dramatically affect may day-to-day existence? Not really. Do I think the country will end or be radically altered in its substance or character if this bill stays in place.

Nope.

Not. At. All.

If you bring in free-market forces by putting the responsibility and decisions back into the hands of the patients, then pass tort reform so doctors don’t have to fear unreasonable lawsuits, then the prices will slowly start to fix itself. Imagine that!

As a Marine and a Christian I stand up for what is right. I will hold Marines to Marine Corps Orders and the standard we have set. Marines attempt to do that without the Holy Spirit, the unsaved ones at least. We also try to stand apart from the rest of society. Christians need to do the same. It is not about your witness…that is a load of garbage. Try using words to witness…use the Bible to learn how to do that instead of using it to justify your actions. God’s Law is how we learn what sin is and how the world can see how exceedingly sinful sin is. I don’t need sinners to feel comfortable with me. I don’t need friends in the world. They need a messenger. Try telling them they are headed for hell if you really love them. Hell is a noun. Use it that way. Filler words make you sound stupid. There is enough of that going around.

If you read this I hope you take a good look at yourself and it seems like you think cursing is wrong but impractical. Try it. It works for a Marine.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2