Conversational Courseness

Conversational Courseness

An epidemic of conversational coarseness has overtaken our society. By the time they enter school many kids have an extensive vocabulary of curse words and vulgarisms. The afflictions grows in intensity as they advance through adolescence to adulthood. Males thus afflicted are often described as foul-mouthed and females as potty-mouthed. The adjective, shameless, well describes them. For those whose ears burn at the sound of verbal filth, there are only three sanctuaries: in a worship assembly, at home or in solitude.

The origin of cursing and swearing reaches back into the misty history of earth's earliest inhabitants. It is a practice that knows no national boundaries. Without dispute, in our society the use of coarse language is more widespread today than in past generations. The level of vile speech that is commonly heard has reached an all-time high.

Nothing happens without a cause. There are many causes for the sharp decline in decent speech and the rise in common vulgarity.

Many children grow up in homes where their parents commonly use profanity. To them it is normal.

From the family's television is spewed forth a never-ending stream of crude slang and profanity.

Children from good homes where such speech is unknown, hear it from their playmates and school chums.

In most contemporary movies profanity and coarse language is to be expected.

The authors of many modern books and magazines feel obliged to lace their productions with profanity.

Especially corrupting is much of the music teens and young adults listen to. Profanity seems to be the principal theme of rap/hiphop music. It is also found in some country and rock music.

For young people a visit to a rock concert may turn out to be an immersion in vulgarity.

I find it interesting that those with profound mental disabilities can learn to curse even when they can do little else. Often the most ignorant person depends most on cursing to express himself.

In days past, cursing and swearing were primarily the province of men and boys. A female who expressed herself this way was considered a low-class person unworthy of respect. That social pressure helped most women to abstain from profanity. From their earliest years boys were taught that it was improper to curse and under no circumstances was it allowable in the presence of women and children. Many a boy got a good spanking for cursing and not a few had their mouths washed out with soap. These lessons were not soon forgotten. If a student cursed while in school he might be paddled, his mouth might get the soap treatment and his parents would be notified. They usually repeated the discipline. Repeat offenders were suspended. Under no circumstances would a student be allowed to direct profanity towards a teacher or administrator.

In those days boys and men who forgot or ignored this taboo and cursed in the presence of women and children were scorned by their peers. It was not uncommon for a man to remind a foul-mouthed person not to speak like that in the presence of his wife and children. A young man especially felt obliged to protest the man cursing in the presence of his mother. It would be impossible to calculate the fights that occurred in response to such an intrusion on civility. Profanity could cost a person his job. Back then, entertainers and announcers were fired from their jobs for allowing profanity to escape before their audiences.

Now that we have devolved into the 21st century profanity is as common as air pollution. Christ's message is still, "Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying..."(Eph. 4:29). "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt..." (Col. 4:6). Solomon's advice is yet sound, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6). Let your mouth be a fountain of civility, not a sewer for filthy language.

Sincerely,

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