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Can we stop saying “God-damn”?
On this week’s podcast, Rob felt it necessary to say, “God-damn.” Last week, James was similarly compelled to say, “God-damn.”
My recollection is that Ricochet has a code of conduct which supports civility and prohibits vulgarity. Does this phrase not violate that code?
I am also going to go out on a limb and postulate that there is a good representation of Evangelical Christians such as myself within the Ricochet community. There are few phrases which are more offensive to Evangelicals than this.
Not to be preachy, but to establish a fact: Not misusing God’s name is the fourth of the 10 Commandments (“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Exodus 20:7, NIV).
There would be no conservatism without something to conserve, such as the firm, longstanding, moral code of the the 10 Commandments. Haven’t many of us fought hard to keep the 10 Commandments part of our civil tradition? We are hypocrites if we fight this battle, but flagrantly ignore the Commandments’ teachings.
I am asking the Ricochet community if the momentary endorphin release which may come from saying these words is worth the cost to our cause.
Published in Podcasts
I have many-handed feelings about it. On the first hand, the father of the modern American conservative movement, William F. Buckley Jr., used it a fair bit, it even being the title of one of his books, “Cancel Your Own G**damn Subscription.” Though if it didn’t lead a sentence, he used a lowercase “g.” A staunch Catholic, maybe he thought it didn’t count that way. (See below for more on that.) There’s enough residual Christianity in me that I understand the objection among our practicing Christian and Jewish folks, though. (That was hand number two.) On the third hand, it is so commonly and plentifully used on one side of my family that not a whit of religious association remains in its use to me. I say it a lot, though sometimes go with the Hank Hill “Got-dang it!”
A reasonable end-around the main theological objection to it is to use it in print with a lowercase “g.” Sure it’s a bit pagan, and I suppose could run afoul of the whole false idol thing, since you’d be asking–nay commanding–some random pagan god to damn something for you, but maybe that’s a lower-order offense than calling the big G with the big “G.” That, of course, doesn’t help us much here, as we’re talking about the spoken version. So that’s two paragraphs to get us back to where we started. You’re welcome, y’all.
What if instead we all use “mother****ing?” Just a thought.
Well Cowabunga!!
Generally, podcasts do not follow the CoC. I know several shows have not followed it.
I guess it’s too late to ask this guy’s opinion.
https://images.app.goo.gl/onwKkH1joFa9omno6
(Highlights mine.) For this, if for no other reason, maybe consider restraint?
100% agree. You and I have done battle on this topic before.
I’d rather they say [expletive] or [expletive] that the other…
Same thing, Jimbo!
I even heard Mona Charon use the s-word on one of the “Need to Know” episodes. No biggie . . .
I cringe whenever I hear the phrase. And I lose respect for the speaker.
Agree and thanks for saying it. You can’t say it on the air, or shouldn’t and it gets bleeped out still (I think).
Nice try…..
Gasp! She who says the President is too vulgar?!
You know that saying, “Live so that if someone speaks ill of you, no one believes it,” or something like that? I immediately assumed you’d said something that got jumbled in the audio and mis-heard.
My next thought was, “That doesn’t seem like James. He must have been talking about communism.”
(I also didn’t catch it when I listened.)
I only seem to notice Podhoretz doing it albeit infrequently but it’s enough for me to notice
I used to say Sacajewa as my swear word when I was younger. Unfortunately I probably can’t bring it back in use because I’m not a native American, not even 1/2047th.
Coarse language is impolite in polite company, like passing gas. We like to think that Ricochet is a civil place, so we use polite language. Why? Because some words can be embarassing and others, offensive. There are more polite and less offensive ways to make a point, and making the effort to clean things up is the respectful thing to do. It’s that simple. That being said, we live in the real world, a coarse and godless place. Using coarse language is both common and unremarkable. When it leaks into polite company or is used purposefully, its effect is amplified. Try not to take offense.
Also I am against using s–t, etc. Now if we wanted to all say ‘merde’ that would be ok because everything sounds better in French.
Is it polite in impolite company?
Wait, does this mean I’m not allowed to pass gas while surfing Ricochet?
Oh I heard plenty of it from the drivers, but heard it even more from the young women. Maybe it seemed like more because it’s more jarring to hear it from a young woman’s voice.
No, in the Old Testament his name is represented by the Tetragrammaton, which some traditions consider too sacred to pronounce. In most (but not all) English translations the term “Lord” is used instead.
And you’d better be wearing pants too, mister!
Counter-point: One still can’t use scatological language on North American broadcast television, but there’s no prohibition against blasphemous language.
Throwback. Try cable.
(I’m guessing federal regs still prohibit the former but the latter might be seen as a violation of 1st Amendment.)
I think we’re throwing around the word “blasphemous” a little too casually. Next thing you know, people will be afraid to draw cartoons of Mohammed!
My problem with GD is the seriousness of the call for God to damn someone (especially a person, more than a thing or ideology). Is that a prayer you really want to say? Do unto others. . .?
I agree with Prager (and @josephstanko) that God is not God’s name. “God” is a type which everyone recognizes, whether faithful or not. “Gods of the Copybook Headings.” “Lesser gods.” God has an OT name and a NT name — “Jesus.” I am much more distressed when people use “Jesus” as an exclamation, which happens here occasionally on R> in the comments and all the time on TV. What did Jesus ever do to deserve that??
That’s sort of a distinction I was raised with, too. So it bugs me when English subtitle writers for Russian movies take a very mild spoken utterance, “my god!” and translate it in the subtitles as, “Jesus!”
John Yoo should be slapped.
But only if you slap him with a McRib.
I thought they were talking about beaver damns.
There is a sign in Wisconsin Dells ( on a dam ), that says “Dam. Danger”.