When I was, a kid attending Frederick J. Schulze Elementary School in Detroit Michigan, my classmates would use “Bad Words: while whispering to each other. The “cool” kids would say these “bad words” during conversation, but even the cool kids would avoid allowing their hushed voices to be heard by the teacher. I wonder if the grown-ups at the school ever knew that some of the kids spoke these words?
Check out the audio version of this blog here:
Once I hit Beaubien Jr. High school, the “Bad words” evolved into cussin’ and the hushed voices grew louder and became more direct toward certain classmates. I frequently found myself being the target of some of that language as the class bullies seemed to resent everything I wore, everything I smiled about and every “A” that I earned. I knew that I wasn’t a B-I-T-C-H, but just having that word slung in my direction stung a bit more, each time I heard it.
I grew up attending and being blessed by memberships in two Detroit churches. I was baptized and raised at Beth Eden Missionary Baptist Church, and at the age of twelve my spiritual growth enlarged through my membership at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church. Now, I don’t know about other churches or other religions but I do know that EVERY BAPTIST CHURCH I have ever attended always leads you in a song that goes a little something like this:
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer – Amen, Amen, Amen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=885otfEQ9Ug
Now, did I know that song that we sang was a scripture? Nope! Did I know that while singing that song in church, I was basically saying out loud that I wanted the words that came out of my mouth to be acceptable to God? Nope! “DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH?!”
Once I “grew up” and lived on the college campus, I cussed “like a sailor” because I was “GROWN!” My mama wasn’t around to smack me in the mouth and everybody else on the campus of Wilberforce University was cussing’ too! That’s when one of the professors mentioned a study that has stuck with me all these years later. Now, don’t quote me on it but the study said something about the use of vulgar language reflecting the ignorance and poor vocabulary skills of the word cussin’. Well, I was a communications major and I planned to have a career in radio, so I wasn’t about to reflect ignorance coming out of my mouth! After that lesson, cuss words only flew out of my mouth during stress or frustration… and even then, I was ashamed afterwards.
These days I will see posts on social media with letters such as “WTF” or “LMFAO”. These letters are sometimes even posted in a sentence meant to bring humor or accolades, but once I see that letter “F” or letter “A” in there, I get a little sad. As an adult, we now refer to this language as “Profanity” and although it is no longer directed at me, I still shudder when I hear it spoken; just hearing swear words can make me sad.
“A group of researchers from Kno.e.sis Research Center, Wright State University near Dayton Ohio studied why people swear in the online world by collecting tweets posted on Twitter. They found that cursing is associated with negative emotions such as sadness (21.83%) and anger (16.79%) thus showing people in the online world mainly use curse words to express their sadness and anger towards others.[20][21]” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profanity)
You see, our words reflect what is growing on the inside of us. Kinda like if you ate something last night that doesn’t agree with your tummy, you will find yourself on the toilet by the next morning. That mess was on the inside of you, so it came out. Cussin’ reflects something rotten inside of you, so it falls out of your mouth just as easily as that diarrhea plopped outta your butt!
Profanity – offensive words or religious words used in a way that shows you do not respect God or holy things – http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/profanity
My mama was a holy thing when she lived on Earth. Even though our mama cussed, I didn’t cuss around my mama (I didn’t want to get a spanking, so that motivated me to keep my mouth clean!). My husband is a holy thing as he represents the way God loves me in this season of my life. I don’t cuss around my husband. Just looking at him reminds me that I am loved and respected and appreciated, so I don’t have a reason to cuss him out! (lol). I am a temple of the Lord and I invite the Lord to live inside me. I don’t cuss around my temple…I don’t cuss around myself. I love myself and respect myself, so I don’t cuss in my conversations or in my writings.
Wikipedia reflects that “profanity has come to mean any socially offensive language beyond that strictly religious sense, but tends to exclude any other nonverbal communication. Thus profanity in English may be synonymous with bad language, strong language, coarse language, foul language, bad words, vulgar language, lewd language, choice words or expletives“. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profanity
On the Sunday, November 20, 2016 ministry broadcast from Pastor Ron Carpenter, he taught that there was a lesson in the bible where a group of people had been led by Moses to a place where they were to drink water. When the people tasted the water, they found that it tasted bitter and later, scientists tested the water and determined that the bitter taste was the result of a laxative component that would help flush your system. Ron Carpenter offered that God led those people to the water to get that bad taste of their past slavery out of their systems. http://www.roncarpenter.com/on-demand/detox/
What do you need to get out of your system?
If you don’t get it out spiritually, it will fly out of your mouth offensively.
(Thank you, Jesus!)
On the Sunday, November 20, 2016 broadcast from Pastor Jesse Duplantis, he taught on first fruits and on giving God your best. He visually taught that God gave us HIS first fruit in that he gave us His first son. Why don’t we give God our best language of respect, praise and gratitude and cleanse our minds and our tongues from foul language? Why don’t we give OURSELVES our first fruit of a sweet language on our lips and not the bitter words that fly out and offend?
God gave us his best when he gives us his grace and mercy and when God spoke, he created wonders and lifestyles and an home for us! When we speak to the waitress, she brings out the best meal that can be prepared for us. When you hear those words “I Love You”… do you want to hear a cuss word thrown in that statement?!?
Today, let us all strive to “clean up our act” and mentally “wash our mouths out with soap”. Listen to the lyrics of the music you are feeding into your ears. Is it laced with profanity and sexual references? How does that make you feel? Do you find yourself quoting those lyrics? Would you want someone referring to you in the way those lyrics refer to another in that song?
Today, let us all strive to replace one curse word at a time with a new vocabulary word in our speech and in our writings. “WTF” can now be “WITW” (What In The World?” comes from my anointed daughter Jasmine…thanks Princess!) I prefer ROTFLOL to LMFAO (why do I have to refer to myself as FAT, anyway! Hmmph). Today, let us be a “Shining Light of Language” (SLOL) for someone else while we are talking to them; when they realize that each word coming from your mouth is positive and encouraging… they may catch on and repeat your example!
References:
Ron Carpenter broadcast from Sunday, November 20, 2016 – http://www.roncarpenter.com/
Jesse Duplantis broadcast from Sunday, November 20, 2016 – http://www.jdm.org/
Psalm 19:14 King James Version – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+19%3A14&version=KJV
The Brentwood Baptist Church Choir, Houston on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=885otfEQ9Ug
Quote from the 1998 film “Rush Hour” when Chris Tucker speaks to Jackie Chan – https://youtu.be/cJX1REQB12o
The definition of Profanity by Wikipedia – – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profanity
Evangelist Angie BEE
Call us today at 407-914-6519
2012 Female Radio Show Host of the Year
Recognized by the global One Accord DJ Alliance
2014 Ordained as an Evangelist by
Fellowship Church of Praise of Volusia County
2015 recipient of the Outstanding Ministry Leader Award
for our Moms-n-Ministry Workshop
Presented by the Professional Women of Excellence, Inc.
2016 recipient of the prestigious “Palm Tree (Endurance) Award”
Presented by Mary & Martha Ministries, Orlando
Author, Media Producer, Promoter & Motivational Speaker
View our past events, commercials, VIDEO NEWS segments
and TV show episodes at
www.YouTube.com/AngieBEEpresents
Purchase your Kindle copies of my books:
and “Evolution of Da Queen Bee“
Visit us online today at
www.Facebook.com/DaQueenBeeEvangelistAngieBEE
Follow Evangelist Angie BEE on Periscope
www.ooVoo.com – account Angie BEE
Learn about The TOUR online at
www.Facebook.com/TheTOURthatAngieBEEpresents
“Whom should I send as a messenger to this people?
Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” – Isaiah 6:8
BEE Blessed!
tamaramccarthyenterprises.com 