You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment,and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
When Jesus pronounces severe punishment on those who use abusive language, someone might wonder if the punishment is proportionate to the crime. Fiery Gehenna for calling someone a fool to his face? Isn't that pretty severe?
But here in the United States we have seen a coarsening of the culture; and certain formerly taboo words -- which I dare not cite in this post -- are routinely heard in videos and movies.
No one should pretend surprise at what we're seeing. A culture of death welcomes abortion as a form of birth control, the proliferation of guns, inadequate care of incarcerated men and women, capital punishment, the acceptance and normalization of suicide, and coarse language. We should assume there is far more unseen violence in the homes of vulnerable adults and children.
Jesus condemns violent language with extremely severe language because that's where it starts. Verbal abuse accompanies emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
And reverence for life begins with reverence for words and their meaning. Christians, Muslims, and Jews honor the names of God. Jews do not enunciate the Tetragrammaton, and Pope Benedict XVI urged Catholics to refrain from speaking and singing that sacred name. Christians revere the name of Jesus. When Muslims pronounce God's name they recite a litany of blessings with it. Where Jews were forbidden to take the name of the Lord in vain, Christians are commanded not to swear at all. When you mean yes, say yes; and when you mean no, say no. Anything more is from the evil one. (Matt 5:37)
As a teenager working in my uncle's shop, I was already familiar with most swear words. But I was surprised to notice the men I worked with rarely used them. I heard it only among the adults who were acting like children, and the children who were acting like adults. Both groups announced their immaturity.
I learned that such language is below the dignity of those created in God's image, and those who are called to be like God.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.