atheists: do you still take the name in vain?
- Thread starter captcalhoun
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christians aren't supposed to do it, no. but if you don't believe in god, surely you shouldn't do it either?
because... who are you cursing at? some mythical deity who you don't believe in?
well, don't ask me. i just wondered because Sir Terry Pratchett made a joke in a Discworld book about how atheists can't really scream 'OH RANDOM FLUCTUATIONS IN THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM!' when they hit their thumb with a hammer.
i thought, 'no, they go, 'aaaargh, FUCK!' instead.'
i thought, 'no, they go, 'aaaargh, FUCK!' instead.'
It's gotten so common though that many have forgotten they shouldn't... like they've forgotten a lot of things.
Haha, fair enough. I just didn't really understand it. And I've always been a Hindu but I never use any of my gods' names in vain, only the ones popular around here!
I really think the sound and rhythm of the words is more important than their meaning.
When I think of the profanities I use most frequently, they tend to have three syllables, with a strong emphasis on one:
God DAMN it
Jesus CHRIST
Cock SUCK er
For FUCK's sake
Mother FUCK er
That last one has four syllables, but the principle is the same. (I also have a tendency to say JEEZ-uss, which I picked up from my Dad)
The actual meaning of the words isn't all that important: what's important is the explosive emphasis on the one syllable in the sequence. Most of these words tend to have a hard "k" sound in them as well.
ETA: The way I use "idiot" would also fit this pattern: "ID iots!"; "Fucking ID iot!"; etc.
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I think the longest litany of swear words that I have ever uttered in a single breath went something like this: Jesus H. Tapdancing motherfucking goddamn pissfucking Christ goddamn JesusFuck fucking fuckity goddamn Hubert H. Humphries motherfucking son of a goddamn bitch motherFUCKER!
I forgot what it was all about now.
Yeah, I still say "goddamn," "Jesus Christ," "holy shit," "oh my fucking god," and the like.
I've only gotten worse since moving to New Jersey.
Everything gets worse when you move to New Jersey
And yeah, I use any number of related curses, goddammit most of all.
I say "By Jupiter!" and "Odin's Blood!" a lot.
Try twisting your ankle carrying 60lbs of trash and missing the last three steps of your back porch, you will not be saying Odin's blood. I made up some new swear words that night.
How are new ones superior to "Odin's Blood?"
Ha, ha!
If I may, I think the point he was making is that in the clinch you are going to end up saying whatever comes out of your mouth. When it really hurts, likely a swearing pattern acquired during the formative years will be invoked, and it's dishonest to deny that.
If I may, I think the point he was making is that in the clinch you are going to end up saying whatever comes out of your mouth. When it really hurts, likely a swearing pattern acquired during the formative years will be invoked, and it's dishonest to deny that.
Well, if it comes from my formative years, I'd probably say "Great Krypton!" or something. 
if i was to cuss like i learned as a kid, i'd be shouting "by the primal programme!" or "by the golden spires of Iacon!" a lot.
but that's FAR too wordy...
but that's FAR too wordy...
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