I'm not so sure this is a moral issue. However, the Bible says we are to be different, set apart, from the rest of the world. If we engage in talk that is unwholesome, we are no different, and therefore cannot be a light to a dark world. As for words like "gosh" and such. We don't use them in our house. Hearing those words from an adult doesn't sound that bad, but hearing them come out of a three year old's mouth....doesn't sound so good, makes you realize it is just a toe away from the real deal. I want my children's line drawn way far back before they even get close.

"Eph 4:29 tells us let NO corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." That says it pretty plain and simple. If you listen to use substitute words "darn, crap, etc" it will not be long before you are using other ones or desencitized enough that it does not bother you. That is a lot of the Body of Christ problem these days we look too much like the world and not like Jesus. 1co 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

I agree. I sometimes catch my self saying those things and it seems odd, but my accountability is that if I say those words (not cursing, but gosh, dag and the such) then my wife and kids are allowed to smack my hand and correct me. I allow that at anytime and anyplace and I do not see it as disrespectful, I also hold each of them accountable in the same manner and fashion. I know way too many Christians that even go beyond these words (word replacements), by saying things that I believe hurt their character and specifically their testimony. So guard your tongue -- Psa 10:17, Rom 3:13-14, Proverbs 18:21

No, we're suppose to dwell on good and pure things. But let me personalize this. When I came to Faith (Born Again)at age 25,I was, in the sight of the world, a pretty good guy. I did not do drugs or have an alcohol problem to kick and say God did it. For me, there were two specific things that changed immediately and that I took as proof that something indeed had happened to me when I asked Jesus to take over my life. One of them was that my very short temper really improved and, along with that, I stopped swearing. It was not mind over matter, thinking the profanity but not saying it, I lost the desire. (Yes, over the years, the old man Paul speaks of in Romans 7 has raised his head, but he has never again taken over.) I once took horse-riding lessons and the instructor had a terrible mouth. One day she said to me, "you don't swear, do you." I replied no, and told her why. Had I joined in like "everyone" else, I'd have blown that witnessing opportunity. Finally this thought - when I was in Air Force basic training, there was this quote on the bulletin board: "Profanity is the attempt of a feeble mind to express itself." - George Washington. I never independently verified that quote of our first president, but it does fit with his character. (It was also the strangest place to read such a thing as there was more profanity going on there than I had ever been exposed to up to that point in my young life.)

This is my first time here so I don't know Steve. Perhaps if I did, I would know that he was being facetious. Ten years ago, it would be obvious that anyone claiming to speak for Christ would not seriously say it's ok to use swear words. But since then I've heard (and read books by) too many post-modern Christians, often members of the emerging church movement, who flaunt their obscene vocabularies as if doing so will demonstrate that they have reached an enlightened status infinitely more spiritual and mature than all of us older Christians who are obviously out of touch with both the world and God.

God has called us to communicate correctly. We should use GOOD words to communicate GOOD things and BAD words to communicate BAD things. Often people in Christian communities water down the evil that is in the world by using words that do not project the evil that it is. This is a problem because if as Christians we are to HATE sin then we must have the correct view and words to correspond to that view. The world is evil and we should use correct words to ensure that we have a correct understanding of those circumstances. When someone dies because of the evil of someone, that hurts like hell is going to! Hell is real and if Christians continue to use GOOD words for bad things we are going to underemphasis the reality of what hell is like.

The Lord is very firm that we only speak that which is profitable, and that which is good to the edification of the other fellow man. The way God works in us to will and do after his good purpose is the work that he does within us, by power of the Spirit of Jealousy he caused to live in us. It is that very Spirit that teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions to live whole and upright lives before God in this present age while we wait for the blessed hope -- our Lord Jesus' great return! There is nothing to lose following Christ, and everything to gain. Thankfully, he heals the vilest of sinners! And I praise God too, with you all who love our great God and Master-Jesus. You who call on God with a pure heart, rich because of fullness of faith! For he is making his fulness dwell within! And he corrects; in order to prove our hearts in light of FULL TRUTH. When God is after a person, he directs by heart because he knows us fully, and looks at us from what is within us. Is it foul language? Then, thankfully, he can change your heart to truth also. He is glorified when we will allow him full access to our hearts; that intimate place only he is worthy of! For our God is good; full of love and abounding in his mercies! He is slow to anger. So should we also be, yet not in ourselves, lest we glory in ourselves! For he is to be the only Master-Savior!

It must be noted that swearing is only the outworking of an inward feeling. If you feel you want to use a swear word, but then substitute it for something of lesser offense (damn, darn, etc.) you don't actually fix or address the issue. When one stops swearing it should be done by holding your tongue altogether (James 1:23ish onward) or by removing that feeling of hate, anger or whatever it is that prompts the swearing. As such, I believe, that people who swear are actually closer to the word of God than people who substitute swearing (I don't mean to say using darn, damn, gosh, etc. should be avoided at all costs, just merely avoid using them to 'lessen' your swearing) as they are not only directly avoiding the issue of creating a heart-change/ a paradigm shift, they are conveying to the world: "I don't swear". As long as people who do swear are making an attempt, a GOD attempt at stopping, I say good on 'em. If indeed it is a GOD attempt they will succeed. Just a quick i.e: If you get angry at someone and go to shout profanity at them, but stop yourself and say "you silly person", the sad truth is you didn't 'bless those who persecuted you, bless and DO NOT CURSE'. If then you walk away and say "I shouldn't have one that" then sweet; if alternatively, you walk away and say "good thing I didn't swear", yeah you have more discipline than one who would swear, but your NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. You are worse than the man who swears with remorse, if you substitute with self-righteousness.

(sorry for any offenses; if anyone wishes to refute my argument please do, especially if you feel my point is unbiblical, I could be wrong. I'm only 16, I have a lot still to learn, please teach me the error of my ways if you disagree.)

James 3:9-12

We all can have our opinions on this topic
but when all is said and done,
the truth is still the truth.
This is what God says.
Isn't that all that should matter?

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The bible warns against leagalism. While I am not trying to say that a person who truly believes the cussing is wrong is necceseraly leagalistic, that seems to be a pritty strong majority. The bottom line about these words is that why we are supposed to stand out as christians, we are to have somthing that other people don't have and not just a list of rules to make us diffrent. So if you feel like not cussing is a disipline, it has no meaning to us. Maybe we should focus on meaning of the words rather than the vocabulary used in them. Just because a person uses fowl language dose not mean a damn thing as to what they are actually saying!

Bad language is something that shows what a person is like, I mean, it would be frowned upon to have a pastor/leader in a church swear, but why are they different to anyone else that loves the lord? I dont mean that it is right for Christians to swear, I actually mean the opposite, but why should we have ranks of how "holy" certain christians should be?