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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Taking the name of ....
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Mark Wuntoo
Shipmate
# 5673
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Posted
Having no belief in GOD, why do I still not use the name as an expletive or ‘in vain’? Why do I never use the word, in fact, unless I am talking about the concept of GOD?
I guess it is partly because I have no desire to offend people who have a GOD, be they Christian or of any other religion. It is probably also something to do with my upbringing – blasphemy was seriously frowned upon.
I am a little worried that it might also indicate some residual belief. ![[Eek!]](eek.gif) ![[Help]](graemlins/help.gif)
I have thought for years that blasphemy laws are rubbish and have no place in a balanced society.
Do other non-theists have similar phobias (because that is what is seems to be in me)? Not that I want to start using the name in any inappropriate way.
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Blessed are the cracked for they let in the light.
Posts: 1950 | From: Somewhere else. | Registered: Mar 2004
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Doublethink.
Ship's Foolwise Unperson
# 1984
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Posted
(Tangent: possibly related, why do you write GOD rather than God or god ?)
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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell
Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005
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Evangeline
Shipmate
# 7002
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Posted
I suspect it's to do with your upbringing. A linguist once told me that you will forever say "ouch" in the tongue you learnt before you were 3. I suspect you have learnt to curse and swear in particular ways and you would have to consciously teach yourself to "blaspheme" to achieve the same purpose which does seem a little extreme to prove you have no residual belief.
Posts: 2871 | From: "A capsule of modernity afloat in a wild sea" | Registered: May 2004
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Mark Wuntoo
Shipmate
# 5673
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink.:
(Tangent: possibly related, why do you write GOD rather than God or god ?)
For me:
'God' is the Christian God and using it would suggest that I have not given up on it.
'god' is offensive to many Christians.
I have seen 'GOD' used by atheists in other places.
It's not a big deal. It's now a habit, I suspect.
Does it offend?
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Blessed are the cracked for they let in the light.
Posts: 1950 | From: Somewhere else. | Registered: Mar 2004
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Mark Wuntoo
Shipmate
# 5673
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Evangeline:
I suspect it's to do with your upbringing. A linguist once told me that you will forever say "ouch" in the tongue you learnt before you were 3. I suspect you have learnt to curse and swear in particular ways and you would have to consciously teach yourself to "blaspheme" to achieve the same purpose which does seem a little extreme to prove you have no residual belief.
Probably so.
The linguist thing is interesting - bit like ducklings and their first 'sight'. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Me curse and swear? I remember my dad telling me not to say 'Blimey' when I was a nipper. My way of expressing myself is 'Goodness gracious me' or something similar. Really! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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Blessed are the cracked for they let in the light.
Posts: 1950 | From: Somewhere else. | Registered: Mar 2004
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Doublethink.
Ship's Foolwise Unperson
# 1984
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Wuntoo:
quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink.:
(Tangent: possibly related, why do you write GOD rather than God or god ?)
For me:
'God' is the Christian God and using it would suggest that I have not given up on it.
'god' is offensive to many Christians.
I have seen 'GOD' used by atheists in other places.
It's not a big deal. It's now a habit, I suspect.
Does it offend?
Only typographically, it looks like your shouting - but re your Op I did wonder whether you were residually uncomfortable with not capitalising. (God of course does not refer exclusively to the Christian variety.)
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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell
Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005
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Potoroo
Shipmate
# 13466
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Posted
Mark Wuntoo, I didn't take 'GOD' to be shouting. I took it as your considered response to your beliefs.
Very interesting thread! I struggled with this issue. It took me years to be able to say the word 'God' when not referring to God. Now I can say it, but there is still a twinge of guilt. Similarly with the word 'damn' - I can say it now, e.g. when I lose something, but it took years to feel comfortable doing so. I still have a lingering phobia about the word 'hell', however!
I am not as considerate as you about the feelings of others - mainly because a lot of people in society use the word 'God' for all sorts of things. However, if someone close to me had objected, that might have been different.
If my lifetime of swearing was limited to "goodness gracious me", then I would also really struggle with anything stronger - I don't think it proves a residual belief.
Evangeline: I didn't consciously teach myself to blasphame, but I had to consciously work on letting myself. It became easier over time.
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Gilbert's Potoroo is Australia's most endangered animal.
Posts: 2778 | From: Australia | Registered: Feb 2008
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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
Continuing the tangent, I've always quite like $deity as a placeholder, used by atheists and agnostics of my acquaintance with a tech background. And sometimes believers when the context is appropriate.
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Vain witterings :-: Vain pretentions :-: The Dog's Blog(locks)
Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Snags:
Continuing the tangent, I've always quite like $deity as a placeholder, used by atheists and agnostics of my acquaintance with a tech background. And sometimes believers when the context is appropriate.
Have you any knowledge of its etymology? Why a $ instead of an & or a % or whatever?
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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Leorning Cniht
Shipmate
# 17564
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Have you any knowledge of its etymology? Why a $ instead of an & or a % or whatever?
unix shell variables are referenced with a preceding '$'. Hence the value of the variable "DEITY" is "$DEITY".
[ 04. January 2015, 22:06: Message edited by: Leorning Cniht ]
Posts: 5026 | From: USA | Registered: Feb 2013
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Evangeline
Shipmate
# 7002
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Posted
Funnily enough I grew up with "god"or "oh god" being a fairly casual slang term to indicate mild disapproval, surprise or disbelief, I'm not offended by the term and say it myself. I do drawn the line at "JC" which is stronger and I don't like it, Christians generally don't say it but it's not all that uncommon in the Australian idiom.
Posts: 2871 | From: "A capsule of modernity afloat in a wild sea" | Registered: May 2004
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Potoroo
Shipmate
# 13466
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Potoroo:
I didn't consciously teach myself to blasphame, but I had to consciously work on letting myself.
I should have made myself clear: my intention was not to blaspheme, but rather to stop living in fear.
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Gilbert's Potoroo is Australia's most endangered animal.
Posts: 2778 | From: Australia | Registered: Feb 2008
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
In keeping with English convention about common and proper nouns, I take "god" to be the generic term referring to divine beings as a class, or rather some member of that class. One can say "the Christian god."
On the other hand "God" is a proper noun referring to a specific God. Usually in our culture this is the Christian god, but not always; it could refer to any deity, but clearly it has to be one whose identity is known or taken to be known by those speaking. It doesn't necessarily work for one of many gods, such as speaking of Apollo out of the Greek pantheon; then sometimes "the god" (meaning "the god we were referring to, or who is relevant in this case").
tl/dr: God refers to the Christian god or one standing in a similar place in one's personal beliefs; god refers to a member of a class of divine beings, whether real or fictional or whatever.
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Palimpsest
Shipmate
# 16772
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Posted
I have the opposite problem. I'm an atheist, but I still use expressions like "damn it" or "god damn". usually in after I have been hit by a hammer or falling book or hit a recalcitrant piece of code. I've worked more on censoring the involuntary use of 4 letter words.
I view it as a habit of upbringing and not a theological statement, but I'd be happier if the response wasn't there.
As for offending with blasphemy, it's the Lego brick effect. I cheerfully think that people who leave their things all over the place shouldn't be surprised if these things get stepped on. Those religions which use a secret hidden name for their gods obviously don't have much chance of me misusing it.
Posts: 2990 | From: Seattle WA. US | Registered: Nov 2011
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Mark Wuntoo
Shipmate
# 5673
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Posted
Palimpsest, that is interesting and helps me to get things in focus.
I certainly do not wish to use the word inappropriately (I'm content with 'Ouch' and 'Oh, no' etc).
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Blessed are the cracked for they let in the light.
Posts: 1950 | From: Somewhere else. | Registered: Mar 2004
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