Offensive?

where is the line drawn when it comes to curse words?

today in the newsroom a heated debate erupted while trying to establish where this invisible line was located. a comment posted on an article on the company's website had the word, "ass" in it. the web editor felt this would promote more curse words for other readers to post and that it might be offensive to someone. he instructed a copy editor to "delete the offensive word out of the article's comment page." after a couple of minutes of tedious searching, the copy editor, exasperated, broke down and finally asked the web editor what exactly it was she was looking for.

"the three letter word that we don't like."
"you're gonna to be more specific. i don't see anything bad in this comment."
"just read it. you'll find it."
she reads the entire comment out loud.
"wait...are you talking about 'put their asses in jail'?"
"of course! i don't think that is appropriate."

insert here: numerous opinions from others in the newsroom within earshot distance, now dominating the conversation.

As tempers flared and more counterpoints were thrown around, the argument gradually grew and overcame the usual quiet humming of computer monitors, the ringing of another unsatisfied customer calling in, and the light murmur of CNN in the background. The web editor stood his ground and made his decision final. Many were offended that HE was offended by this small word.

"it's a donkey! no one thinks that it's a bad word!"
"everyone says it, it's part of our culture!"
"this is blatant censorship!"

i fidgeted slightly in my stiff office chair as i began to get lost in my own thoughts. who knew i would walk in to this stuffy, copier toner smelling, poorly florescent-lighted building and be inspired about values? it's funny how life's little stories, such as this, can be used as thought provoking topics for meditation.

was i offended? ehhh...not really. i use that word a lot. but then again, i also have trouble using curse words, so maybe i'm just jaded just like everyone else in this newsroom. cursing is one weakness that i have been trying to battle for years. it is an ever-living disease which can be easy to hide in most situations but just as easily to erupt once again. so easily, in fact, whenever you are surrounded by certain people or situations you find yourself in an out of body experience, watching yourself say things that are surprising, even to yourself. just as mold loves to grow in dark and moist surroundings, so does the urge to use curse words in worldly situations. i've been told to speak and act as if your pastor is always standing beside you. i think of this scenario frequently. it usually creates a sinking in my stomach and a subconscious sliding down in my seat. somehow guiltiness makes gravity much heavier on my shoulders. so, should i be offended by "ass"? it IS a word in the bible. would i say it to my priest? ....probably not. does the line differ for different people? can the line be moved, just like the yellow 1st down line during a Monday Night football game? maybe it just depends on the situation?

obviously this is a topic that isn't going to rock one's salvation, or is it? it's good to check ourselves every once in awhile and take a step back to assess the situation we've gotten ourselves in. Romans 14:21 says, "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble." Ever notice how easy it is to use a curse word once someone else has already broken down that wall? To prevent this, Mark 9:42 warns us, "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck." yikes. this kinda makes me want ease up on cursing. we don't realize just how much our actions and our words affect those around us. as i've said in previous posts, a simple card with a brief message means the world to me. just as a smile can go a long way. you can brighten a stranger's day just by smiling at them as you pass on the street. the tv show, scrubs, gave a great example of how one's simple subliminal action can affect the whole hospital. Therefore, we should take the words from James 1:19, instructing us to watch our actions, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath." James comforts us, though, by telling us that this isn't always easy. in James 3:8-10, he says, "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."

The last thing we want to do is to become responsible for someone's demise in faith. by doing that, we must stay true to ourselves. "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched." (Mark 9:43) If your tongue causes you to curse, gossip, say things that may cause another to stumble, then your focus might want to turn to that issue.

I think 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 sums it up best, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." Isn't that our ultimate goal? to save those around us? we're already saved. now, lets start acting like it so those we love can follow....