Vixentrox Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 When I was growing up my parents would scold me for saying "hell". It was a naughty word right up there with "shit" and "piss" and "damn". We used to say "H E Double Hockey Sticks" and think we were pretty slick. Now why is hell (and the word damn and it's variations) a dirty word? Isn't it part of Christian doctorine? Didnt the preacher talk about it in church? That was somewhat confusing to me when I grew up. Maybe my parents thought if I said that word I would end up there? Who knows. Did anyone else have parents that forbid them from saying "hell" as a being a cuss word? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 We never said any words like Hell, Fuck, Shit, Oh God, Oh Jesus, Damn, etc... It took me a little while after deconversion to break free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandora Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I remember being scolded for it as a young child, like up to age 7 or so, but after that it either wasn't a problem or they didn't scold me for it anymore for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Now why is hell (and the word damn and it's variations) a dirty word? Isn't it part of Christian doctorine? Come on Vix, you know better than to try and use logic on the cult's principles, don't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellincoffee Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I once read in an article using Hell as a scare tactic commenting on how Hell has become a joke concept; the author said that we use the word so frequently that people aren't are as afraid of it as they need to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Little Terra Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Actually its like ive said before in our conversations, Hell is not at all in the christian doctorine, or was not in the original. The jews have no concept of hell, and even the word Hell itself is norse but the concept was just a translation of the concept of tarterous/hadies. the reason its a bad word probably has to stem from the middle or dark ages where christianity was merged with all the other superstitions that had stemmed from the beleifs in other religions. im not denouncing those faiths or those who adhear to them but i am saying that it was not a christian thing and that you dont say those words most likely because of the time when people asssumed them to be some kind of curse. That is just my guess though, id have to look up more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llwellyn Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 If we spoke about hell in an irreverant or vulgar way, it would take away from religious people their most powerful weapon: fear. If we were to joke about their threats, they would have no power over us. So naturally, they want to reserve it as a taboo word. This reminds me of a Mencken quote: "The liberation of the human mind has never been furthered by such learned dunderheads; it has been furthered by gay fellows who heaved dead cats into sanctuaries and then went roistering down the highways of the world, proving to all men that doubt, after all, was safe--that the god in the sanctuary was finite in his power, and hence a fraud. One horse-laugh is worth ten thousand syllogisms. It is not only more effective; it is also vastly more intelligent. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piprus Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Hell has become an idiomatic expression. "Heluva good time!" (What does that mean or imply, scripturally? Does anyone have a good time in hell?) "Heluva man!" (Huh?) "Heluva woman!" (What?) "Heluva day!" (So, did you have a good day, or a suffering day?) "What the hell??" (What do you mean in a biblical sense?) Just a few examples that suggest to me that "hell" has become just a word to use in everyday conversation. (Try substituting the word "fuck", and you get a whole new set of questions.) ...Leads me to ask, do even xians take the idea of hell seriously, except for the ultra-fundies? After all, I've heard professed xians use the word "hell" as freely in everyday conversation as "shit", "bullshit", "damn", etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtdude Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 If we spoke about hell in an irreverant or vulgar way, it would take away from religious people their most powerful weapon: fear. If we were to joke about their threats, they would have no power over us. So naturally, they want to reserve it as a taboo word. .... This is my thinking about it, too. That's particularly why swearing using the words "Jesus Christ" was just waaaaaay outta line in our home growing up. Even though my folks, when red-faced pissed, would let out a "damnit," never did I hear the "JC" used as a swear word. It's like Christians don't want to "soil" their precious words that are used to strike fear and conformity within the group. Ah, ain't it good to be able to go down the street, say "Fuck" and not worry about it adversely affecting your "relationship with the Lord"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llwellyn Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 This is my thinking about it, too. Hey! No thinking! Deuteronomy 29:18-20 (New Jerusalem Bible) If anyone should think to himself, "I will do well enough if I follow the dictates of my heart," Yahweh will not pardon him. His wrath shall burn against him. And all the curses written in the book will come upon him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onyx Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Hell, I love using it in a funny context. I'm having a helluva time laughing at Christian dogma and I'm helling it up for the sake of it. HELL is a cruel joke dreamed up by fundies who was as dirty and sadistic as anything De Sade thought up. Hell, we non religious folk's making it lighter than waffle burned on pans when bunnies prance through meadows. And it's all thanks to these bloody hell mongers. Thank you very much for the Inqusitions and other religious horrors, you stupid bloody prudes with no scruples regarding to stealing love, fun and all that making life so worthwhile. Stick your bloody pungent hell-bell doctrines up your glorified pious asses. Look, if you love to teach the Hell doctrine in a glorifying manner, remember, it's an extremely repulsive teaching. How do you freakin' excuse the mental anguish of millions upon millions of minds? I have absolutely no respect for this horrific travesty of justice and behaviour. It's religious terrorism at its finest. It's partly why religious fundamentalists like Osama Bin Laden and Falwell do stupid and evil things. Fuck off, Hell and Heaven, these doctrines don't have a place in our world. We can do without hell and Heaven. Boo to these doctrines. Oh and I have to mention Original Sin and Demonism (a belief in existence of demons and Satan.) They are equally harmful. I don't understand why we even need to cast out demons and baptising babies. It's stupid. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! All the Abrahamic Bullshit mythologies are STUPID! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH! My goodness, humanity really have a lot of things to learn. Hell, I'd love to see a complete vanquishing of all stupid and idiotic religions by all of humanity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellincoffee Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 If we spoke about hell in an irreverant or vulgar way, it would take away from religious people their most powerful weapon: fear. If we were to joke about their threats, they would have no power over us. So naturally, they want to reserve it as a taboo word. .... This is my thinking about it, too. That's particularly why swearing using the words "Jesus Christ" was just waaaaaay outta line in our home growing up. Even though my folks, when red-faced pissed, would let out a "damnit," never did I hear the "JC" used as a swear word. It's like Christians don't want to "soil" their precious words that are used to strike fear and conformity within the group. You know, that reminds me. For a long time, I considered "fuck" and "god-damn" to be on the same level of offense. I would have NEVER said "god-damn" before I left Christianity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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