The English language features 795,606 headwords and approximately 1,578,939 definitions. a
In this post let’s investigate the headword profanity. It refers to (1) the quality of being profane or showing irreverence. It can also mean (2) profane conduct or language, such as a profane act or utterance.
Profane, as an adjective, means (1) showing disrespect toward God or sacred things; blasphemous; (2) not devoted to holy purposes.
As recorded in the Bible, the Apostle Paul admonished his disciple, “Timothy, guard that which is committed to your trust. Avoid profane babblings and opposing views from so-called knowledge. b
Another more descriptive synonym of a curse is a malediction for which the antonym is a benediction. I find the Spanish language more descriptive of these words as antonyms.
- Maldecir (literally bad to say); To speak of someone with causticity, denigrating them.
- Bendecir (literally good to say); Divine Providence grants goods or prosperity to a person
The Bible instructs us, “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” c
Romans 12:14 admonishes us, “Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse.“
My personal practices:
- never publicly criticize someone using profanity
- never respond in kind
- never read any text that includes profanity
- never view social media videos featuring profanity
The English language is the lingua franca, the most widely used language around the world. All pilots who fly internationally are required to speak English as required by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards. Using English as the global aviation language helps provide clear communication between pilots and air traffic controllers to prevent accidents and incidents. d
I believe the English language is also the lingua franca for American Christians.
John White
Rockwall, Texas
John N. White 