Jews Only Please: How do you jusify your beleif that it is forbidden to pronounce God's name?

Question

Remember that Exodus 20:7 says “You must not take up the name of Jehovah your God in a worthless way, for Jehovah will not leave the one unpunished who takes up his name in a worthless way. It does not say not to use it in a respectful way.
Also Exodus 3:15 says "Then God said once more to Moses:
This is what you are to say to the sons of Israel, ‘Jehovah the God of YOUR forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to YOU.’ This is my name to time indefinite, and this is the memorial of me to generation after generation.
Psalms 135:13 says " O Jehovah, your name is to time indefinite.O Jehovah, your memorial is to generation after generation."

Answer 1

The name "Jehovah" is an English translation of the Hebrew name pronounced as or similar to "Yahweh" or "Yehowah"; the exact original pronunciation is unknown. The four Hebrew characters corresponding to the letters "YHWH" are well-recognized as the biblical personal name of Almighty God, and are universally designated as "the Tetragrammaton" or "the Tetragram".

For centuries, most Jews have superstitiously refrained from pronouncing aloud any form of the divine Name. They base that superstition on the third of the Ten Commandments given to Moses:
(Exodus 20:7) You must not take up the name of Jehovah your God in a worthless way
http://watchtower.org/e/bible/ex/chapter_020.htm?bk=Ex;chp=20;vs=7;citation#bk7

Over the centuries, that Jewish superstition has expanded to also forbid writing or engraving any form of "YHWH", even when simply copying from one of the nearly 7000 occurences in the Hebrew Scriptures. In recent centuries, some superstitious Jews have even forbade unabbreviated EUPHEMISMS for "YHWH"; capitalized terms such as "Tetragrammaton" and (amazingly) even "the Name" are forbidden by such superstitions.

More recently, the Jewish superstition has ballooned out of all reasonableness by also forbidding respectful impersonal TERMS referring to the Almighty; thus many Jews insist upon writing "G-d" or "G~d" rather than "God". They may even refrain from capitalizing impersonal terms such as "Creator" and "Almighty".

Naturally, the religious and superstitious practices of a person are between him and his Creator. However, in recent decades these superstitious Jews have worked to impose their superstitious sensibilities beyond their religious communities, and onto the entire populace. Thus, although "YHWH' is unanimously recognized as the personal name of God, few today use any form of it in their writings and conversation.

Interestingly, Christendom has largely joined with superstitious Jews in suppressing the use of "Yahweh" and "Jehovah". However, it seems that Christiandom's anti-YHWH bias largely devolves from their hatred of Jehovah's Witnesses, the religion almost single-handedly responsible for the growing public recognition that the Almighty God of Judaism and Christianity actually does a personal name.

It seems that too many are more interested in coddling superstition than in allowing intellectual honesty and respect for the Almighty.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/na/
http://watchtower.org/e/20040122/


Interestingly, Encyclopaedia Judaica says that “the avoidance of pronouncing the name YHWH ... was caused by a misunderstanding of the Third Commandment.”
http://www.jehovantodistajat.fi/e/20040122/article_02.htm

(Psalms 83:18) That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth

(John 17:26) [Jesus said] I have made your name known to them and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them

Answer 2

Here's the rub...does anyone REALLY know how to use God's name properly these days. The last time it was used in a proper fashion was some 2000 years ago by the High Priest in the Temple in Jerusalem. Using it in casual conversation is never proper. Even using it during prayer isn't proper because most people do not have the appropriate level of concentration to block all other things besides God out of their mind, even for a moment. There might be a few in the world who can...but not for very long.

Therefore, as one can never, truly, have the right frame of mind to utter God's name, it is better not to do so lest one violated the commandment you cite above.

It's somewhat analagous to calling President Bush, "Mr. President", or Queen Elizabeth, "Your Majesty" when addressing them directly. Anything less is considered rude and inappropriate. How much more so for the Creator of the Universe!?

Answer 3

The names that are usually used for the glory of the divine entity are misused as actual names. Honor in the glorification and knowing what words you are using... there is much to be learned in this regard. This is why the priests were of an order separate from the common men.

Answer 4

I am not Jewish (sorry), but they respect god so greatly and they show it. That is why I respect judaism the 3rd most of all religions (atheism #1, i am one, islam #2, they live up to their religion so greatly, christians last (but i dont hate them, I just respect them the least) because they show no respect to god and what he has told them in the 10 commandments.

Answer 5

It is hard to believe that a God of love would punish or be angry at a person for mispronouncing his name. I know he is almighty and great. But imagine an innocent little child pronounces your name wrong. What kind of person would you be if you were really at this little child? What kind of person are we saying God is? He is great than any of us but not just in power and authority - he is great than us in love and understanding. The fact is, he tells us his name in the holy book and invites people to use it. In fact, he gave himself his name and wanted us to know him by it - "This is the memorial of me" - Exodus 3:15. His Word tells us not to use his name in a WORTHLESS way - not that we don't use it at all. Where in the Law given to Moses does it say we cannot say his name in a private prayer???

Answer 6

The 2nd commandment: You shall not use G-d's name in vain.
We only say G-d's real name in prayer. We don't say it when casually mentioning it in conversation. We also can't write it - only in our prayer books.

Answer 7

You practice what you like but you should also respect the tenets of a faith far older than yours.