In case some of you don't know or have forgotten, the third commandment is "You shall not take the Lord's name in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain."
My question is, why is it such a big deal? I know it's understandable (as to being wrong) if someone were to say "Oh my god, I'm gunna kill that guy!" or "God, I hate that girl."
But what if, for example, you were shocked by a natural disaster or amazed when you or a loved one accomplished something? Is it wrong to "take the Lord's name in vain" anyway?
2007-08-31 17:20:19 · 12 answers · asked by Buттerfℓyεїз 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It means far more than that. Your questions shows you have two problems in understanding what it means.
First, you are using a really crappy translation. Put that King James Version on the bookshelf and use it to hold up the other books. Of all the translations into English, that is the worst one. It was only used because nothing else was available. A case of "better than nothing."
If you want an accurate translation go to the experts. The Torah (Five Books of Moses) was originally written in Hebrew. So get a Jewish translation if you want the most accurate available. Now, using a modern Jewish translation (The Jewish Publication Society, 1999) it reads:
"You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not clear anyone who swears falsely by His name."
That takes care of your first problem, having a bad translation. And it should also put you well on the road to understanding what it really means.
It is about using His name to swear an oath and then giving false information. It means you shall not use His name to make your lies more believable. If you tell a lie in the name of God, you are repudiating Him and His Name, and you sin.
If you swear in His name, you must tell the truth in order not to break the Commandment.
This Commandment is why people swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth SO HELP ME GOD and they do it with their hand on the Bible. It is why even the Christians do it, even if their understanding is like yours.
It is not about saying "God damn" when you hit your thumb with a hammer. That depth of understand is OK for a child, but an adult should know better.
2007-08-31 18:03:39 · answer #1 · answered by forgivebutdonotforget911 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The meaning of the 3rd commandment really doesn't apply any longer, unless a person is from one of the estoic (magic) sects that actually has a name for god in their tradition.
god is a generic term, like putting a capitol g on it makes it really into something. Granted some denominations, use names like 'ywhw' or 'jehovah' or 'adoni' or some funky spelling. One should note though that these are not the name for god, but representations used by the authors for the name of god. Since to use the 'name' of god in a secular stylization like writing was seen at the time period as blasphemy and irreligious.
At the time of the Old Covanents, the name of god was spoken when a person was saying something. Kinda like saying 'I am speaking the TRUTH, so I will use the name of god."
One could say that 'Jesus' simplified the Laws down to 2 commandments. Love god and Love others as you would like to be loved, basically you can uphold all the Laws if one observes those 2.
Some Laws go into disuse cuz people really don't understand the ways people viewed them at the time period in which they were in use. One example is the 613 Law in Deuteronomy---don't boil lamb in ewe's milk. Hheheeee one of the reasons that the early christians didn't take it---it sounds silly.
But if one learns that boiling lam in ewe's milk was a part of a canaanite fertility ritual/spell then it might make MORE sense. Many of the OT Laws were there to stop people from taking up the ways of the other pagani traditions around them.
2007-08-31 17:36:53 · answer #2 · answered by Lion Jester 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
This commandment had to do with showing contempt and disrespect for God.
Your question presumes much, so I will answer your question with a question:
Does a Christian who has the very Spirit of God within them, directing and leading them, need to be told to not take God's name in vain? If you think about it carefully, you will see how ridiculous it is when you try to apply it to Christians.
.
2007-09-02 01:56:01 · answer #3 · answered by Hogie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's just it. Why should it be a BIG deal.
God says don't do it, so don't question and just DON'T DO IT.
All of the meaningless jibber jabber shows one's competition with what we are warned against by God, and shows one's loyalty to the ungodly one we know as Satan.
If God says don't do it, who are we as imperfect humans to question why we should not use his name in vain. That is something so small, so small a task that doesn't require much brain power.
To whom is your loyalty to? People that use profanity and use God's name in vain are usually into a worldly immoral lifestyle, so consider it a protection when you see loud mouths and blasphemers like these ones, to heed God's warning and get away. Ones who love to cuss and be loud mouths always lead to negative, injurious results.
No brainer. Just don't do it. It's not too much to ask and it's not up for round table meaningless discussion.
2007-08-31 17:39:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Don't use God's name in vain. Say oh my, or ahhhh, but practice makes perfect.
It's not hard as there are billions of words in the English vocabulary. Don't harp on the ones you cannot say in a vain manner. End...
2007-08-31 17:41:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
any use of the Lords name used in vain is a sin as the Bible tells us. if the atheists don't believe in God why are they ridiculing something they say doesn't exist? the Lords name is powerful and should be used in prayer and praise. as for the haters or atheists that seems so bothered by anything to do with God Jesus and the holy Bible, why does it bother them so much and why so much hate and ridicule? seems to me like they protest to much. could it be,,,,,,,,,,,,,satan?
2007-08-31 17:47:04 · answer #6 · answered by just a Christain 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I could be wrong but I think that applies to using it as a curse or oath, to cry to God in a disaster is not the same it's like a cry for help
2007-08-31 17:49:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think it is probably still wrong. If it was alright to say it in specific cases I think the Lord would have specified. And a rule of thumb I try to follow if you have to question it don't try it.
2007-08-31 17:39:47 · answer #8 · answered by jesusfreakjav 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
As it turns out any acceptance of the idea of god being real is actually using it in vain; delusion is vain !
2007-08-31 17:27:52 · answer #9 · answered by dogpatch USA 7 · 1⤊ 5⤋
the issue is if you try to justify it. If you know it is wrong and try not to say it then you are fine. We must mortify the sins of the flesh not justify them.
2007-08-31 17:33:01 · answer #10 · answered by budleit2 6 · 1⤊ 4⤋