Added: 08/20/2006 |
Living As a Christian in a Non-Christian World: Dealing With Secular BlasphemyNo matter what the polls say, you are not living in a Christian nation, much less a Christian world. Granted, there are a large number of individuals who proclaim to be God-fearing Christians, but when the spiritual rubber hits the worldly road, even many of those loudly proclaiming Christians turn out to be quite worldly. Have you ever encountered secular blasphemy and wondered how to deal with it?
Take for example the disrespectful usage of God's name. Walk around anywhere in public, and you can be certain to hear the name of God in connection with cuss words and filthy profanity. As a matter of fact, any time the word "God" is uttered in a non-religious manner, for example it is not the prelude to evangelism, prayer, or biblical teaching, it is said to be used in a fashion that is usually regarded as being secular; blasphemy in these instances is usually only the breadth of a hair away.
It is interesting to note that a few states have secular blasphemy laws on the books, namely Massachusetts and Maryland, but it is very doubtful if the First Amendment of the United States Constitution will actually uphold any lawsuit or prosecution that may be brought on the grounds of such laws. Thus, it is up to every Christian her- or himself to deal with the inappropriate usage of God's name in media, on the street, at the workplace, and in the schools.
Here are some tips on how to deal with the scourge of secular blasphemy in your hearing:
•Do not be shy to voice your displeasure. If you are at work and a coworker is using filthy language that includes the name of God, find a quiet moment to take the coworker aside and explain to her or him that his words were personally offensive to you. This is not the time to admonish the person, or to make a value judgment on them. Instead, this is a great opportunity to help your coworker make the work environment one that is mutually agreeable for all who work there.
•If such language is used in front of your children, you will need to make it right immediately. While you may or may not wish to confront the person making such utterances, you will have to explain to your children that the lady or gentleman ahead of them in the supermarket checkout line has just used some words that as Christians you will not be using at home and they need to know that this would be unacceptable words to use at home - just in case they were thinking of imitating what they were hearing.
•If it is in print that you are reading it, go ahead and write a letter to the editor. As always, you will need to be respectful and courteous, but you do want to get the point across that it is an improper use of God's name and you wish that the publication will not engage in such.
•If you hear it on the radio, a call to the radio station or perhaps an email to the talk host who used it is in order. Say or write your piece and be done.
•On television, such word usage is unfortunately so commonplace that protests will usually fall on deaf ears. Complaining is still a viable option, but you may just need to pull the plug on certain shows.
Last but not least, you will want to make sure that you yourself are not guilty of such a misuse of the name of God.
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