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What makes a word bad? (NO CUSS WORDS PLEASE)


Amphion
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First off all, I know there are younger members here at the boards so I would like every to refrain from using actual curse words.

I gues I just think to much, but I have been wondering lately. What actually makes a word bad? We constatly here, "Don't say S***. Thats bad!" HOw is it bad? Most of the morales of no cussing comes from a religous back ground. And if you notice that even a few of our curse words are in fact, spoken in the bible. Religous people read in the bible it says to not curse, but it does not say what a curse word is. I think the main thing is the meaning. Not the word but the meaning. If i am wrong, why is it okay to use the word A** when refering to a donkey but not when your refering to yours or someelses butt?

Another thing is, who decides what a curse word is? Do they hire some guy to look at all the words in the english dictionary and decide what he thinks is bad? Just about every curse word we have comes from a word with an original meaning that is not bad. So once again, I say its the meaning not the wiord itself.

If my theory about the meaning and not the word is correct, Should it not be just as bad if you said OH S***! as it would to say OH Poo!. As wierd as this seems, is it not the same meaning? Are you not saying the exactly same thing any way?

I also heard a Religous girl the other day tell me she doesnt say cusre words, because the bible says its wrong, but she only quotes them from other people. (like if she is telling someone what someone else said. )She also says Dang, crap and other minor things like that. But like I said before, whats the difference. Its okay to say I bought me three A**'s the other day at the farm. But its wrong to use it the other way. So evidently its not the word, its the meaning. So is it not like this, people who think cursing is wrong but say things like oh crap, and Ill kick your butt are still cursing?

I apologize for the long post. I hope I have not confused anyone either. I also hope this doesnt get closed for the subject matter, I am real serious about this and I think we can have a mature conversation about it. Please post your comments.

p.s. I am not trying to put down anyone that thinks cursing is wrong nor do I endorse it. I just think to much really.
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Hmmm...Good point there...I've always wondered why the swear words like "sh*t" are always treated as if they're really rude, but then words like "poo" are ok even though they both have the same meaning...:cool:

And on the "who decides what a swear word is" thing...I really don't have a clue who makes em. o_O

This theory is pretty interesting...How long did it take you to think it all up? o_O
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I pretty sure it does. I beleive its in the new testement. But I do not really want to turn this into a religous thing. I just wanted to see what Everyone thought. Cause most of the time people dont think about these things, they just go with it cause its what they have been tought for so long.
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I think a word becomes "bad" when it is used in such a way to harm someone... like mental harm. Or insulting them.

Words like the "N" word for example..

Words like "sh*t" I don't think are bad unless used like "You are a stupid sh*t" or the like... if you say "this smells like sh*t".. I don't think thats a problem.
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[FONT=century gothic]I've never really used swear words...cuss words...whatever they're called in your corner of the world.

I've got my own little vocabulary of expletives, things that I know won't offend anyone.

heh, and I love the weird looks I get from people....
[/FONT]
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TN Brings up an interesting point. I think I am going to agree with you. Thats pretty much how I feel. But what If someone tells you that the word is offending to them. To them it is considered a curse word. Is it different for everyone? I dont think there should be a universal standard for this like our rating systems have. I don't have a problem with curse words but I am the old fashioned type and I think its highly inapropriate to say these things around women. Well I do not have a problem with it to a point, some things I can not tolerate like the N word or fa**ot used on someone of a cetain beleif or race. To me your no longer cursing your just being racist witch I think is a higher crime above cursing. If you consider cursing wrong.

I have a religous background and I study the bible sometimes trying to decide for myself what is right and what is wrong. I dont just sit back and go with what the preacher says, I am going to make sure what he is saying is right. Anyway I think its very hypocritical and do not real understand why that alot of people say every word under the sun from D*** to F*** but they get very mad and angry when someone says GD. I understand where there coming from but It does not make since. In our society we dont rate GD as bad as say the f word.
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[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Defcon5 [/i]
[B]I never knew the bible said that swearing was bad. There is no commandment Thou shall not cuss. Hmmmm this is an interesting point you have. [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=red][b]There are swears in the bible. Like "The men p¡ssith against the wall." and stuff like that[/b][/color]
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I think it is the religion or backround. Or the way that the person uses the word.

If a farmer, or rancher *** doesn't mean anything just meant as a donkey. Just like what TN said it just matters on the way u use the word. If it is against someone then it is bad. Crap isn't a bad word to me or my family, but the others are. *** isn't either, since we live in Texas.
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[B]I don't think that swear words are bad because the bible said so. Otherwise it would be ok to swear in countries where Islam is prominent (for example). I think the "F" word was invented in the middle ages along with the middle finger becoming rude.

On that note the middle finger became rude when the British did to the French. The reason for this was because the archers in the British army were having their middle fingers cut off when captured by the French so they could never use a bow and arrow again. The British showed their middle fingers to show they could still use a bow. [/B]
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I agree with you, TN, but if I started calling someone a 'stupid button' or something, It wouldn't become a swear word. So what if [I]everyone[/I] started calling other people buttons? Would it be a swear word then, if it was only used in an offensive nature?
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Flash has a good point. If I said fooglesnacking yukker! And ment it in a bad way, and lots of people starting using it what keeps that from beeing a bad word? If people would not classify words as bad you would not have a problem. If someone did not lay down the law that certain words were bad, no one would be offended if I said Oh S**T, cause to the world it would be just a regular word, right?

And that was a good point about the middle finger. How did that get so bad. It went from showing they could shoot a bow, to meaning for someone to go to hell, to F-U. How does it do that? It shows the these things are man made, and that we just do this to our selves. If we didnt do things like classify words as "BAD" would we not be better off? True you could still hurt people with them, but I mean as for saying Oh my f'n toe when you hit your toe on something.

Okay I am getting lost in my head thinking about htis again so I will go ahead and end this post now.
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this is pretty easy to answer.

what makes a word bad is the stigma that society attaches to it. for example: i heard that when "free willy" came out in the UK, they had to change willy's name b/c in the UK willy means penis (i don't know if this story is true or not, but you see my point). but in america, no one thinks twice if you use the word willy. it's the same the other way around. to us f*g is a derogatory word for gay, but in the UK it just means a cigarette.

if nobody thought "damn" or whatever was bad, it wouldn't be, even if it meant the exact same thing. the whole thing is very stupid.
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I really don't think "bad" words exist... Such things as "f---" are just a crudier way of saying other words... Such words as "N-----" aren't used too often here, but when it is used, it's not in a derogitory (Is that the right word? o.o) meanung.. A simplier/crudier way of talking about someone...... Instead of sayin "That boy" you can say "That n---a'"


All in all, I think that if you can't handle it when someone says "shi*", then you shouldn't be part of the conversation...
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be prepared for an answer that wont amaze you.

i agree with the whole thing about how the word is used. if someone means it in a negative and insulting way, then it is concidered a "bad word" but if it is used to classify something or to name something.. well.. thats not really explained right. say you call someone a "jacka**" then it concidered a bad word, but if you call a donkey an "a**" then its used to name the animal. normally when a donkey is called an "a**" really, their describing how stubborn they can be.

and if someone says like "oh sh**" its still concidered a bad word because its being used in a crude matter when the person could have said something.. not as crude like "oh darn" or like what i would say "ah shishkabobs!" so really it is all how the word is used.

and that thing about the middle finger, it was an insult to the french because the british could still shoot, so their were showing their middle fingers to insult the french.

thank you for your time :D:
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[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Nekkyo [/i]
[B]be prepared for an answer that wont amaze you.

i agree with the whole thing about how the word is used. if someone means it in a negative and insulting way, then it is concidered a "bad word" but if it is used to classify something or to name something.. well.. thats not really explained right. say you call someone a "jacka**" then it concidered a bad word, but if you call a donkey an "a**" then its used to name the animal. normally when a donkey is called an "a**" really, their describing how stubborn they can be.

and if someone says like "oh sh**" its still concidered a bad word because its being used in a crude matter when the person could have said something.. not as crude like "oh darn" or like what i would say "ah shishkabobs!" so really it is all how the word is used.

and that thing about the middle finger, it was an insult to the french because the british could still shoot, so their were showing their middle fingers to insult the french.

thank you for your time :D: [/B][/QUOTE] shoot what? blar... anyways this is a friend from my school she a real goof.... and if you look up all those so called "cuss words" it means nothing... ***** is even in the bible... forgot where tho... nanna goofball

and BTW i do take offence at nigga.... i dont like that term... im starting to try to come to grips with negro... bleh the pains of being black... and im sorry if i offended anyone with this post.
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[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Uriel5 [/i]
[B]Nowords are dirty. Only minds who think they are are. [/B][/QUOTE]


hmm i never thought of it that way. yeah i have to agree with you on that one o.O

and james be a goofball too!! BLAR BLAR BLAR BLAR das my word muhahahahahahahahaha
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[color=indigo] Like so many people have already said, it isn't a word that is offensive...it is the stigma attached to the word...here is a short list of words I find offensive or "Bad" so please, refrain from using these words in my presence

Responsible
broke
worthless
whop dego
Billy Bob Thorton
Mature
Pancake


Thank you for your consideration:) [/color]
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