Thread: God's name in writing.

As many of you may know from the Christianity debate thread, I'm a Christian (with all the trimmings). Hence, I follow God and his commandments etc. What bugs me at the moment is that one of the commandments is that I should not use the name of God in vain - that is, saying it as a exclamation or a curse or without correct meaning. I follow this perfectly well in life, but in my writing, I keep coming up against a barrier; my character's can't exclaim naturally without using God's name at least once.

It's been a personal problem for a long time, and I've lived with it, but recently I've been debating with myself about the nature of the commandment. If it's used for characterisation, does that mean that I'm saying it, or that a character I've manifested has a certain style and therefore says it? For example, having my characters swear on occasion doesn't mean that I'm swearing. But that brings about issues, like the way I never use the F word either in real life or in writing.

So I'm stuck. I write sci-fi and fantasy, and have been using a fictional deity as my curse-word for a long time (Ath'Dar). But in my universe, human society has not moved far away from what it was before, despite the changes in technology and the like. So I want them to be able to say 'Oh, God' and similar material, because it's a natural human thing, whether it's right or wrong. But how can I find a righteous loophole through my faith to be able to use it? Or, is there any other technique I can use for natural exclamation?

I think there are plenty of other natural exclamations besides "Oh, God" and ways to express the emotions usually associated with it. I'd just work around it, if it's a problem -- and write something else. No one will notice.

I personally enjoy the ma foie!

My gran said Jehosephat. If it's more contemporary and more realistic, probably the most frequently used is the eff word, which has no religious connotation of which I'm aware. Certainly no scriptural proscription.

It is generally understood, by intelligent readers anyway, that a character's speech and actions are not necessarily representative of the author. So you are safe, friend Cadence, from any fire and brimstone.

I don't think he's worried about the readers -- they're not going to be tossing any lightning bolts.

I don't use God's name in vain either in real life or in my writing, but I'm not averse to my characters using lighter profanity when the situation calls for it. Why? Because, like you said, characters are distinct from authors, and just because I don't swear doesn't mean that my characters shouldn't.

Read this: Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain: What Does it Really Mean? | Parchment and Pen

The argument is that things such as "Oh God!" and "God damn it!" while considered offensive by some, are not what the Lord meant when He commanded not to use His name in vain.

Things such as "I deserve this trophy, so sayeth the Lord," and "God commands that you give me three mules..." are taking the Lord's name in vain - misrepresenting Him intentionally. The commandment was in regards to the proclamations of false religions and deities at the time.

God didn't want His reputation and word lumped in with all the other empty claims.

Perhaps that perspective can help.

Best of luck.

Me and the big "G" are cool, and I applaud your beliefs, as well as anyone else's. But, I would hate to limit my characters and character types to people that don't use certain ammounts of profanity. I would say 80 percent of my characters don't drop F bombs, but some do. It would be hard to write certain story types, such as prison scenes, criminals, blue collar workers, ect. without using some harsh language. It might not affect the story, but then again, why limit yourself. Personally, I don't think He's going to cast you out over a character's colorful language. He gave you the talent, use it to the best of your ability and write believable, realistic characters.

the lord's name is not "God", but YHWH. so i think you're safe from breaking the actual commandment.

^ That's another good point. The commandment doesn't say "Thou shalt not refer to God in vain", but "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain".

Originally Posted by KyleColorado

^ That's another good point. The commandment doesn't say "Thou shalt not refer to God in vain", but "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain".

I think Kyle's hit the nail on the head, here.

Also, God sees into your heart, and if he knows that you aren't intending it to be disrespectful, then it isn't. And, if he does, apologise.

There's absolutely no need to limit your writing in such a way. If your character calls for it, then go ahead. But don't feel that you need to, either. In science fiction and fantasy there are many, many, other words you can make into curses. Take your world's context into account. If there is an enemy for your protagonist, perhaps one that has been around for a long time... then use their name, not God's.

Good luck

have been using a fictional deity as my curse-word for a long time (Ath'Dar).

You could be in trouble here for worshipping false idols. (Now where is the 'tongue in cheek' smiley?)

Cadence, I am not qualified to offer a theological opinion on your question. I have asked a friend who is a baptist minister. If he has any guidance, I will pass it on.

I agree with Kyle, in fact, what he's saying is what I assumed the commandment meant. As such i've never felt that i'll be struck down (even though I'm not really religious, I believe in God, I'm just not into all the organized stuff), though to be fair all my characters usually say are by the gods. That, or the name of a specific god.