THANKSGIVING?
by John W. Bradbury, D.D. T h o s e w h o s t a n d for decency in the use of language have to wage an uphill fight to recover lost ground. Profanity has become so common that even children shout it at each other on their playgrounds. The churches have been immorally silent as to this moral deterioration in our American life. Often now in Congress, legislatures, in some public speeches and in the public press vulgar and profane language seems to be taken for granted. It is time to call a halt. We need to remind the people that decency is as much in the manner of speech as it is in anything else. Profanity is a moral menace, because it so often is a symbol of personal and public abandonment of ideals and com mon reverence for God, life and persons. It is the stimu lant of malice and the forerunner o f violence. One of Our National Vices Imprecations and curses are the most awful instances of profanity. Frequently do we hear men using language of the most profligate character and associating the name of God with it. Many well-meaning persons err in this way and sometimes Christians interject the name of God with trifling or worldly conversation. How common is this sin! It is one of our national vices. God’s people should lay it to heart. The Christian position is that profanity is forbidden by God. No reader of the Bible can plead ignorance as an excuse for profanity. It strikes at the root o f all rev erence for religion. How can God be esteemed, adored, and venerated if men use His name profanely? It means that there is no fear of God, no regard for His holy wrath, no respect of His majesty, no acceptance of His authority. All this encourages an irreligious state of the human heart. It destroys any pious feeling and ridicules true seriousness of character.* We have to admit that in the time in which we live men struggle to be gay in an atmosphere of fear, to be as reckless as they wish, to be sensual, to be callous be cause they wish to be worldly. Actually it is the fore runner of almost every sin, however vile and awful. Profanity goes along with, as well as goes before, a yield ing to anger, revenge and bitterness. It is all so futile. Profanity does not gratify any pas sion, it furnishes no enjoyment, it produces a sense of guilt, it does not procure any advantage. It leaves men and women unclean and they are aware of it. It is a superfluity of sin, a causeless, stupid, senseless crime against the true and blessed God.
The Cure The cure is to develop the spirit of reverence for God and ¡man. Reverence is the highest spiritual atti tude. We'm ay also say that it is the loftiest social atti tude. We degrade not only ourselves but our brethren whenever we address them with profane language. Like wise a reverence for personality increases the respect which we have one to the other. This reverence will make its influence felt on society. It will check vice and keep in bounds certain glaring and impious behavior. Profanity curses society; it blights every lovely thing; it is fearful in its effect on the young, who soon catch the spirit and imitate what they hear. Filthiness of speech leads to filthy living. As Christians we should contend against profane speech because of this very im portant consequence; it hardens the heart of the man who uses it. That is the reason why to blaspheme God’s name was made a capital offense under the law. “ And he that blas- phemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord;-shall be put to death” (Leviticus 24:16). In turn, judgments have fallen instantly upon perjurers, upon wicked persons who have imprecated God’s wrath. Heaven cannot be inhabited by the profane. It is a sin peculiar to human ity in its fallen estate. It is to be seriously doubted whether a fallen angel would ever stoop to be so vile. Let us promote that solemn consideration of the gran deur and glory of God and the elevation of sinful man through the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ad vocate wherever possible that people guard their lips and watch against the rising of profanity in the heart. God’s Holy Spirit can change any life and, when He does, the best speech will come from it. Further, let every Chris tian be a striking example in reverencing God’s name. Let their conduct and influence check bold transgressors, instruct children and set before men everywhere the beauty of decent speech. “ Thanks be to God, which giveth us the inctory through our Lord Jesus Christ . . . Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new‘, (1 Corinthians 15:57, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Available In tract form from the American Tract Society, 513 West 166th Street, New York 32, N. Y .
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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