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<title>Is it all right when mad to say "gosh" or "darn"?</title>
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<span class="header">Is it all right when mad to say "gosh" or "darn"?</span>
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What do we mean by “all right”? If I am asking about whether
or not I can get away with saying it I have the wrong perspective
to begin with. Paul points out to the Corinthian church, in 1
Corinthians 10:23-33 that instead of asking if something is permitted
by the law, I should ask if it is beneficial to God, to others,
and to me.
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It is not &quot;all right,&quot; but neither is it so horrible
that God can't love you anymore if you say those words. It is
a bad habit that must be overcome through prayer and God's help.
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“Gosh” is a gentler way of saying “God” and “darn” is the nice
way of saying “damn”. These are used separately or together to
express anger, surprise, hurt and fear. The words themselves
are not a problem but the way they are used can be.
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“Gosh,” meaning “God,” is spoken to in the third commandment
of Exodus 20. &quot;You shall not take the name of the Lord your
God in vain.&quot; This commandment does not prohibit saying
God's name; rather, it prohibits doing it in a way that empties
it of its value and worth. Notice most people who say this, in
either form, generally are not trying to insult God. Rather,
the expression indicates that He just isn't anything important
to them. Saying “gosh” suggests that His name has fallen to just
a trite way to express a negative emotion.
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“Darn” is a bit different because there is no such commandment
about its use. In fact, the Bible talks a lot about damnation.
The best way to view this is to recognize that “damn” is usually
said in a situation when something doesn't go your way or it
hurts you. The comment, &quot;damn it,&quot; is a silly phrase
for the believer to say. We should instead say, &quot;God, bless
it.&quot;
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The believer who responds in the former way is not guilty of
a deep, dark sin; he is just immature. Just as it is unbecoming
of a believer to curse people (James 3:9-10) so it would be to
curse situations (Phil. 4:13.) Though it is not nearly as bad
as cursing people, cursing situations leads to defeat in our
lives. Believers are told to rejoice in trials and temptations
because God will work them to our good.
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