Post by captainbryce on Sept 13, 2018 23:20:40 GMT
Former Christian (current atheist) here, so take my opinion with a grain of salt...but...
I never interpreted common expressions such as that as "taking the Lord's name in vain" anymore than someone saying "God bless you" after you sneeze is taking the Lord's name in vain. Oh my God is a common speech exclamation, and nothing more. It has nothing to do with God, especially when I as an atheist can say "Oh my God". Well obviously it doesn't mean anything then since I have no god.
Taking the Lord's name in vain would in my opinion be more akin to someone saying "I swear to God". That is an obvious example because the bible actually defines that as one example of taking the Lord's name in vain.
Matthew 5:33-37
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
This passage says not to swear, and that combined with all of the specific passages about keeping the Lord's name holy (Psalm 111:9; Matthew 6:9) seems to suggest that using God's name to swear is taking his name in vain.
The other way to take God's name in vain, and perhaps even more egregious, is for people to proclaim the name of the Lord in the commission of an evil act. Christians who use their religion to justify homophobia for example, disowning their children for being gay (in the name of Jesus). Well, if it's something Jesus wouldn't do, then you're probably full of shit. Catholic Bishops who protect pedophile priests from criminal prosecution (in the name of Jesus), well that's probably using the Lord's name in vain as well since there is no reason to believe Christ would sanction such a thing. Pastors of megachurches who live in the life of luxury and get rich off of people donating to him, and not having to pay taxes, all in the name of Jesus. That might be them taking the Lord's name in vain.
I never interpreted common expressions such as that as "taking the Lord's name in vain" anymore than someone saying "God bless you" after you sneeze is taking the Lord's name in vain. Oh my God is a common speech exclamation, and nothing more. It has nothing to do with God, especially when I as an atheist can say "Oh my God". Well obviously it doesn't mean anything then since I have no god.
Taking the Lord's name in vain would in my opinion be more akin to someone saying "I swear to God". That is an obvious example because the bible actually defines that as one example of taking the Lord's name in vain.
Matthew 5:33-37
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
This passage says not to swear, and that combined with all of the specific passages about keeping the Lord's name holy (Psalm 111:9; Matthew 6:9) seems to suggest that using God's name to swear is taking his name in vain.
The other way to take God's name in vain, and perhaps even more egregious, is for people to proclaim the name of the Lord in the commission of an evil act. Christians who use their religion to justify homophobia for example, disowning their children for being gay (in the name of Jesus). Well, if it's something Jesus wouldn't do, then you're probably full of shit. Catholic Bishops who protect pedophile priests from criminal prosecution (in the name of Jesus), well that's probably using the Lord's name in vain as well since there is no reason to believe Christ would sanction such a thing. Pastors of megachurches who live in the life of luxury and get rich off of people donating to him, and not having to pay taxes, all in the name of Jesus. That might be them taking the Lord's name in vain.