'7 Dirty Words' - Faith & Reason
August 23, 2009
OK, not George Carlin's famed "Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say on Television," but this'll still be fun.
In the F&R Forum, minusRusty links to HealthNewsReview.org publisher Gary Schwitzer's Seven Words You Shouldn't Use in Medical Journalism (i.e. "miracle"). Rusty asks, what words do you see abused by the media and in the forum?
Follow the links and join the discussion.
This time, the target is religious language.
Here are some of mine:
Christian music - Just what is that supposed to be? What key is it in? Is it a style? Does it have a particular meter? Does it include Bach?
Good brother - What makes someone a good brother as oppossed to just an ordinary brother?
Family values - Whose family? Are poor family values different than middle class family values? Is economic opportunity a family value or are such values restricted to a limited number of moral issues?
Fellowship - I don't want to lose the word. I just want to use it more accurately. Fellowship does not mean "Christian party."
Jesus junk - Actually, I want to introduce that one. It "stuff" with absolutely no value, use, or function except to serve as a flat surface for imprinting Christian slogans. I am not against the marketing of such items, only against using guilt or loyalty as a marketing ploy to sell them.
"I love you in the Lord." - You either love me or you don't. If you are in the Lord, I would assume that you love me that way. I also assume that it takes God's strength in you to love me. But that is between you and God. Let's not qualify our love for one another by adding an addendum to its declaration.
Almost every slogan - Christian or political that is used for (a) X # of times or (2) or for X consecutive weeks. I am especially ready to rid myself of the critical ones.
Let's see what you can come up with.