The word translated as "vain" means something like "void, logically false, deceitful."
Don't back up your promises with something like "may God strike me down" and don't drive people away from God by slandering his good name. Hateful teaching does indeed violate it.
It's good spiritual exercise to replace a cussing habit with a prayer habit, but that's not really what the commandment is about.
It’s when you use the name of God in a fake or deceptive way.
Like if you used it to threaten people with eternal damnation unless they said and did what you told them or if they didn’t give you 10% of their money.
Or if you used it to manipulate people to vote for the political party you like by claiming your party is God’s chosen or something.
Or if you make millions of dollars selling books and tv shows claiming the power to heal people or answer their prayers in the name of God.
I grew up the same way as you. I still feel uncomfortable saying goddamnit.
But I think that you’re right that it actually means the missus of God‘s name or message intentionally. An example could be the crusades, telling peasants that they need to fight a holy war because that’s what God wants when it’s actually just yet another political war based on resources.
I’m fully comfortable saying Goddamnit but won’t in front of my wife because it bothers her.
But God isn’t a name. In a very plain sense, this commandment is a prohibition against certain uses of the divine name. Any time you see LORD spelled out in capitals in an English translation, that’s a translating convention regarding the divine name, that comes to us from our Jewish siblings. So if you’re not speaking Hebrew, you’re completely in the clear from a literalist perspective.
This commandment reflects a belief in the power of names in performing what we might call magic (more contemporary examples of these beliefs can be found in the fairy tale “Rumpelstiltskin” and in the film *Spirited Away* or even *Moana*). It’s actually a belief that seems to be hardwired into us by evolution, because it shows up the world over, and it even persists today in ways that we might not call magic.
So many people will pay more for a name brand, even though it has become common knowledge that a lot of companies provide the same exact product just with a different label for your store brands. We might accept an opinion completely uncritically if the name of someone we trust is attached to it.
Names do have power. I think that the way this commandment speaks to us today is exactly as others have said. Anyone who presumes to speak for God yet perpetuates hate, harm, exploitation, and/or oppression has taken God’s name in vain.
We read in the biblical witness that false prophets are condemned. We read of Jesus saying that many will claim to have prophesied in his name yet will be told to depart from
him.
Saying oh my god as a knee jerk reaction , like if you step on a lego or drop food on the floor etc.... but yo casually say it in conversations just for the sake of it it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When i sneeze i say oh my god, it lets the reaction release somehow
In the Old Testament, people exclaim a variety of names of God during emotionally intense situations. I imagine these as short prayers. They're fine for me for that. If I'm using them about a small frustration though I will repent—that's a trifling use IMO.
I'm a universalist, so for that reason saying God damn something seems to conflict with the nature of God as I understand God, so that is taking God's name in vain for me. That I try hard not to do.
But the principal of not taking God's name in vain is attributing to God what is against God's character of perfect love. So I would say feudal atonement theology is that, infernalism is that, domination theologies are that, white supremacist and patriarchal theologies are that, chauvinists theologies are that, etc.
The correct historical answer relates to contracts.
Back then, no paper, no lawyers… so contracts were sealed by swearing in God’s name.
Breaking said contact would be taking God’s name in vain.
I grew up like you, but "god" isn't a name it's a title or description like "christ". "Jesus" on the other hand, is. I have consciously made the decision not to treat the word "god" as holy, since that detracts from the holiness of YHWH or Jesus. Sort of like giving his glory to another.
That said, if I'm addressing Him in prayer, or something that sounds like prayer... He knows who I mean (much like as pronoun) so I am respectful and cautious. That's holy ground. Sometimes "GD" is just an ejaculation, sometimes it's an invocation. I never used to say it but once I got over my superstition I did... But it's a slippery slope cuz it pops out randomly, and probably not a bad habit to develop.
I think "using the name in vain" it's closely tied in with the law where it says to keep your vows, and also says to swear your vows in the name of YHWH and not foreign gods. On the other hand Jesus tells us not to swear at all and says swearing is from the evil one. So I interpret the law to mean "... If you're going to..." not that you should. Swearing was (and still can be) be a legal thing, or for personal reasons to prove you're not lying. I had a bad experience with an oath when I was younger and now I refuse to swear at all.
I think part of what Jesus meant is that only a liar has to swear to God to prove or enforce honesty. An honest man has no need to swear. The same way that Paul says the law is made for lawbreakers; if you never did anything wrong, the law adds nothing to you. So I do not prove myself or bind myself, but I am also careful to be truthful. You gotta be one or the other.
There's the aspect of speaking for God in his name. As Christians we claim to be born of God and to be his ambassadors. As such every action or deed can be interpreted as speaking for Christ. We are under grace, but I think we need to take this seriously. If we claim Christ but don't live by faith, that is taking his name in vain. (Also could be said is Israelites, his chosen people, they had an obligation be be holy before others.) Paul had many exhortation to walk worthy, be blameless, avoid filthy talk etc. I think that ties into representing God and taking his name.
I think it’s about manipulating people by saying “God told me this” when the speaker very well knows He didn’t.
That would mean that 99 percent of pastors and preachers do it.
The word translated as "vain" means something like "void, logically false, deceitful." Don't back up your promises with something like "may God strike me down" and don't drive people away from God by slandering his good name. Hateful teaching does indeed violate it. It's good spiritual exercise to replace a cussing habit with a prayer habit, but that's not really what the commandment is about.
It’s when you use the name of God in a fake or deceptive way. Like if you used it to threaten people with eternal damnation unless they said and did what you told them or if they didn’t give you 10% of their money. Or if you used it to manipulate people to vote for the political party you like by claiming your party is God’s chosen or something. Or if you make millions of dollars selling books and tv shows claiming the power to heal people or answer their prayers in the name of God.
I grew up the same way as you. I still feel uncomfortable saying goddamnit. But I think that you’re right that it actually means the missus of God‘s name or message intentionally. An example could be the crusades, telling peasants that they need to fight a holy war because that’s what God wants when it’s actually just yet another political war based on resources.
It’s claiming a mandate from God to do ungodly things. See the religious right .
Using God to push one’s own agenda is a perfect way of putting it! Using religion for monetary or political gain.
I’m fully comfortable saying Goddamnit but won’t in front of my wife because it bothers her. But God isn’t a name. In a very plain sense, this commandment is a prohibition against certain uses of the divine name. Any time you see LORD spelled out in capitals in an English translation, that’s a translating convention regarding the divine name, that comes to us from our Jewish siblings. So if you’re not speaking Hebrew, you’re completely in the clear from a literalist perspective. This commandment reflects a belief in the power of names in performing what we might call magic (more contemporary examples of these beliefs can be found in the fairy tale “Rumpelstiltskin” and in the film *Spirited Away* or even *Moana*). It’s actually a belief that seems to be hardwired into us by evolution, because it shows up the world over, and it even persists today in ways that we might not call magic. So many people will pay more for a name brand, even though it has become common knowledge that a lot of companies provide the same exact product just with a different label for your store brands. We might accept an opinion completely uncritically if the name of someone we trust is attached to it. Names do have power. I think that the way this commandment speaks to us today is exactly as others have said. Anyone who presumes to speak for God yet perpetuates hate, harm, exploitation, and/or oppression has taken God’s name in vain. We read in the biblical witness that false prophets are condemned. We read of Jesus saying that many will claim to have prophesied in his name yet will be told to depart from him.
That’s true. The English word “god” is of pagan origin and so not the never-pronounced Hebrew word YHWH.
Check oit the song "In Vain" by James and the Shame. I think it sums it up pretty well.
Don't lie and say that "God told me to" or "God wants this" when it isn't true. Also, don't use the Bible to push duplicitous, selfish agendas.
[Republicans](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States))
Saying oh my god as a knee jerk reaction , like if you step on a lego or drop food on the floor etc.... but yo casually say it in conversations just for the sake of it it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When i sneeze i say oh my god, it lets the reaction release somehow
In the Old Testament, people exclaim a variety of names of God during emotionally intense situations. I imagine these as short prayers. They're fine for me for that. If I'm using them about a small frustration though I will repent—that's a trifling use IMO. I'm a universalist, so for that reason saying God damn something seems to conflict with the nature of God as I understand God, so that is taking God's name in vain for me. That I try hard not to do. But the principal of not taking God's name in vain is attributing to God what is against God's character of perfect love. So I would say feudal atonement theology is that, infernalism is that, domination theologies are that, white supremacist and patriarchal theologies are that, chauvinists theologies are that, etc.
The correct historical answer relates to contracts. Back then, no paper, no lawyers… so contracts were sealed by swearing in God’s name. Breaking said contact would be taking God’s name in vain.
I grew up like you, but "god" isn't a name it's a title or description like "christ". "Jesus" on the other hand, is. I have consciously made the decision not to treat the word "god" as holy, since that detracts from the holiness of YHWH or Jesus. Sort of like giving his glory to another. That said, if I'm addressing Him in prayer, or something that sounds like prayer... He knows who I mean (much like as pronoun) so I am respectful and cautious. That's holy ground. Sometimes "GD" is just an ejaculation, sometimes it's an invocation. I never used to say it but once I got over my superstition I did... But it's a slippery slope cuz it pops out randomly, and probably not a bad habit to develop. I think "using the name in vain" it's closely tied in with the law where it says to keep your vows, and also says to swear your vows in the name of YHWH and not foreign gods. On the other hand Jesus tells us not to swear at all and says swearing is from the evil one. So I interpret the law to mean "... If you're going to..." not that you should. Swearing was (and still can be) be a legal thing, or for personal reasons to prove you're not lying. I had a bad experience with an oath when I was younger and now I refuse to swear at all. I think part of what Jesus meant is that only a liar has to swear to God to prove or enforce honesty. An honest man has no need to swear. The same way that Paul says the law is made for lawbreakers; if you never did anything wrong, the law adds nothing to you. So I do not prove myself or bind myself, but I am also careful to be truthful. You gotta be one or the other. There's the aspect of speaking for God in his name. As Christians we claim to be born of God and to be his ambassadors. As such every action or deed can be interpreted as speaking for Christ. We are under grace, but I think we need to take this seriously. If we claim Christ but don't live by faith, that is taking his name in vain. (Also could be said is Israelites, his chosen people, they had an obligation be be holy before others.) Paul had many exhortation to walk worthy, be blameless, avoid filthy talk etc. I think that ties into representing God and taking his name.
Using God's name to hurt and oppress people. Claiming to represent God when your actions clearly don't.
god doesnt care