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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Old-fashioned or acceptable?
Old-fashioned or acceptable?
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douglas
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"Oh God" is definately considered blasphemous by some, they interpret it as "using the name of the Lord in vain" which is against one of the ten commandments.
and "Oh gosh" does sound pretty "goody-two-shoes" and a bit out dated (but sometimes used)
Douglas |
25 Mar 2009
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brookee
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Hi Ivona & all,
Sorry I missed this conversation. I had signed off :(
Why do you use an asterisk with G*d??
I �m not sure if this is reflective of my particular homelife and upbringing or not, but in terms of etiquette or respectful language, to use the name God in the expression "Oh my G*d" or "G*d damn it" is seen as a fracture of one of the 10 commandments: "Thou shall not take the Lord �s name in vein." While not particularly offensive to me, it could be offensive to others.
Let me say that I do not come from an overly religious family at all, but this notion connects to what is deemed as speaking in polite terms, avoiding profanity, and/or avoiding speech that would offend others.
~~Brooke |
25 Mar 2009
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Jayho
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Oh my God is blasphemous and inappropriate to use, particlularly around elderley or religious people - they will be offended. My mum is a classic example. I teach this to my adult international students and explain that if they blaspheme they my unknowingly offend locals. We then brainstorm substitute words.
In terms of Oh gosh - coincidently I saw it as a headline for a magazine advertisement. It certainly caught my attention. |
27 Mar 2009
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genzianella
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Hi! sometimes I do use "gosh" in English rather than "Oh, g*d!" �cause I think it �s more appropriate. On the other hand, in my own language, I have no qualms about saying the equivalent of "Oh, G*d!". Probably because in my own language I hear it soooo often that it has lost its "blasphemous" meaning ??? Maybe. anyway, to get back to your question, yes I do use "gosh!" |
27 Mar 2009
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Caroline565
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But Douglas...that is exacttly it...The phrase��is certainly not used to take the Lords name in vain at all. �I mean if I said to someone..."Oh my God! �that sunset is so beautiful!" How in heaven �s name can that be classed as being blasphemous. No way. �That is not taking�the Lord �s Name in vain. I just have to disagree. I would be as concerned as anyone if that were so...but to class "Oh my God!" as being a wrong phrase to use in such �circumstances as in the above example, would be fanatical.� � Again I have to say that it is just my own opinion. 
Apologies Douglas.. This post was meant for Jayho... So sorry. |
27 Mar 2009
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Zora
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Caroline... taking his name in vain means to use it "colloquially" not just blasphemously. Some religions believe that speaking their lords/gods names - in whatever context - is wrong. So that is why many people use "gosh" or "goodness" or whatever instead of "Oh God..."
(by the way, I am not religious in any shape of form... BUT I do believe in respecting others beliefs and so I rarely use "Oh God" around people I don �t know...) )
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27 Mar 2009
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Ivona
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But how do you know if the person is using it colloquially or is really referring to God?? I mean, in Caroline �s example, it sounds to me that she �s talking about the sunset with awe, not in the sense that would mean, bloody h*ll, what a (beep) awesome sunset! Therefore, the name of God would not be used in vain ... I don �t understand what is the big deal.
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28 Mar 2009
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Zora
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You need to understand that a lot of English speaking people see that the word "God" (with a capital "G") refers to an entity that is most sacred to them... and therefore even mentioning his name in a none blasphemous way could still be considered wrong by some... I am not saying that this is logical but that �s the way things are sometimes...
It �s like the Hebrews (I think... please forgive me if I am wrong here... ) were prohibited from even saying the name "Yahwah" ... it �s sort of the same in English, many regard the word as being very "sacred"... so, even saying it in a nice way could offend some...
I �d say... "Oh, heavens..." or "Oh goodness..." or "Wow" ... what a beautiful sunrise... - if I was among people I didn �t know...
BTW... is that you pretty Ivona??
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28 Mar 2009
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Caroline565
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My dear Zora...I think we had better drop this subject. �I respect everything that you have said and I admire you for sticking to your opinion. Seems that this is a matter of geography and culture. �It �s a little different down-under where I was brought up in my faith. That does not mean that my interpretation is correct. It �s just my opinion. �Maybe here too in different areas of Australia that some��folk think differently on that point!? Take care and thank you for your posts.�Have a nice day and enjoy.
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28 Mar 2009
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Zora
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Ummm... Jayho, Apodo and Alien boy are all from Australia and they are of the same opinion as everyone else... in fact, I checked with my friend Benjamin - he �s from Melbourne (just to be doubly sure here) and he is of the same opinion as all us native speakers here...
I think that in all English speaking countries we are quite careful with the word "God" around people... at least older people - just in case it offends.
Regards,
Linda
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28 Mar 2009
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