The F-Bomb

I read an interesting piece in Christianity Today about Christians and R-rated movies and came upon a quote that made me think:

"I rent and watch R-rated movies from time to time that are action-oriented, with the R rating given mostly for violence and language. I despise the foul language much more than the violence. I don't know why filmmakers think they have to depict average Americans using the F-word as a normal part of their conversations. I really don't believe that is what normal Americans do."

Maybe I hang around a lot of crude people, but I'll bet hardly a day goes by when I don't hear the F-bomb. And I don't work in a warehouse; I'm talking about a white-collar, professional environment.

So I'm wondering where this guy hides away that he doesn't hear profanity on a regular basis. I would almost make the case that someone who never hears profanity is probably not paying heed to "be in the world, but not of the world".

This also prompts me to ask how Christians should think about profanity. I have a love/hate relationship with profanity. On one hand I was brought up in a household where profanity was a capital offense. And I still don't like profanity in most circumstances, mostly because of the rudeness factor. And I have sworn that the first person who swears around my daughters will face a violent reaction from me. Yet, when I am hanging out with my friends talking late at night, I don't have any problem with profanity so long as it isn't over the top and excessive. And I certainly don't have a problem with a shout of profanity if I hit my thumb with a hammer. I suspect that I am somewhat in the minority among evangelical Christians on this count.