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OMG?
By Ken Horn | November 18, 2009
The phrase “Oh, my God” has been turned on its head. The phrase is uttered in reverent prayer by many believers. But God’s name is just a curse word in popular culture.
A rookie movie censor was told to edit out all profanities from an in-flight version of the movie The Queen for use by airline carriers. He bleeped out every use of the word “God.”
In one scene, viewers heard an actor address the queen with, “[Bleep] bless you, ma’am.” “God” was bleeped seven times. The use of “God” has descended to this — there are actually people who think of it only in terms of profanity, not of reverence.
The phrase OMG has been stolen, like many other good words, and made into a patent violation of the third of the Ten Commandments, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7, NKJV). The NIV clarifies: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.”
That’s clearly what OMG does; it misuses God’s name, takes it in vain, which means treating it as empty or meaningless. God’s name meaningless?
Yes, even among Christians.
Any believer who uses OMG in a slang sense should be embarrassed every time he or she speaks God’s name in a spiritual context. How can you sing a song that honors His name … if you think so little of Him that you use His name in vain?
It used to be shocking to hear this from unbelievers; today many Christians have been so poisoned by the media and culture that they don’t even realize they’re saying it. If OMG is part of your casual slang vocabulary, you need to hit your knees and plead God’s forgiveness. Then pledge to Him that, with His help, you will never again so dishonor Him.
There’s also a second part to the third commandment: “For the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
Christians, we have a God who loved us so much He gave His only Son. How can we use His name in vain?
Topics: Christian living |
December 4th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
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