Oh My Go…

I don’t think anyone will have trouble filling in the remaining letters of the title. We hear it all the time, and seemingly for any reason, shock, surprise, excitement, anger, frustration, annoyance. Taking the Lord’s name in vain has never before been so in vogue.

But that is actually not what my title was going to say. It was actually going to say “Oh My Goodness!” Is “Oh My Goodness” a twenty-first century minced oath?

According to Wikipedia:

A minced oath is a euphemistic expression formed by deliberately misspelling, mispronouncing, or replacing a part of a profane, blasphemous, or taboo word or phrase to reduce the original term’s objectionable characteristics. An example is “gosh” for “God”. Many languages have such expressions. In the English language, nearly all profanities have minced variants.

As a mother of four young, intelligent and inquisitive youngsters a great deal of time is spent guiding, teaching, correcting, daily in all areas of godly living. My husband and I want to be ever ready with answers that impart truth, knowledge and understanding from God’s word.

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:6

The Bible has much to say about our thoughts and our speech.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:7

Our Father in heaven hallowed by Your Name. Matthew 6:9

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight. Psalm 19:14

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

Keep your tongue from evil. Psalm 34:13

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. Proverbs 15:28

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. James 3:6-10

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37

Although we home school, we still live in a corrupt world and unwelcome words still unfortunately find their way into our ears, from the park, drifting over the fence, and sometimes even into our home.

If one takes a quick moment, they can find an unimaginably long list of minced oaths that have, over the last 300 years or so, been considered at one time or another minced oaths. Some were seen as highly offensive; some even carried the penalty of a fine if uttered. Vernacular, especially today, is fluid, and seems to be subject to the whims of politics and the cataclysmic social upheaval we find ourselves surrounded with in our world. Many words that were formerly so offensive have lost all meaning and context to us today and may only sound bizarre or funny. However, some words used are so closely associated with God’s name that we would never consider them fitting for the saints.

I want to zero in on two minced oaths in particular, that you may use yourself commonly and may have never even considered that they are considered to be as such. “Oh my goodness” … What are we actually saying when we say this? It is a step further away than “Oh My Gosh,” but if you would not say the latter, why would you be willing to say the former? Do you have any caveats? Is it OK to say “Oh My Goodness” when expressing delighted surprise? Is it equally OK when you are expressing dismay, such as when your baby dumps her pasta all over your new white dress shirt? Let’s take it up a notch, how about when you walk into the living room to discover your freshly painted walls have just been artistically altered by your children’s permanent marker and your blood is about to boil. Is “Oh my goodness” with a bit more volume and expression still acceptable?

I cannot help but cringe when I hear this expression, no matter what the circumstance. It reminds me of the Jewish scribes and how God’s Name was so Holy, so reverent that they wouldn’t even write it down. Wow! That is reverence! How far we have come from that attitude, that awe, that holy fear.

I heard a message once where the Pastor explained that the word “good” is derived from “God”. I believe that he had explained that it had Scottish roots. I took a moment to look for myself and it does in fact appear to come from the Old English god (with a long “o”) with words describing “good” as excellent, fine, valuable, desirable, favourable, beneficial, etc. We know what Jesus said to the rich young ruler when he called Him “good teacher.” Jesus said, “No one is good but God.” Paul said in Romans 7:18 “in me, (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells.” So for us, who have knowledge, to say “Oh My Goodness” really isn’t fitting, is it?

I have another phrase for you to consider. The same test may be applied to it as well. “Oh my word” … It may seem silly to some that I would bring up this term. But may I ask: Who does the Bible say the “Word” is? Is He not our one and only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? How would this be any different to us than saying “Oh My Lord”?

Are we grieving the Holy Spirit when we speak this way?

Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Luke 14:32

I wonder what the world thinks when they hear us speak these terms. We certainly sound different than the overt blasphemous taking of the Lord’s name in vain. But I’m sure it must still have a familiar ring to what they say. I grew up in Saskatchewan and I do not recollect ever hearing “Oh my goodness” uttered until I moved to British Columbia as a teenager. I distinctly remember the girl attending the same church as my family who said those words. I remember my confusion when I heard it. I remember wondering to myself, why would she say that!? Doesn’t she realize it sounds the same as Oh My Go…? I was young though and still unaware of minced oaths. Time passed and I became desensitized to what my ears were often hearing. Secondarily to what God thinks of this causal association with His name is the concern that when we utter these words, we as Christians, loose our saltiness. Salt is a preservative. It can keep meat from corrupting. Our saltiness in the world is meant to have the same effect. We are to preserve, and slow down the rampant corruption around us by our lives, by our reverence, in how we choose to speak.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; 1Peter 2:9

When we separate ourselves unto God in our whole life as a living sacrifice unto Him in accordance to what He has called us to, we will have no fear of the salt loosing its saltiness.

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16

How then, are we as New Testament saints admonished to speak?

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Titus 2:6-8

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:29-30

Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving thanks…Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of this the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. Ephesians 5:4-7

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20

My understanding at this point is that “Oh My Goodness” is a minced oath. As such we would do well to banish it from our speech.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10

What can we say instead to express ourselves in the different situations of life we find ourselves in? This can be tricky at times I will admit. If you are at an utter loss for words, perhaps it is often best to say nothing. It seems that cursing and minced oaths (even if not uttered aloud) are often associated with outbursts of anger and frustration which of course are not fitting for the child of God.

He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. Proverbs 17:27-28

And… here are some other options to try; Wow, Amazing, Super, Awesome, Are you kidding me? Really!? Right!? Oh NO! Oh Dear! Oh Please! Mercy! Praise the Lord! Amen! Hallelujah!

Oh Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3

Grace and peace to you!

Kristi Davis is a member of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria. She and her husband have four young children and are active in the ministry of their church.