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A Rebuke from an Atheist
I remember when I was growing up, that one of the worst things a person could do was take the Lord’s name in vain. Saying “oh my God” was bad enough, but “Jesus Christ” was absolutely offensive. I was among the offended, but it bothered me that “taking the Lord’s name in vain” was among the chief offenses one could make. For a while, I thought it was because the name of God was powerful, that it carried weight. In my pentecostal circles, there was evidence of that. The name of Jesus was thought to be so powerful that you could wave it like a magic wand over any situation and send demons fleeing. Back in the day, when I was in those circles, I remember feeling very powerful — and sometimes afraid. Like it was a big responsibility to wield that kind of power.
As I grew, I thought maybe it was important because it was a matter of respect. God is all-powerful and holy, so throwing his name around like a swear word was pretty disrespectful. When you consider that in the old testament, people were literally struck dead for mishandling the Arc of the Covenant, it makes sense that saying God’s name in an improper tone would be a big no-no. Not surprisingly, on my journey into atheism, saying “Jesus” under my breath in exasperation was one sign that I had become “fluent.”
I’ve thought about it a few times since. When my daughter was in grade school she visited a Christian friend of…