Can a person use foul language and still be spiritual?

God’s judgment, not ours, is what matters

The Rev. Bill Woodard, pastor, West Side Presbyterian Church, 1024 Kasold Drive:

A colleague of mine, the Rev. Ray Fancher, would say: “Hell, yes!”

But before you get too excited, we need to look at several things. First, what is spiritual? Each of us has our own definition of spiritual, and we usually define it in terms of our own cultures and circumstances.

According to the Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology, spiritual or spirituality “is a word which has come much into vogue to describe those attitudes, beliefs and practices which animate people’s lives and help them to reach out towards super-sensible realities.”

For Christians, then, it describes our attitudes, beliefs and practices that cause us to reach out to others in service and to grow closer to God in Jesus Christ. But how each individual Christian perceives that or participates in that is different.

One person’s life may require extreme discipline while another’s doesn’t. One person may say using foul language means you are not spiritual while they drive down the road 10 miles over the speed limit. Language isn’t spiritual, but speeding is? We define our own righteousness to our own advantages.

Let’s face it, we’re all human and therefore not perfect. But we try to define ourselves in a light that makes us righteous while defining others in a not-so-righteous way.

For me, “spiritual” is the process I go through to learn more about the only thing that’s important: God and how I reflect God to others. My spirituality or lack of spirituality isn’t important. Besides, I trust God to judge me, whereas I’m not so sure I trust other Christians to do that. Can a person use foul language and still be spiritual?” Hell, yes!

– Send e-mail to Bill Woodard at revwood2000@hotmail.com.

Speak from the heart is not just an old saying

The Rev. Bill Manley, pastor, Calvary Chapel, 1035 N. Third St.:

Someone once said “the well of the heart is revealed by the bucket of the mouth.”

In other words, the language we use says a lot about who we are.

Speech is a great indicator of character because our words are drawn from our hearts.

In Luke 6:44-45, Jesus says: “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 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.”

The root of our hearts is manifested in the fruit of our lips. Apple trees don’t produce oranges or bananas, but apples. The fruit is consistent with the root.

In a very real way, we are what we speak.

Therefore, if people are truly “spiritual,” which in a biblical context means born again by the spirit of God, then their hearts have been changed, which results in a change in how they talk and the words they use.

A cleansed heart is evidenced in clean speech.

But to claim to be “spiritual” and yet continue using profanity consistently simply proves you aren’t. A foul mouth reveals a foul heart.

James 3:10-12 says, “And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Can you pick olives from a fig tree or figs from a grapevine? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool.”

– Send e-mail to Bill Manley at manleyfamily94@sbcglobal.net.