On May 31, 2011 The Age broke a story about the latest installment of Victorian Premier Ted Ballieu’s crackdown on crime. In a story entitled, “Big fines for those who cry foul,” Josh Gordon highlighted the plan “to slap potty-mouthed perpetrators with on-the-spot fines of up to $240 for using language deemed to be indecent, disorderly, offensive or threatening.” Anti-swearing legislation has apparently been on the books since 1966, but formerly was only enforceable through the court system. As of July 1, the on-the-spot fines (which have been trialed over the past 3 years) will become law.
The piece was written in a condescending tone, and as anyone who reads The Age might have guessed it did not take long for rebuttals to be printed. In a back page editorial on June 2, Michael Stuchbery aired his thoughts on the new law. According to Stuchbery, “swearing is [...] a social adhesive that unites and binds us more than any other [...] it opens people up, cements relationships.” While he does note that “we would do well to ensure that we carry on a civil discourse with one another,” he says that this is “boring” and “there are some situations in which a choice curse word is the only possible response.” He even goes so far as to sardonically say that curtailing cursing is “tantamount to a human rights violation.” He calls the law “a bone-headed gesture.” Subsequent Age editorials and opinion columns echo these sentiments; one I read (Keith Dunstan, June 6, 2011) claimed that swearing is too commonplace of an occurrence to ban and that the fines must solely be for the purpose of raising revenue.
How should Christians respond to these developments and the swearing culture in Australia today? It is true that swearing is extremely common today – our media, schools, and workplaces are inundated with blasphemous references to Deity and spiritual terms (damnation, heaven, hell, etc.) and vulgar references to sexual activity, female dogs, fatherless children, human anatomy, and excrement. It may also be true that the government’s motives are not exactly pure in enforcing purity. Regardless, Christians must appeal to the ultimate authority of God’s word to determine their response.
First, the fact that the government has outlawed vulgar language should be enough to cause us to keep it out of our lives both publicly and privately, as the law already on the book forbids swearing even “if no one is present to hear it” according to Gordon’s article. Christians are commanded to render their obedience to the governing powers of man in anything that does not go against God’s will (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Acts 5:29).
On this rare occasion though, the government is actually inadvertently enforcing God’s will! Both Jesus and James commanded us to keep flippant references to Deity (swearing) and euphemisms for divine things out of our vocabulary (Matthew 5:33-37; James 5:12). Paul broadened this to exclude all vulgarity from the Christian’s vocabulary: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (Ephesians 4:29).
Christians should welcome these laws and should already be working to bring purity to the world through their speech. I will be the first to admit that the battle for purity is not an easy battle, and this is certainly true of the battle over purity in speech. It is amazing how easily the world rubs off on us! However, I can say this of the battle to control our tongues – if we can win it, we will have traveled a long way along the road towards spiritual maturity. James said, “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect [complete] man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (3:2). What an encouraging prospect! I can also say this – when you take a stand on the issue of “corrupt communication,” both refusing to speak it and refusing to hear it, you have an amazing ability to show the world that you are different (1 Peter 2:9).
Christians, please resolve not to be “potty-mouthed perpetrators,” but instead to speak only those words that “minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29)! ...and remember, God is always listening (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
~Patrick Swayne
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