OMG? is this a rude thing to say?

[Timeisawastin]

Just that - the phrase 'Oh my God...'

I work as a TA with kids aged 8-10 and so many of them say this whenever they are frustrated, stroppy or feeling argumentative. I'm not religious but I certainly consider it an inappropriate phrase for children to use.

I had a chat with a couple of the girls today after one of them said it. Neither of them had any concept that this was anything other than normal, a it's a phrase used by all the family. I suggested that they might like to think of other things to say that won't sound so offensive or rude.

I fully expect that a couple of parents will complain about today's conversation if their girls repeat it.

AIBU?

Profanity is the term I'm thinking of

I dont find it offensive however I find it disrespectful. I admire a teacher picking up on it and trying to make a small difference.

I don't find it remotely offensive, I don't know anybody who would and most would be religious but I suppose that's down to where I live. Attitudes are cultural.

I remebered DH saying one of his colleagues at a City law firm looked very taken aback when they asked him something and he said "Buggered if I know." This would not at all be an offensive term in NZ! It's the kind of term you might hear your grandad using here. We could never figure out if it was very offensive to Brits or if the person he worked with was just a bit po-faced.

I used to use this a lot as a teenager, but rarely do now. I am generally mindful of things like that when with others as I have friends from lots of religious backgrounds and would hate to offend them. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.

YANBU. My parents weren't religious but brought me up to respect other's beliefs and so not blaspheme against anyone's God or beliefs.

Now I am the parent and as a five year old growing up in a Christian family my daughter tells me regularly that she hears people saying it all the time and has to try really hard not to and to plan what to say instead. I think she felt really relieved the other day when we met up with family friends and she was able to chat with her friend of the same age who has also just started school and is having the same experience.

How about "For Odin's sake"? Anyone prepared to ban that?

It's actually much worse cos as everyone knows Odin IS the one true god. :)

I'm with the OP on this (same generation and upbringing)

I reprimand my teenagers when they say this even now. Cant help myself.

And if an 8 yr old said it to me… I would think cheeky bugger !

As I saw the title of your post I thought, I wish people wouldn't use that phrase. It was funny then to read it. I find it offensive and wish people wouldn't use it in such a flippant way. Because it is so widely used now its only when someone actually points out it might be offensive that people actually think about it. Thanks for doing so.

I don't care. DC tend to say 'Oh my gosh' as they went to a faith primary school and it's a habit that's stuck. I can't think of any friends/relatives that are actually religious enough to care either. Most of my friends are raging atheists too.

My nan used to tell me off for using 'knackered' and I never understood why.

Then I saw a programme about Irish travellers and it is a very offensive term to them, equating them with horses off to the knackers yard.

I think it is more offensive in Ireland than mainland UK but stand to be corrected.

'Jesus Christ' and 'Oh my God' are swearing? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you won't find many (before you all come in with anecdotes of "well my child knows it's swearing") young people these days who consider it a swear word, or even particularly offensive. Certainly not on par with "Fucking hell", that's ridiculous!

I say both. I'm not religious, although my OH's nan is and hates hearing it so I make sure I don't use it around her (apart from when they came to visit 10 hours after I gave birth, when all bets were off and I was blaspheming like there was no tomorrow ) but I generally refrain because she's technically family, and I want to be respectful towards her.

As for other people... if they choose to find it offensive, that's their lookout. I don't owe it to people to change the way I talk to benefit them, especially when it isn't really considered a swear word these days (obviously using words that are blatantly swears, like "fucking hell" and "cunt", I don't use in public).

DD2 is fond of "what the hell", usually in response to some fairly mundane request from me. I don't like it and pull her up every time- it is rude and aggressive.

I would be appalled if she said oh my god or what the hell to a teacher. Totally inappropriate and extremely rude. She would be straight in front of the HOY or DH for it I am sure. I teach secondary and have never had a student say either expression to me.

I try to say 'Oh My Gosh' or 'Oh My Goodness' in front of my children. I am not really offended by people saying it with God though.

My friend is a Christian and she really dislikes it so it is no problem to adjust my speech so that she isn't offended.

Yanbu they need to be more creative and try something along the lines of 'Jesus, Mary and cunting Joseph. '

An old friend of my dad's became a Jehovah's witness...
he told me off for swearing in my early 30s when I said my computer was a bit knackered -I was . He then gave me lots of magazines about how swearing and 'rock' music were the work of the devil...
(But then again - he lives abroad now and not in that close contact with my dad anymore. He came to visit my parents when I was visiting with DD1 (about 3 months old) - he didn't know she existed - told me congratulations etc etc - sorry he hadn't known -in fact he'd even missed my wedding...I told him I wasn't married and he wouldn't look at me or DD1 anymore and left within 5 min ...which made me and - DD1 is now 13 and I haven't seen him since ...he has only visited my dad 3 times since then ...his loss...)

If you tell pupils this phrase is only suitable for saying before a prayer they will think you are a loon. At 8+ they are more than old enough to know that adults use this phrase (as well as 'jeeezus...', 'Lordy!', 'good heavens' and 'Christ on a bike!'). We live in a largely secular country and to say these phrases are blasphemous is pushing it IMO.
Over a hundred years ago it would not have been uncommon to use phrases such as 'gadzooks!' and 'zounds!' These phrases derived from religious origins (literally 'god's hooks', meaning nails from the cross, and 'god's wounds', similar) and were in common usage during a far more religious age than our own.
Yanbu to think children in school should be respectful towards their teachers and other adult staff, but yabu if you think for a minute you can pull the wool over their eyes and tell them a common everyday phrase is somehow verboten.
Oh yeah and 'gosh', for the record, is an eighteenth century euphemism for 'god', before anyone thinks this is a more suitable exclamation :-)

So you won't like, "jesus, mary and all the saints" either?

I don't find it offensive in itself.

I find 'attitude' irritating and I'd class OMG (if accompanied by general stroppiness and eye rolling etc.) annoying . I class it with all those 'you are so uneasonable' type expressions -'get a life' 'get over it' etc. - usually muttered sullenly, with added long-suffering sighs

But if a child said to me 'OMG you'll never guess what, - I'm going to Disneyland' then I wouldn't bat an eyelid, - its just words, and children pick up popular slang, use it to death, and then grow up a bit and find their own more extensive, more individual vocabulary.

The words arent rude, the tone used in the way the OP described is rude.

I don't find it offensive, and it would not be happy at a TA telling my son that it was.

I grew up using this phrase but when I left my little corner of secular Britain I discovered that even if not offensive it can be at least jarring for a lot of people. So I wouldn't tell other people's kids not to say it but I do tell my own to not get into the habit as to my ears now it sounds a bit gauche.

Why because it has the word god in it? It doesn't necessarily reference which 'god' they are referring to, yes it could be the father of jesus Christ or allah or whatever but it could also be referring to the greek god pan, who notably taught shepherds to masturbate, or Loki - the norse god of mischief, or the roman god baccus - the god of wine thank whatever for him or Janus the roman god of gates and doors who should forever be cursed as I loose my keys People are less inclined to believe in a 'god' these days so its less of a big issue for most people, yes some may find it offensive as they do when I scream oh for fuck sake when the car wont start etc but theres no pleasing everyone

I find it offensive

People who find it offensive, thats your problem if you choose to take offence. The rest of us don't need to amend our vocabulary to play to your religious sensibilities.