Call me 'sensitive', but I can't bear seeing this Acronym in a Subject line:-

[twitcher]

"OMG"

It really puts me off from reading the thread. I'll be honest, I find it offensive from a Christian point of view, knowing what it stands for. I couldn't care less about FFS, arse, etc. or worse (I'm no saint and use the words myself sometimes!).

Thank you. (Preparing myself for 'you can't be serious' etc etc...)

It's just a very common figure of speech. I am afraid you'll just have to get used to it!!!

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But so many people say it in RL how do you deal with them?

my kids often say 'jeezus' (pronounced that way anyway!) and they often get told off by their nan.
Personally it doesn't bother me but then again, I'm not in the slightest bit religious, no help I know!

serious question-is that sort of mild blasphemy considered worse than swearing?

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Rickman - slapppp!

NH, it depends on who it is, maybe other Christians will identify with this, but I just get a wave of almost nausea come over me that I just don't get is someone says F**k, etc. I tell my boss that i don't like it, he apologises but slips up all the time.

It seems an Americanism - I blame that dreadful ex-girlfriend of Chandler's on Friends who said it all the time in a slo-mo kind of way that became almost like a catchphrase.

Can't understand how swearing doesn't offend you but those-three-little-letters do. It's hardly taking God's name in vain is it? Or is it? I think of it as perhaps a call to God - either in disbelief or excitement or sadness. And it is such everyday language I hardly notice it.

I don't like it either and yes it puts me off a thread although I have read some. It wouldn't have the same effect on me if it said f**k in the title. Personal opinion but I do tell my Dc's and other children in my care that I don't want to hear it.

Its an idiom...its a common phrase....people dont mean anything by it.....

People used to say that about words like ni*er and pai and c**n that we now consider racist and very offensive. Even though most people who used them "didn't mean to offend"

(ducks for cover)

Hm - I have some seriously Christian friends who used to evangelise about their faith at every opportunity and I found that offensive, from an atheist point of view.

I read it as "Oh My Goodness". .

I don't like it when people use "God" or "Jesus" as a swear-word. Makes me feel much the same as if they used my dd's name as a swear-word, or the name of anyone else that I love.

I'll never get used to it, and I understand that no one does it to deliberately attack / offend. I know that they just have no clue about what God's name means to me. But it hurts. Particularly when people spit out "Jesus" to vent their feelings. I love him! How am I supposed to ignore that?

With my close friends, I tell them how I feel. On a board like this, I get good at skipping over words.

Don't find OMG offensive, do find 'Jesus' or 'Christ' make me uncomfortable, if not actually offended - don't like it when people use them.

Interesting that it's perfectly acceptable to use these expressions, but have to be very careful about not offending other faiths.

sensitive!!!

Jan I think if you are offended it would be Ok to say something like " I'm glad your faith is important to you but i am happy with my own beliefs and don't really want to talk about it any more"

Or something like that????

What did you say to your friends?

twitcher, you are of course entitled to your pov - but i'm afraid you'll just have to keep on ignoring the threads. understand why you don't like it, but it's such a common idiom and is much more acceptable to the majority of people than the other terms which bother you less...

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Kristina, after trying and failing to discuss our alternative point of view with them a few times, we gave up and would just look at them until they finished, then talk about something else. Your suggestion sounds good, but they were very very evangelistic and felt so driven to try at every opportunity to make everyone they met share their own joy that they weren't at all receptive.

Fortunately their fervour has waned lately so it's less of an issue.

Pruni i agree with what you say about the words n**r etc not being the same. But the bible says don't take the lords name in vain, so when people say OMG when there are not really crying out to God then that is offensive to their God and so in turn also to them.

Oh, my GOODNESS!

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I'm not sure of your analogy either, Kristina?

I agree it's a common idiom, I guess it's not 'shocking' anymore to take the Lord's name in vain, just a sign of the times we are living in. I hope that doesn't come across as pious or anything, not meant to be.

Fruitful, that's exactly how it feels to me, it's the name of someone I love dearly.

Janh I know what you mean, I would only bring up my faith if it was relevant to the conversation or my friends asked me a direct question about it.

No of course they don't live by the bible but likewise I don't live by the koran but I wouldn't dream of saying 'oh flaming al**h' which would affend a muslim

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