Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-24
PROFANITY.

The yilest, Cheapest, Most CauSeIess and
Utterly Irrational of All Vices.
In number one hundred and four o.
a pocket series of tracts, published b?
Phillips & Hunt, New York, Rev. r. H.
Howard treats profanity in very in
cisive manner. The tract is short and
striking. He writes as follows:
"A mans name," says Goethe, the
great German poet. sis not like man.
tie which merely hangs about MIN, ana
which, perchance, may be safely
twitched and pulled, but is a perfectly.
fitting garment which has grown OvCr
and over him like his very skin, Il,
which one may. not rake and scraps
without wounding the man himself
This reflection was suggested by tn.
fact that his friend Herder had once al
lowed himself the liberty of inditing to
him privately piquant epigram, the
point of which turned on an ingenious,
yet rude, play on Goethe's name; GER
tainly very impolite, not to say un-
pardonable, thing to do.
Meantime, for the same reason that
no man takes amiably any such liber-
ties as those above mentioned with his
own name, we keenly feel and vigor-
ously resent, withal, any such liberty
when taken with the name of 4 dear
friend. That name may be an unfortun-
ate one in itself, yet so intimately is it
associated with the person and charac-
ter of one whom we respect and love,
that, homely as it may be, it partakes
of so much of the sacredness of the
precious personality to which it belongs,
and of the friendship that has been ce-
mented by years of goodwill and kind
ly service, that we can in no wise con-
sent to its being, in any way, made
light of, much less to its being made to
serve as the butt of vulgar jest.
In the light of this natural. instructive
repugnance to any tritiing with 3
precious name, we come to understand
the deep. mconquerable aversion and
prejudice which every devout and t.
fined mind cherishes against every
thing like profanity. We never cease
to be shocked at any light and
trifing handling of the name of
the Supreme Being. With feelings of
intense and unutterable loathing and
disgust we turn from the man who
habitually takes the name of God in
vain.
1t is difficult to name or to conceive
of viler social pest than profane
man. Vulgarity is bad enough. Bias
phemy is vastly worse. Vulgarity is
disgusting Blasphemy is both disgust
ing and shocking. Not only is pro-
family more wicked than mere vul gar
ity. it is more malarial in its effects,
bunting, as it does, not only the bias
phemer's own religious sensibilities, but
withal those of all such as habituaily
hear him.
The vilest, cheapest. most causelesS
and utterly irrational of all vices is the
vice of profanity, 1t affords no pleas
ure, yields no profit, gratities no natur
al appetite, commands no mans re-
spect, betrays an ignorant, vulgar. pow
h6rty-stricken mind. as well as an utter
lack of good-breeding. and paves the
way to sure and irremediable democrat
ization of character.
But while self-respect should prevent
every one claiming to be gentleman
from the use of profane language. it
should be especially remembered that
such language is deadly. damning
sin. Yea, remember Gods own most
solemn words of admonition relative to
this matter: Thou shalt not take the
name of the Lord thy God in vain, for
God sciN not hold him guiltless that
taketh His name in vain.