The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-07-05
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"A SERMON OK. Cd
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Subject: Profanity

street, on the theme Profanity" !"
the Rev. Ira w. Wemmel Henderson,
pastor, took as his text Exodus 2O:7,
Thou salt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain" He said:
If there Is ANYTHING that is disgust
Ing 1T is unbridled profanity. And
the prevalence of useless, Dointless.
unjustified swearing merits the atten-
tion not alone Of the Church but al
so OF the civil authorities whose duty
1t is TO keep the moral atmosphere
OF this and every other community
free of verbal pollution. The COM
mand ought TO be obeyed and the
civil law on the point ought to be
enforced The silly fool who spreads
the germs Of diphtheria or typhoid or
smallpox broadcast throughout the
community will soon feel the iron
hand of the law laid heavy on his
shoulders and he ought very properly
be put under lock and key until san
ity has returned; but any man with
out sense of moral respectability or
even elementary decency may satu-
rate the moral atmosphere, in which
we have TO live and to rear our youth,
with all manner Of verbal disease and
the average policeman will but smile
or perhaps add to the sum total OF
.uncleanness. The man who has such
poverty OF language and such an alb
solute lack Of common sense that
profanity is to him the one way TO
dignity and emphasize the expres-
sion of ideas, should he jailed with
that other man who endangers our
physical health. The third command
ment has, we know from experience,
a very practical and forcible applica-
tion to this day. Nowhere may we
escape the man OF unwholesome
speech. Men with gray locks and boys
just out OF kits, men who should
know better and boys who must learn
the disgrace OF prOiligate language
II they are ever to amount TO much In
life, both and all are guilty of the
most shameful depravities of speech.
AS things stand to-day, no man can
rear a child with n pure mind. We
walk our streets and curses every
where fill the air and fall upon our
ears. Does horse balk the Almighty
is invoked TO move him. Is the dray-
man delayed moment he curses the
fellow just ahead. II is impossible TO
sit by an open window on any prom
inent thoroughfare without being
morally poisoned. Does the boss I'm
the shop wish TO hurry up the men
the Vilest Of language Is the means
he uses to set speed to hand and
mind. Not once but hundreds of
times | have seen foul mouthed in
spectors, overseers and gang bosses
invoke the maledictiOns of heaven
and hell upon poor dumb driven
brutes made i'm the image of the
Maker, lest forsooth they straighten
weary toll bent backs to sieze a mo-
ments rest.
OF course these very men will tell
you that they have no desire to dis
honor God nor to offend our moral
sensibilities. They lay it to habit,
thoughtlossness and hundred other
causes. ! am convinced myself that
much OF the swearing of the day is
due to thoughtlessness rather than
to wilful sin. And yet | have seen
the same men take more liberties
with the name Of Almighty God than
would allow them to take or they
would dare to take with my name
either thoughtlessly or wilfully.
Though tlessness is no excuse. God
gave us brains and tongues, and It
is our duty to exercise our wills and
to use our tongues for the express
sion of worthy thought alone. OF
course men don't think. that is to say,
the most of them do not, for if they
did swearing would go by the board
to a short and sure death. TO plead
thoughtlessness in eXtenuation of sin
is to play the baby-act. Men should
think and cut the cursing out
The third COu1 ma N mpnt has CpliI
sense behind 1t, as have all of Gods
commands. The misuse of the name
of God, or of the name of our Lord,
profanity, swearing, cursing, all
should be abhorred for several good
and sufficient reasons.
Profanity is unnecessary, unmanly,
indecent, immoral. ungodly. There
are five good reasons why il should
be put aside.
Profanity is unnecessary. A curse
never prove point. 1t rather dem
onstrated the paucity of thought of
the swearer. Oaths never convince
a person OF the validity or strength
of an argument, but they do show up
the poverty of language of the man
who uses them. Curses never made
any workman do better work; they
many a murder. Sense and no swear
words will unravel many a perplex-
ing problem. The name OF God is to
be hallowed not hooted on the
streets. The name of Jesus is wor-
thy of reverence and alteration. it's
misuse damns not the man who is
maligned but the cursor There is
70 problem i'm life that can not be
solved without curses. Sense, indus
try, wise reasoning and good judg-
ment will settle any difficulty Pro-
family is useless. unnecessary and
wholly Improbable.
Then, too, profanity is unmanly.
Many boys seem to have the idea
. that the one sure sign OF manliness
is TO be able TO swear with vigor, pro-
ficiency and volume. There never
was a greater mistake in the world
Instead of being a sign of manliness
it is sure mark OF moral instability
and bad manners. IL reflects small
credit either upon the youth himself
or upon the family whom he repre-
sents. For an educated youth Il 1,
denial of the value of education