Why do we use the expression, "Jesus Christ" or "Oh my God" ?

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Kyteland

The Jews did not forget the name Yahweh. The clergy decided that since the average man didn't always know why uses of the name would be blasphemous that they would ban use of the word altogether. Basically to protect you from yourself. If one never said Yahweh then one could never take the name in vain (or is it vane? I forget.) They clergy, however, passed the name down through the ranks and kept it alive. It is also still written in ancient texts.

The reason you see so many "The Lord, our God"s in the old testiment, etc. isn't because people thought it sounded good, or pious. It was because the original texts read "Yahweh, our God" or "Our Lord, Yahway". They weren't allowed to modify meaning texts so they simply changed all references to Yahweh to something like the above.

The Hebrew word for Lord was "Adonai". This is the word that is most frequently used for God in the Bible.
Yahweh, Jehovah, or YHVH mean the ineffable or unspeakable name of God. It was acceptable to speak and write Yahweh because it did not in fact mean God, but something to the effect of "the name we use instead of the unspeakable name of God". Still, its use was limited, and Adonai ("the Lord") was preferred for regular use.
The actual ancient Hebrew name for God was El, with its singular plural form Elohim. This word was never spoken to the extant that some scholars believe that it may have meant a different, earlier God (i.e. Joseph Campbell). However it is used commonly in names for people and places, like Michael ("like unto God"), Manuel ("the hand of God"), Bethel ("the house of God"), etc.

 

[glen]

I have written a 2 page long answer, so I made a new thread. I hope it is helpful.
http://forums.anandtech.com/categories.cfm?catid=38&zb=926692

 

[Tom]

i'm not releigious, and i don't expect it to work, but i do find myslef saying these things involuntarily when something unexpected happens, i suppose some inner part of me hopes someone is listening.

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: cmdavid
freudian slip.. crying out to a higher being unconsciously because they're internally aware that everything is not under their control...

If Freud's work hadn't been completely discredited you might have been on to something.

 

[jpeyton]

The Count of Jesus f***in' Christo!
Weeping Jesus on the cross!
Oh my f***in' God!
God f***in' dammit!
Jesus motherf***in' Christ!

Those are classics. Any other ones you guys use?

 

[VIAN]

We always needed to have bad words.

When we get angry, we must say something to releave that anger.

Other ways to do it are:

Oh man.
Damn.
Fvck.
Crap.
Sh|t.
Mother of god.
mother of pearl.
holy crap/sh|t.
god dammnit
holy mother of mercy.
come on.
omg
why.
oooooo.
I'm ma kick yo ass.

It goes on and on. If you get angry you always say something. Depending on how ugly it appears or not say Oh man or fvck, you are still doing the same thing.

One thing i dont understand is why you can say crap, poop and other such things refering to sh|t. But you can't say sh|t. Even though it means the same thing. I think ignorant people make it out to be more than it is and that's why the word gets that reputation.

 

[SinnerWolf]

The rule is, if it offends people, you win.
now go monkey punch the pope