Question:  Dear Greg,

        I understand the dangers of legalism and dare not to be politically correct.  I have a problem with something and wondered what your thoughts on this would be: I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with saying “golly-gee”, “gee-whiz”, “gosh”, etc.  I believe the Lord knows our hearts and minds and when I say one of these words, I am not thinking about taking the Lord’s name in vain or slandering the Holy Spirit or anything else meant to grieve the Lord.  Am I totally wrong in this thinking?

        Lucie

Answer:  Dear Lucie,

        I believe you are correct.  There are those who would disagree, believing that “gee”, “golly”, “gosh”, etc., are simply shortened euphemisms for taking God’s name in vain.  This is, I believe, an overly literal understanding of these terms.  Some, for example, literally believe passages like “turn the other cheek” when someone hits them (Matthew 5:39 ).  Others believe that they should never say anything but “yes” or “no” to a question (“let your nay be nay and yea be yea”—  Matthew 5:37 ), or that they may not take an oath that involves swearing (Matthew 5:34 ).  These passages have a greater and transcendent meaning than simply doing or not doing a physical exercise or saying or not saying something.  Jesus is teaching something far more profound about our relationship with God.  Therefore your conclusion about your question seems to be biblical and centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

        In Christ,

        Greg Albrecht