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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 13 July 2026

If you decide you like eating sushi, tacos, or curry, are you stealing from another culture or are you enjoying what that culture created?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #270 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

In the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, American corporation Airbnb sponsored a commercial entitled, “The World is Meant to Meet.” You can yet watch it on YouTube.

I appreciated and enjoyed this commercial as much as any I have seen in a long time. In 30 seconds, the female narrator says,

“Did you know salsa was invented when Cubans took Puerto Rican rhythms to New York? Brazilian Jui-Jitsu was born when the Japanese took Judo to Brazil. When North African frying traditions met Spanish dough, Spain made the churro. After Jamaicans took their sound systems to the UK, the world got punk. And this this is what the world gets when 48 nations meet to play one beautiful game.”

Cue pictures of soccer stadiums crammed with international fans sporting their national colors. “The World is Meant to Meet.”

It's also surprising, because this commercial is celebrating the joys and innovation of cultural exchange, which flatly challenges all the leftist angst we've heard for the past few years about "cultural appropriation," i.e., don't dare wear a sombrero or dance at Cinco de Mayo if you are not Mexican, put cornrows in your hair and you're racist, sport a kimono if you are not Japanese or don a headdress if you aren't Native American, even non-Christians daring to sing Christmas Carols. Somehow, any appreciation of another culture's or even religion’s practices got you labeled as insensitive. 

I know. It's identity politics malarkey, so it's good to see a bold and creative celebration of life, sport, and cultural exchange and innovation.

“Cultural appropriation” generally refers to the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of another culture in ways that critics believe are exploitative, disrespectful, or divorced from their original meaning. The term is debated, however, and people disagree over where the line lies between appropriation, appreciation, cultural exchange, and assimilation.

Elvis Presley has sometimes been cited in discussions because he popularized music rooted in African American traditions, although many historians note that Presley himself frequently acknowledged his influences.

Those who argue that an act is cultural appropriation often point to factors such as:

•    Removing an element from its original cultural or religious context. 
•    Using sacred or ceremonial items casually. 
•    Profiting from another culture without acknowledgment or benefit to that community. 
•    Reinforcing stereotypes. 
•    A history of unequal power between the cultures involved.

Those who are skeptical of the concept often argue that:

•    Cultural borrowing has occurred throughout all human history. 
•    Most cultures have developed through continual exchange of ideas, foods, clothing, language, music, and technology. 
•    Sharing cultural practices can foster appreciation and understanding. 
•    It is often difficult to determine which culture "owns" a particular practice because many traditions have multiple historical influences. 

Scholars commonly distinguish cultural appropriation from cultural appreciation. Appreciation generally involves learning about another culture, engaging with it respectfully, giving proper credit, and recognizing the original context, whereas appropriation is typically understood as using cultural elements in ways viewed as exploitative, misleading, or disrespectful.

I remember comedians like Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett, Flip Wilson, even Jerry Lewis, none of whom would be able to make it today because their gigs often centered on making jokes about different races, ethnicities, and nationalities. I’m not defending all their routines, nor wanting to go back to that time, because some of their bits I recall were pretty bad, meaning racist or on the borderline, disrespectful to the max, and frequently vulgar to boot. But then again, not all their jokes or those of people like them were objectionable. Much of it was hilarious and allowed us as a culture to laugh at ourselves.

Conservatives are typically skeptical of the concept of cultural appropriation, but others distinguish between respectful cultural exchange and the misuse of sacred or ceremonial traditions.

Many conservatives regard the modern concept of cultural appropriation as an overextension of identity politics that treats ordinary cultural exchange as a social offense. From this perspective, human history is characterized by the continual borrowing and blending of ideas, customs, technologies, foods, clothing, music, and languages. Civilizations have always learned from one another, and many of humanity's greatest cultural achievements are the result of such exchanges.

Social pundits who hold this view argue that sharing cultural traditions is generally a sign of admiration rather than disrespect. They point to examples such as Americans enjoying Italian cuisine, Japanese baseball, Scottish bagpipes, Irish music, Mexican food, or African American musical styles. Rather than viewing these as acts of theft, they see them as evidence that cultures enrich one another through openness and voluntary exchange.

Many also question whether cultures can meaningfully "own" hairstyles, recipes, artistic styles, or forms of dress that have evolved over centuries through contact among diverse peoples. They argue that attempts to assign exclusive ownership to cultural practices can discourage curiosity, appreciation, and mutual understanding while reinforcing social divisions based on race or ethnicity.

Another common concern is that accusations of cultural appropriation are applied inconsistently. Critics note that borrowing from some cultures is frequently celebrated as diversity, while borrowing from others is condemned. They contend that such selective standards make the concept subjective and difficult to apply fairly.

At the same time, conservative social commentators distinguish between ordinary cultural exchange and conduct that is intentionally disrespectful. They generally recognize that mocking another culture, desecrating sacred religious objects, or exploiting indigenous traditions for profit without acknowledgment may warrant criticism. The disagreement is less about whether respect matters than about where the line should be drawn.

Ultimately, conservatives who are skeptical of the modern appropriation framework tend to view free cultural exchange as one of the strengths of an open society. They believe that ideas, traditions, and artistic expressions flourish when people are free to adopt, adapt, and celebrate them across cultural boundaries. In their view, encouraging respectful appreciation of other cultures promotes social cohesion more effectively than emphasizing cultural ownership or restricting who may participate in particular traditions.

Christians generally evaluate questions of cultural appropriation through the lens of biblical ethics rather than contemporary political categories. Scripture teaches that all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), that believers are to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31), and that they should "do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). These principles encourage respect for the dignity, traditions, and convictions of others.

At the same time, the Bible presents cultures as gifts that are neither isolated nor static. Throughout Scripture, peoples and nations influence one another through migration, trade, language, and worship. The spread of the gospel itself crossed cultural boundaries, with the early church welcoming Jews and Gentiles into one body in Christ while recognizing that the gospel could be expressed within diverse cultural settings (Acts 15; Galatians 3:28).

Many Christians therefore distinguish between respectful cultural appreciation and exploitative misuse. Learning another language, enjoying another culture's music or cuisine, or adopting customs with gratitude and understanding can reflect an appreciation of God's diverse creation. By contrast, mocking another people, commercializing sacred religious practices, or using cultural symbols in ways that intentionally demean or deceive others would conflict with biblical commands to love one's neighbor and to act with integrity.

Ultimately, Christians ask not simply, "Do I have the freedom to do this?" but also, "Does this demonstrate love, honor God, and build up others?" (1 Cor.10:23–24, 31–33). Christian liberty is balanced by a willingness to limit one's freedoms when doing so serves others and promotes peace, mutual respect, and the unity of the body of Christ.

Cultural appreciation, as unto the Lord, is a way of enjoying the blessings of the beautiful creation God gave us.

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. 
If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. For more Christian commentary, see my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com, or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers.

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2026   
  
*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/ or my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers. 

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 06 October 2025

It’s discouraging to me to hear that nurses are quitting their jobs because the public is so abusive – nurses, people trying to help. But this is the state of American culture.

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #228 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

The elder President George H.W. Bush, 41, is remembered for several pithy phrases, among them “voodoo economics,” “1,000 points of light,” and the one that got him in political trouble later when partisan budget wrangling forced him to renege on his promise, “Read my lips: No new taxes.”

But President Bush’s phrase that I’ve thought a lot about recently came out of his run for the presidency in 1988 and his vision for what he called “a kinder, gentler nation.” Later in his Inauguration speech, Jan. 20, 1989, Bush said, “America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world.”

I thought of this phrase immediately as I watched the 45^th Ryder Cup matches played at the Black course, Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, New York on Long Island. The European team won the Ryder Cup, 15-13.

Crowd behavior was relatively benign the first sessions but then chaos broke loose Saturday afternoon and Sunday as a small but extremely vocal percentage of the crowd let loose with abusive comments hurled at the Europeans, particularly the golf world’s number 2, Rory McIlroy. Oft-repeated f-bombs, “Rake out the Irish trash,” “Remember Pinehurst,” “Choker,” “Leprechaun,” “Overrated,” middle fingers held high, insults questioning manhood, a beer can thrown near McIlroy’s wife, at one tee box, a guy yelled “Rory, don't let your boyfriend down!” followed by three more gay slurs that cannot be shared. “By (one) reporter's count, 30-something f-bombs had been hurled at McIlroy in the first four holes alone.” More sexually explicit comments were made throughout the day aimed at various players’ wives.

American player Justin Thomas repeatedly tried to calm the crowd as did other American golfers from time to time to minimal cooperation and eventually a handful of spectators were identified and tossed off the property.

The next day, American golfing great Tom Watson said on social media, “I'd like to congratulate @RyderCupEurope on their victory. Your team play the first few days was sensational. More importantly, I'd like to apologize for the rude and mean-spirited behavior from our American crowd at Bethpage. As a former player, Captain and as an American, I am ashamed of what happened.”

Lack of civility, including use of profane language, is now publicly commonplace in American culture. Scholars and pundits often use the term “coarsening” to refer to the trend. 

And this is also sadly true of political leaders. President Bush’s kinder, gentler “words stand in stark contrast to the incivility and name-calling that has come to define today’s politics.” This includes a growing trend of antagonistic, disrespectful rhetoric in politics, including ad hominem attacks and name-calling.

Leaving aside here any discussion of President Donald J. Trump’s politics and policies, it can be said without fear of exaggeration that Mr. Trump often critiques people he calls his “enemies” by using rather crass, at times harsh, attack-mode language.

President Richard M. Nixon’s infamous White House Watergate tapes provided audio evidence of his penchant for using ethnic slurs, foul language, and derogatory comments during meetings. Mr. Trump’s use of corrosive or caustic language is not reserved for private meetings because they make media coverage nearly every week.

Now I am not blaming Mr. Trump for the coarsening of American culture. Presidents are more often symptoms than causes of American trends. Nor am I suggesting Mr. Trump is worse than others. I’m just noting that Mr. Trump says things in what Teddy Roosevelt called “the bully pulpit” that no other president has ever said, and as the leader of the free world, he is heard and has influence.

American political leaders now regularly make videos using vulgarities, then post them on social media, or they use so-called “fighting words” or expletives in media interviews, I guess, in an effort to sound tough and sincere. No question President Joe Biden regularly used profanity when he became frustrated or wanted to sound forceful, but I thought he just sounded degraded. Democrats and the left or Progressives have been calling Mr. Trump “Hitler,” a Nazi, and a “fascist” since at least 2016, and now the same anti-Trump American political leaders have publicly labeled ICE officers “modern-day Gestapo,” “secret police,” “authoritarian,” “slave patrols,” “thugs,” and more.

Clearly, American politics has become increasingly polarized. Don Sipple, a veteran communications strategist who helped shape campaign messages for George W. Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jerry Brown, among many others, said, “Everything’s a war. Everything’s a battle. There’s no collaboration, no coordination, no civic pride.”

And another trend is important to note, the increase in political violence. “Hateful demonization clearly played a role in the assassination of Charlie Kirk—a murder victim whom the left continues to smear and attack, even after his violent death at the hands of a leftist…When people are told, on repeat, that their opposition are authoritarian Hitler Nazis, some of them will act accordingly.”

Civilization is in part built upon civility, and this is what’s gone out the window. I can remember when men would use a four-letter word in the presence of women and say, “Oh, pardon my French.” Now maybe that was disingenuous or too cute, but at least there was some sense of what should be acceptable. No more.

“We've become a mean-spirited culture. We've become increasingly rude and cruel and abusive and violent.” And I haven’t even talked about the crude and lewd, or the manufactured anger paraded in reality shows, nor the nastiness on TV talk shows, the social distance and anonymity of social media, and much of pop music.

American culture is subjected to more centrifugal than centripetal forces, pulling us apart without much glue holding us together.

We are experiencing a "decline of the American sacred canopy." This is a term coined by sociologist Peter Berger, which describes the erosion of a shared, overarching religious framework that once provided common meaning and values to society. Since America’s founding and until the last fifty years, that sacred canopy was comprised of what scholars called a Judeo-Christian moral consensus.

Our laws, mores, and morality were rooted in biblical values, even if not everyone or even most Americans were themselves believing Christians. Our culture, indeed, Western Civilization, found sustenance in this moral outlook. It gave us definition, purpose, and vision.

“The decline of faith has left a void, and people have tried to fill it with politics, social media, gaming and countless other distractions. Yet none of these substitutes provides the deeper sense of purpose we were made to seek. Over the past few decades, the erosion of religion and the rise of political polarization have gone hand in hand. As faith receded, the longing for meaning, belonging and community did not disappear -- it was redirected. Too often, that hunger has been channeled into the far less healthy pursuit of politics.”

Along the way, apparently thinking Judeo-Christian principles are too sensitive or irrelevant for schools, scouts, even religious groups or families, we discarded moral formation. Now there is no self-restraint, no ethics, no respect, no truth, no direction, no hope. They aren’t taught.

“Any sense of an objective moral order is gone. Any sense of transcendent truth is gone. We now have little more than radical individualism.” If we don’t “train up a child” as Proverbs directed (22:6), then they’ll learn their morality in the streets or on social media where they are taught that they are gods who define their own moral compass. We do what’s right in our own eyes.

“We’ve become hyper-politicized. Ideology has replaced theology, even in the lives of Christians. Good and evil aren’t about the human heart—they’re about groups: us vs. them…Morality isn’t about personal conduct, but rather where you are on the political spectrum. Much of it fueled by resentment. And that is how we got so mean.”

We’re a long way from a kinder, gentler nation.

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. For more Christian commentary, see my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com, or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers.

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2025  

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/ or my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers.

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 07 July 2025

Have you ever wondered why an attractive person you see with multiple tattoos and piercings thought they needed these permanent body decorations?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #214 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

Tattoo-less individuals are an endangered species fast nearing extinction, at least it seems so to me. Piercings are not quite as prevalent but are growing in popularity and visibility among Millennials, Gen Z, and the coming Gen Alpha.

I walked out of a grocery store in Maryland to be met by a young woman, I’m guessing about 25, who was wearing very little but tattoos. She had so many tattoos on one arm and shoulder the colors ran together in an amorphous blue. She wore fewer but still a lot of tattoos on her other arm, a large tattoo running up her neck, and tattoos on her fingers. Tattoos of differing sizes and design were scattered up to the bottom of her skirt on both of her legs. She even had a small tattoo on her face. I’ve seen men wear this many tattoos but never a woman. With all that, these tattoos painted what would be considered a very attractive woman I’m guessing by anyone’s judgment. Forgive me for not understanding what motivated this beautiful young woman to do this to herself for life.

Tattooing and piercings as a form of body modification date back about as far as reliable history goes. “The earliest evidence of a tattoo dates back to roughly 3100 BCE.” Decorating the body is as old, it seems, as human vanity. But now it’s made a comeback in American culture where “tats” and ever-more-creative (or shocking) metal adornments in the skin are evident in whatever direction you look. Seemingly everyone, at least under 45 years of age, is tattooed or pierced. Just check out the young people serving you at McDonalds.  

“Tattoos have become a more common sight in workplaces around the United States, even making appearances among members of the U.S. House and Senate. Amid this shift, how many Americans have tattoos, why, and do they regret it? A large majority of U.S. adults say society has become more accepting of people with tattoos in recent decades, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. And 32% of adults have a tattoo themselves, including 22% who have more than one.

• 38% of women have at least one tattoo, compared with 27% of men.
• 39% of Black Americans have a tattoo, compared with 35% of Hispanic, 32% of White and 14% of Asian Americans.
• 37% of those with some college or less education have a tattoo, compared with 24% of those with a bachelor’s degree and 21% of those with a postgraduate degree.
• 41% of religiously unaffiliated adults have at least one tattoo, compared with 29% of those who are affiliated with a religion.
• There are no major differences by political party.
• The most commonly cited reason is to honor or remember someone or something: 69% of tattooed adults say this is either a major or minor reason they got any of their tattoos.
• Just under half (47%) say they got a tattoo to make a statement about what they believe, and 32% say they got at least one to improve their personal appearance.”

As to piercings, “in the U.S., approximately 83% of the population has their earlobes pierced and 14% has a piercing outside the earlobe.”

“Members of biker or prison gangs, political fringe groups, or even straight-edge punk rockers and vegans might get certain tattoos as proud displays of their membership (official or unofficial) in these groups. People often get tattoos to defy cultural norms, family expectations, or push the envelope in professional settings.

Sometimes, tattoos are used partly for cosmetic reasons. They can cover over or even incorporate certain imperfections in the skin (such as scars, stretch marks, varicose veins and cellulite) to make them less prominent and visible; and the fact that tattoos won’t be going out of style in the foreseeable future means that this permanent form of cover-up is an attractive proposition. Those who can’t even fathom getting a tattoo due to their fear of needles or because they blanch at the thought of how much pain would be involved (but interestingly) some people get tattoos precisely because they want those sensations.”

Same might be said for piercings. “Different types of body piercings have various symbolism for diverse groups of people. While a surface piercing may be nothing more than a sign of good looks to you, to others, it may have deeper cultural, spiritual, or social meanings…The primary meaning of (ear) lobe piercing (often encouraged among women and now some men) has been lost to time and culture integration. Nowadays, people mostly see lobe piercing as body aesthetics.”

Piercings have exploded in number but still have not achieved the popularity of tattoos. “Since the phenomenon of the mono earring; nose rings, eyebrow piercings, belly rings, and other piercings have become more accepted or tolerated, particularly within Gen Z, as they’re the most likely age group to have septum piercings.”

While not everyone who wears piercings or even nose rings are identifying with the LGBTQ persuasion, it is in some circles considered a signal. “Where identity is often policed or questioned, the septum piercing provides an unspoken understanding to communities falling under the LGBTQ2S+ and alternative umbrellas. This typical facial piercing offers a commonality and a sense of belonging to many who carry a horseshoe or circular ring under their noses.”

“Although newer generations have somewhat embraced overall body modifications, workplace dress code may not be as progressive with facial piercings nor tattoos. Employers are still allowed to ask their workers to hide or remove any piercings or tattoos at their own discretion.”

“The adoption of advanced materials like titanium and surgical steel is also on the rise. These materials reduce allergy risks and improve the safety of body piercings…The global body piercing jewelry market is projected to grow from USD 8.15 billion in 2024 to USD 10.89 billion by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.14%.”

From the beautiful to the bizarre tattoos and piercings tend to provoke emotional response.    

When Christians ask questions about tattoos or piercings, someone cites the Old Testament book of Leviticus: “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD” (19:28). 

Some people quote this verse as a statement outlawing tattoos or piercings, period. But this isn’t a valid interpretation. This verse commanded the Israelites to avoid certain funeral practices wherein bodies were marked in some pagan hope of attaining a good afterlife. This verse doesn’t really address present-day tattooing or piercing. So, we look to the New Testament, only to discover it says nothing about whether a person should or may acquire a tattoo or piercing.

While I am not a fan of most tattoos and certainly many piercings, I’ve always considered this kind of body modification a Christian liberty issue. In other words, God did not say “Thou shalt,” nor did he say “Thou shalt not” with respect to tattoos or piercings.

• “Body piercing is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, leaving the morality of it open to interpretation.
• Scripture offers guidance on inner beauty, modesty, and the importance of blessings that surpass outward adornment.”

He left these matters in the so-called “gray area,” so we must reckon what to do and “be fully convinced in (our) own minds” (Romans 14:5). 

While God didn’t give us rules, he did give us principles to help us answer this “matter of conscience,” one of which is that not everything we can do we should do. In 1 Cor. 10:23 the Apostle Paul noted the core of the Christian liberty doctrine: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.”

Whether we acquire tattoos or body piercings should lead us to careful spiritual discernment about what is best, what will honor God, what will allow us to serve him fully?

Certainly, I feel for people, like the young woman entering the Maryland grocery store, whose bodies are plastered with tattoos. It's their free choice, but I believe they've made an unwise, irrevocable one.

For those who may not like body art, it’s worth mentioning that tattooing and piercing are fads. When I was young, I wore bell bottom pants and longer hair.

I still like long hair but, well, no more flared leg pants. Tattoos and piercings will have their day and then will, someday, literally fade away. Fickle fashion fads are here today, gone tomorrow. 

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. For more Christian commentary, see my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com, or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. 

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2025  

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/ or my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers or https://x.com/RexMRogers.

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 16 April 2025

Ever meet someone who could not seem to speak a sentence without using profanity, and then wonder why they speak this way?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #202 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

Profanity, swearing, cussing, cursing, obscenity, vulgarity, expletives and epithets have likely existed since the dawn of time. In ancient Sumerian (one of the earliest known written languages, c. 2400 BCE), there are inscriptions that contain insults and crude language. Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman texts include examples of vulgar or profane language. Roman graffiti in Pompeii is famously full of crude jokes, insults, and explicit language.

So, using “bad language” is nothing new. But social researchers, and our own sense of what’s happening, tell us the use of rude and crude language is increasing in American culture.

“Society norms towards profanity (sometimes referred to as vulgar, foul, or “street” language) have changed significantly since the initial audience shock of hearing Clark Gable say, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” in the 1939 film, Gone with the Wind.”

Profanity in all its taboo-breaking rebellion has now gone mainstream. And certainly, far worse than the standard “Four-letter” words, bad language now publicly features vulgarity, obscenity, scatological terms, and religious references to Jesus, Mary, and maybe the most-often used, “Oh my God,” an all-purpose phrase for shock, anger, happiness, startle reflex, or excitement.

And lazy language has become one of the “acceptable sins” in the Church. Christian people can be heard using the B-word, the S-word, and the A-word, along with a host of other crudities. 

Years ago, men, especially around women, would attempt to mask verbal missteps with silly statements like, “Pardon my French.” I even heard that on Johnny Carson, but I don’t hear it anymore. 

But I have heard Christians using what we used to call “bad language” on the golf course and at fancy dinners, or from the podium no less. I’ve heard it at church events, professional settings, and in restaurants and coffee cafes. 

And please help me understand why some Christians, particularly from the South—sorry Southerners, but I've heard it too often—think it's OK to say "Lordy," "Oh God," "Oh my God," “Oh my Lord,” even "Jesus"? Or in case you missed it: “Lordy, Lordy, Lordy”? 

One Southern friend of mine quite pointedly said “Jesus” when our mutual friend driving the car slammed the brakes at an intersection. I turned and said, “How can you say that?” His answer, “It was like a prayer.” Really? Maybe Grandma’s washing our mouth out with soap wasn’t such a bad idea.  

I've challenged a couple of others along the way, and they say they "didn't mean it that way”; it’s just cultural. But sorry, I can't buy this. They use the words just like everyone else. 

I’ve done a lot of media interviews. What I get in public settings never surprises me. But what I sometimes get in Christian radio and television settings still surprises me. I was talking to a Christian radio interviewer when he used God’s name in vain live on air.

Meanwhile, the Apostle Paul told us to avoid “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place” and said, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths” (Ephesians 5:4; 4:29). Certainly, the Scripture says we should never use God’s name in vain, swearing or otherwise (Exodus 20:7; Matthew 5:34-37). 

Social research and the experience of adults working with children indicate children are swearing more today than children swore in days gone by. “Cussing” is now an everyday, nearly every conversation experience, common to adolescents in all demographic subgroups.

And the intensity of children’s cussing also seems to be ramping up. “Hells” and “damns” are mundane. Elementary school children now casually and regularly use words far beyond entry-level profanity, words once voiced only by men—invective, graphic sexual imagery, scatological verbiage, expletives. 

I understand why immature kids on social media input terms like OMG, meaning “Oh my God,” but I don’t understand when I see this abbreviation used in adult Christian blogs, texts, tweets, or social media. Does an abbreviation make the reference more palatable? That logic is lost on me.

Periodically, when I was a university president, I attended conferences for presidents and other upper-level academic administrators, usually held in nice hotels in other states. What never ceased to amaze me, and I witnessed it many, many times, is that the persons who used the most profanity were, sorry to say this, Catholic college and university presidents, mostly nuns but a few priests too. They even regularly used God’s name, not as prayers but as coarse, colorful emphasis that, I guess, supposedly made their comment more forceful. But how do you work for years to become a nun, then use God’s name as a curse word? I don’t get it.

A few years ago, I joined an all-male foursome playing the famed Pebble Beach golf course in California. Thinking it would please us and result in larger tips, halfway down the first fairway one of our caddies began telling really raw sex jokes. He continued onto the second green until one of our foursome pointed to me and said, “He’s a preacher.” Well, though I enjoy speaking periodically I’m not a preacher in the sense implied. But in the minds of the caddies, I apparently became the resident holy man. Because for the remaining sixteen holes I was called “Preacher,” and the caddies never told another off-color joke.     

On a personal level I took language seriously years ago. It first hit me as a senior in college standing in front of an 8th grade class as a student teacher. I didn’t use harsh four-letter words or cursing, but I caught myself saying "Heck" and that was it. No more. That very day, I began to weed what some have called surrogate swear words out of my vocabulary because I wanted to model something else to students. This doesn’t make me holier-than-thou, but I’m glad I did it. There are too many good words in the English language to stoop to dumbed down pop culture.

Since then, I’ve heard Christians use other substitute coarse language, saying "Frickin" or "Freaking” or “Friggin.” They use these words in similar contexts as the real thing, even while cinema employs them as placeholders for the thus-far, X-rated term. Who are we fooling?

We all learned in 5th grade science class that water seeks its own level. Later in life we learned that people seek their own level too. With language, it can mean we pursue the lowest common denominator of communication until we sink into a verbal swamp, often just to fit into a peer group.

Cultural observation suggests that swearing in American culture has generally increased over the past several decades.

• Movies and TV shows have gradually pushed the boundaries on profanity, a clear uptick in swearing.
• Music, particularly in genres like hip-hop, punk, and rock, often includes explicit language—and while that's not new, it’s more mainstream now.
• Streaming services (e.g., Netflix, HBO) have fewer content restrictions than network TV, allowing more profanity without censorship. “Netflix even has a series called The History of Swearing that premiered in 2021.”
• The internet and social media have normalized more casual, explicit, and unfiltered language.
• Society is more tolerant of informal or taboo language, especially in non-professional settings.

To be clear, using profanity is not what sends a person to hell and keeps them out of heaven. Only rejection of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ will do that.

But I suggest to you that in a culture given to coarseness, “not swearing” or “not using crude language” is one of the most powerful testimonies of faith available to us.

Our speech literally fills the air around us. If we speak differently, people will quickly recognize it.

Stating the obvious, language communicates. It speaks volumes about who we are and what we believe.

If you want to speak French, learn the real thing.

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. Or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers for more podcasts and video.

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2025  

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/ or my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers or https://x.com/RexMRogers.

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Written by: Rex M. Rogers

Published: 13 October 2024

When you’ve marveled at the Ancient Egyptians, the Pyramids, the incredible architecture, still here thousands of years later—have you thought, if their civilization can disappear, what will become of my civilization?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #174 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

Civilizations come and go. It’s a historically demonstrable fact.

“Possible causes of a societal collapse include natural catastrophe, war, pestilence, famine, economic collapse, population decline or overshoot, mass migration, incompetent leaders, and sabotage by rival civilizations. A collapsed society may revert to a more primitive state, be absorbed into a stronger society, or completely disappear. Virtually all civilizations have suffered such a fate, regardless of their size or complexity. Most never recovered, such as the Western and Eastern Roman Empires, the Maya civilization, and the Easter Island civilization. However, some of them later revived and transformed, such as China, Greece, and Egypt.”

It’s interesting that none of this list of dire reasons civilizations can collapse mentions religion or worldview or values, but this is the problem we now face.

“For many years now, prominent voices have claimed that Western civilization is foundering.” By Western Civilization, they mean Western Europe and North America where “commonly held beliefs such as individualism, democracy, and rationalism,” were embraced as the foundation stones of culture. While Western Civilization borrows from Ancient Greece and Rome, it also drew on the Renaissance, (14^th-17^th Century), and Enlightenment (17^th-19^th Century), which opened the doors to critical thinking. Much of its growth and vibrancy must also be attributed to the Reformation (16^th-17^th Century) and Christianity, which liberated the natural world from control of the church and empowered human reason, science, enterprise, and what became known as the Protestant Work Ethic.

For all it historical and current problems, Western Civilization built the most bountiful, free, economically successful, and future-oriented cultures in history. With all that going for it, why would it be declining?

Short answer, religion. Long answer, a gradual rejection of the Christian worldview that has undergirded Western culture, including belief in God to whom we are accountable, and belief in absolute truth and then also a parallel embrace of moral relativism, rejection of the biblical teaching that mankind is created in the image of God yet a sinner in need of grace, and a consequent loss of aspiration or belief in progress.

In his masterful, How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, the late Francis A. Schaeffer said, “The flow of history is determined by the world-view people hold.”

Schaeffer noted that “in the south, the Reformation was giving an opposite answer in the north: man could not begin with himself, he must start with the Bible. There, man could find ‘true things about God’ and ‘many true things about nature.’ It is Schaeffer’s thesis that this base led to a broad Christian consensus which produced the finest fruits of western civilization: the art of Rembrandt and Bach, the political freedoms consequent to the English and American Revolutions, and the rise of modern science.”

“The breakdown of this Christian consensus has brought western culture to its present crisis.”

Beginning in the late 20^th Century, “all the signs, (Schaeffer) warns, are pointing in the direction of totalitarian rule, either by one man or an elite of savants.”

What in the 20^th Century scholars thought to be an inexorable march toward secularization in modernity became a period of worldwide resurgence of ideological religion, particularly Islam, mixed with postmodernity’s religious apathy in the West. This new mix has yielded polarization, hate, extremism, nihilism.

This nihilism, this belief that life is meaningless has produced cynicism, pessimism, distrust, alienation, social disintegration, anxiety, anger, hopelessness, and most recently, violence.

It has also produced what might be called a “culture of death.”

We see this in the celebration of abortion—killing one’s children and thus one’s future—as “reproductive health,” when ironically it is neither reproductive nor healthy.

We see this culture of death in sexual libertinism qua deviancy, the pursuit of personal significance in perverted sexuality, which yields disaffection, disease, destruction, and in more cases than may be realized, death.

We see a culture of death in the sexualization of children. Why by all that’s common sense, do Kindergarten children need to be given sex toys, read to by drag queens, encouraged to question their sex, and pushed toward made-up hybrid genders?

Why by all that’s common sense can’t our culture provide a definition of woman?

We see this culture of death in population decline. Some have observed, “population collapse is the biggest threat to civilization.” “The U.S.’ fertility rate for 2022 sits well below the level needed for the current generation to replace itself. Birth rates have consistently fallen beneath that threshold, termed the replacement rate, since 2007, the CDC said, and have generally been below it since 1971…2.1. That’s the replacement rate, meaning each woman would, on average, need to have 2.1 children for a generation to exactly replace itself. In 2022, the U.S.’ fertility rate (the average number of children a woman would have during her lifetime) was around 1.7 children per woman.”

“Europe is the continent with the oldest population. This is creating problems for healthcare and pensions.”

Not having children is not simply a biological phenomenon. People are choosing not to have children. In other words, they are making value choices.

Why?

• they consider children a cost, not a benefit,
• they have decided to focus on their own lives without the perceived “burden” of children,
• and many decide not to have children because of their fear of climate change.

We also see civilizational decline in massive global debt, rejection of democracy and capitalism, and promotion of unsubstantiated climate alarmism by globalist, socialist, totalitarians like those at the annual World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. This includes Americans like Bill Gates, John Kerry, Al Gore, Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many more.

These same people promote de-population of the earth in the name of climate alarmism. I am serious. Climate alarmists or global elitists like gorilla-lady Jane Goodall say the earth can best support maybe 1 billion people. According to them, this is the goal we should attain.

But wait, aren’t there 8 billion people in the world today? Yes? Then they are suggesting about 7 billion people need to be eradicated? Yes. Why? Well, to save the earth. For whom? People. So, we save the earth for people by killing off people?

And who and how are we going to accomplish this? Which of the climate change radicals will volunteer to be the first to get eliminated?

It’s an irrational culture of death, exactly what one would predict, Satan, the father of lies, to develop. People are willingly deluded. They celebrate lies – just like people in the streets and on university campuses who chant support for Hamas.

Even LGBTQ people do this? Really, do they not realize that Islam rejects homosexuality and related sexual perversion? Do they not realize that if they identified as queer in an Islamic society they would be killed? Are these people willingly deluded? Yes. They celebrate a culture of death.

We see civilizational decline in the irrational, hysterical promotion of “race absolutism,” identity politics, and mass immigration. Seeing the world through racial or gender or class lens is Marxism, and there is plenty of this on the Left today. They promote victimhood, chaos, and division because these conditions seem to beg for more government, which the Left worships.

Western Civilization still stands, but there are serious cracks in its foundation, particularly with respect to dismissing the Judeo-Christian moral consensus upon which it was founded and flourished. 

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. Or check You Tube @DrRexRogers for more video and prodcasts.

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M Rogers, All Rights Reserved, 2024.

*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at rexmrogers.com or my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers, or connect with me at linkedin.com/rexmrogers or x.com/RexMRogers.