I am usually a little more reverent in my prayers but I don't think that God would mind. Maybe don't use that word in a Church or around religious people.

But how many people actually know the word and its meaning?

"Frack"?

As in what Starbuck used to say on Battlestar Galactica. (And, which, for all I know, may very well be said on the new version... except *sigh* I don't have cable... *sob*... all that great sf going through the ether.... ;) )

Thanks :)

bb/Cp - Richard

SciFi we don't let the kids use the word in school. I think that it is pretty safe to say most people know it is a replacement swear word for something that you can actually get charged for saying in public at least in Alberta. In a few years it may achieve the level of blasphemy.

Yep Richard, it is the fav word used on the new series of Battlestar Galactica. My fav is Apollo: "Frack or Fight?"

BUt how can kids get in trouble for using a fictional swear word that isn't recognized except by BSG fans?

SciFi at some point the word became popular to use as a replacement for a certain word that I am not certain I can type on this forum. We don't allow swearing of any kind. The kids started using that word and a few others. I am not sure where THEY got it but with the popularity of Star Trek and Star Wars and I think I read somewhere that Alberta has more satellites than most other provinces in the country SOMEONE probably started watching Battlestar Gallactica and taught it to everyone else. The way the colorful metaphor is used in the sentence replaces a swear word and the official position of the school is that there are no ways to get around the rules and so the word frack was banned along with beep and a few others.

pssssst Richard, download the episodes! Best TV show out there. And Frack is a perfectly acceptable alternative, much like heck.

"Best TV show out there."

RevMatt, are you talking about the original or the new version? I haven't seen the latter yet and was wondering if it's any good.

Serena: "SciFi at some point the word became popular to use as a replacement for a certain word that I am not certain I can type on this forum."

Go ahead, Serena. You won't be the first (actually only the second, as far as I know).

The new one, klatuu. Frackin's awesome, both as a traditional sci-fi show, but also as one of the few intelligent modern commentaries on the ways faith and politics interact. It is very little like the old one. You and Richard are in the wrong provinces, or I'd lend you my discs. You NEED to see this show :)

I just rented season 1 (after watching half an hour of it on the Space channel.)

Holy crap. Did I ever miss the boat on this one!

On of the things I've always found quite funny in English (which is my mother tongue), is that it is words having to do with sex, body parts, and elimination that have become 'impolit language"... swearing/cursing - both culturally and within a Christian context.

None of those words could be considered 'blasphemous'... unless they're directed at God!

Now swearing in French... there's a different story. I remember a buddy of mine hitting his finger with a hammer and yelling - "Chalice of Christ! Host! Host! HOOOOst!" (direct translation). :) Then he apologized for saying such terrible things in front of a priest, or whatever I was.

Then we get into the sound changes..."Dang", "Jeepers", "Dickins"... etc. For me, 'Frack' would fall into that category.

I probably wouldn't use it in a prayer... but I probably wouldn't have cause to use 'Dang' in a prayer, either. *LOL*

bb/Cp - Richard

I think one of the local video outlets has it for rental. I'll have to check it out.

Richard, the funny part is that if you use Quebec French swear words in France, people will either laugh at you or wonder what in frack you're talking about.

So when is this "evil show" on anyway?

If you get the Sci-Fi channel, there is a webpage with schedule at http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/

I'm appalled at the atrocious language some of you people are using.
In the English language, the correct word is 'fuck'.

So now we can make up blasphemous words?

How utterly ridiculous.

Why is that ridiculous the first ones were made up by someone weren't they?

Hehehehehehehehe. You got it, Serena. A word is only offensive because we have deemed it to be so. Some have been around a long time, some not. Some were once acceptable and now aren't, some weren't once, but now are. Language is a marvellous thing!

Marzo, are you serious?

Yeah, SFQ. It was designed to get around the censors. Just like "smeg" was in Red Dwarf.

SFQ,
You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking about such words!

All you people should go and wash out your brains with bleach and boiling water!!!

thinks: ( kids nowadays! Fuck!)

Riggafrutch!!!

Friggarutch!!!

So, what is wrong then RevMatt with living up to society's expectations and standards rather than making fun of them?

Ok.. I just watched some Galatica clips on YouTube... now I have to go out and see if I can rent the series.

bb/Cp - Richard

OK before you guys think that I am all into following society's rules think again. I am opposed to swearing because the context of those words are used to belittle and abuse people. For example " You f____________ idiot. Is idiot not bad enough? Do you really need another modifying word for idiot? When you include swear words in your sentences people will think you are less educated. For example lets say I forgot bring the salad dressing for Thanksgiving dinner. "Well f_________ anyways I forgot to bring the f__________ salad dressing." Not grammatically correct. Swearing is not acceptable. I try to explain this to teenagers. If they use swear words in their everyday language then they will not be able to stop when they get their jobs at McDonalds. It becomes a habit. They will slip into it when they are angry and then they will get fired. If you get into a fight with someone on the street or even at your own house. If you are used to swearing than that will come out because you are mad. Its called verbal assault and then you can be criminally charged and your victim can sue you and will probably win.

Then I have my favourite example. A former neighbour followed my cat into my yard and called him a f__________ b_________. I hot footed it outside and caught the neighbour just before she kicked him. People who swear are abusive. I told that women if I ever caught her calling my cat those despicable names again I would break both her legs. I asked her how tough a 250 pound (OK I exaggerated a lot but I wanted to insult her too) woman had to be to fight with a 4 1/2 pound cat and if she ever needed someone to fight with she should take me on. I finished by telling her that she had 5 seconds to remove herself from my property or I would help her. She is NEVER to set foot on my property again. She phoned the police and the police came over. I explained my side and they told her that she broke the law first by threatening my cat physically and swearing on my property. I have a legal right to defend my property from assault and I did give her a warning. She also ended up being criminally charged for swearing and I did not get charged at all. Next time though I was advised only to threaten to call the police.

Awwww -

SHAZBOT!

Marzo, you haven't answered my question. Besides thinking of doing something wrong isn't the same thing as actually going through with it.

Hey guys, sorry for going all teacher on you. My only defense is that I have had no one to lecture for two weeks and I could not refrain myself any longer. And as far as threatening to break both my neighbour's legs I only thought that. I did say that if she wanted to fight with someone she could take me on. That is apparently not illegal.

Serena said "you can actually get charged for saying (it) in public at least in Alberta.

Seems to me that we say whatever we frackin please in Alberta...what the frack is the matter with those cows?? Our neighbors don't swear at our cows, though, that would be mean.

No need to apologize for the "cat" story...it was hysterical.

abpenney said "Our neighbors don't swear at our cows, though, that would be mean"

I know someone who when his neighbour threatened to shoot his dog he threatened to f__________ shoot his neighbour.

Seriously though I watched this show last night. I could not tell which side was good and which side was evil. Using the word "frack" instead of the alternative reminded me of cartoons. It seemed childish. I do not like all the back stabbing within the fleet. Good did not win over evil. Especially, when I was not even sure which side was good. There was outright murder in cold blood. I do not know what you guys see in this show. This is coming from someone who has watched all the series of Star Trek so much that I have almost all the characters' lines memorized for many of the episodes.

scifi_queen,

Hi,

I think technically "Frack" is filling in for profanity which is different from blasphemy.

Profanity is intemperate or impolite speech. Examples abound if you can't think of one Marzo has a favourite and loves to share it.

Blasphemy is an attack on God or God's character.

As far as profanity goes it has its place. Shucks or darn really don't convey the raw emotion of bashing your thumb with a hammer. When every second work coming out of your mouth is an expeltive you probably just have a very limited vocabulary.

Blasphemy is a roll of the dice. God either exists or God doesn't. God's in a forgiving mood or God isn't. God has had it up to here with the whining and moaning or God hasn't.

Will God strike you down for using it?

Probably not.

But then God has a lot of time to think up appropriate retribution.

After I got through telling God what I thought of his job to date (Impertinent but not blasphemous) he called me into ministry.

I've learned my lesson rather well and don't spout of quite so loudly anymore on that score.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Paraphrasing Revjohn here...God's retribution was to call me into Ministry...

That cracked me up, Revjohn. Nothing like putting your life where your mouth is. I have so much admiration for courage...I wish heaps of it on you in this day and age of change and (hopefully) growth in our churches! That said, I would have done a beauty duck and weave!

When the original Battle Star Gallactica was on, my friends and I were devote watchers. I think we were in grade 5 or 6. We incorporated "frack" into our language and for a time it replaced the more vulgar word it was intended to replace in our vocabulary.

I used it at home as well. Once. My father caught wind of it and I was severely reprimanded. He said that if I am going to say frack I may as well say the other word and language like that was not acceptable. His rules went for frig as well. I only heard him use the "f" word once in my life.

I worked for a while on a ship and we often used curse words in normal conversation. I recall coming home from sea one day and telling my parents a story where the "f" word slipped out. Just from habit. I turned 10 shades of red but my father just laughed and ignored it. I never let it happen again.

Unfortunately, the word has become too commonplace in our language. I have used it far too often in front of my children and I am working on that. I have come a long way from my sailing days, I assure you of that.

abpenney,

Hi,

You wrote:

Nothing like putting your life where your mouth is.

Actually it is God putting my life where my mouth is. It is the difference between volunteering and being volunteerd.

I was pretty nimble and agile then but knew that I was toast.

When the mountain falls on you it doesn't matter if you can leap two metres in any direction. It you can leap a couple of hundred you have a chance. My only real choice would have been which direction I was facing when the mountain came down.

At any rate, somedays I think I got of amazingly light and then other days . . .I appreciate those who went before and fought lions, if only I had it so easy.

Grace and peace to you.

John