A recent series on words at church dealt with the power, impact and meaning of words. It reminded me of a story that featured this headline at Yahoo News.

Swearing at work boosts ‘team spirit, morale’

Wouldn’t it be interesting to be at that pep rally?

“Yea *&^%$#@ Team! Bleep, Bleep, Bleep!” Whooeeeee!!! (Jump in air…extend arms) Bleep!

The story outlined the study.

Regular swearing at work can help boost team spirit among staff, allowing them to express better their feelings as well as develop social relationships, according to a study by researchers. Yehuda Baruch, a professor of management at the University of East Anglia, and graduate Stuart Jenkins studied the use of profanity in the workplace and assessed its implications for managers.

They assessed that swearing would become more common as traditional taboos are broken down, but the key appeared to be knowing when such language was appropriate and when to turn to blind eye.

The pair said swearing in front of senior staff or customers should be seriously discouraged or banned, but in other circumstances it helped foster solidarity among employees and express frustration, stress or other feelings.

I am calling bovine excrement on that research. I live in a profane, obscenity laced profession. In my regular job of sports television production the “f”-bombs fly in a way that would constitute “shock and awe” for most Christians. I do not use any of the seven words that formerly were never said on TV. My reason is largely unrelated to my faith. Although I am always reminded of Paul’s incredibly annoying challenge in Ephesians.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4)

But on a professional level I think that language is an issue of civility and intelligence. Using words that are offensive to some demonstrates bad manners and a worse vocabulary. I dislike “second hand cursing” as much as second hand smoke. You know what I am talking about. You are stuck in public with really loud cell phone guy who is “boosting the office team spirit” with a very loud and profanity laced tirade. I am not interested in hearing his or sometimes her  five word vocabulary. Or you find yourself seated by “we really know sports guys” as they do a blue play by play for the entire game. When obscenity becomes a habit it is hard to limit such words to “appropriate” times. They just slip out because such language becomes habit.

Some say that any words other than taking the Lord’s name in vain are merely words. There is some truth to that. Jesus made it clear that what is in our heart is really the issue. So if you have profanity in your heart you might as well let’er rip. Right? Paul again moves from meditation to meddling with some more words to the church at Ephesus.