Euphemizing Sin  
 

by David Diestelkamp

Eu-phe-mism - the use of a word or phrase that is less expressive or direct but considered less distasteful, less offensive, etc., than another. (Webster's New World College Dictionary)

Is there anything black and white anymore? Is something ever always right and never wrong or something clearly wrong and never right? As we struggle with this as a society, at the heart of the problem lies terminology. Sin is not sin anymore--it is an oversight, an understandable misstep, an expression of humanity ("I'm only human you know!"). While the world marches on in even more graphic (even pornographic) public portrayal and advocacy of sin, Christians are denied the right to label it as sin.

Ever wonder what the works of the flesh of Galatians 5:19-21 would look like if written by someone schooled only by our modern culture? Do you recognize some of the following?

Adultery - fooling around, sleeping around, fling, affair, serial monogamy, open marriage.

Fornication - sexually active, significant other, fooling around, making love, partners in parenting (surrogacy), different sexual preference, different sexual orientation, alternative lifestyle.

Uncleanness (impurity) - man of the world, experienced, going for the gusto.

Lasciviousness (sensuality) - sexy, freedom of expression, artistic expression, stylish, hot.

Idolatry - everyone must find their own way to God, don't judge other religions, new age.

Witchcraft (sorcery) - new age, experimenting in the occult, channeling, psychic, astrology.

Hatred (enmities) - hard feelings, dislike, bias, discrimination, reverse discrimination.

Variance (strife) - having it my way, disagreement, not seeing eye-to-eye.

Emulations (jealousy) - my needs, spread the wealth, I want a piece of the action.

Wrath (outbursts of anger) - road rage, lose your cool, blowing off steam, expressing frustration over injustices of society.

Strife (disputes) and Seditions (dissensions) - personality clash, just don't get along.

Heresies (factions) - open minded, different perspective, religiously open, innovative idea, free thinking.

Envyings - keeping up with the Jones's, economically successful, upwardly mobile.

Murder - pro choice, terminating a pregnancy, selective reduction, mercy killing, right to die.

Drunkenness - high, feeling good, escaping reality, relaxing, unwinding, had a little too much, victim of society, victim of inherited tendencies, a disease.

Revelries (carousing) - partying, dances.

Such like (and things like these) - what is politically correct.

I am not saying that the above euphemisms always have a fleshly connotation, but they are probably used this way more than you think. Tune your ears to them and you will be surprised how often you hear them on TV, at work, at school, etc. (you should be surprised how often you don't notice them).

Isaiah the prophet warned, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isa. 5:20). Do even we get sucked in by less offensive words so that evil doesn't seem quite so evil anymore? When we hear about these things, do we think, "That's sin"? When we actually see them in any form do we say, "That's wrong"?

I saw a bumper sticker that said, "If you aren't outraged, you don't know what's going on!" Where is the outrage over sin today? How can we "abhor what is evil" (Rom. 12:9) if we soften and excuse it by the very terms we use to describe it? To be God's people we must talk like God, not like the world.

 

 

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