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Yup I Cuss


So I’m adding to the “I’m a Christian and I cuss” wagon. However, I’ve gotten several reactions from people about that sound about like “OMG and you’re a minister??!!??” Yes I’m a minister. Yes I went to seminary. Yes I have a piece of paper that states I have a masters of divinity. People seem to think that I need to rise above all mortal ills/sins/trappings and be this flawless person.  My gut reaction to this is to tell people to go “fly a kite.” The reality of the situation is that I’m human. I get mad, upset, pissed off, annoyed just like the rest of you. I also get happy, joyful, funny, romantic, quiet, etc. And while I’ve put in my time of saying the right things and trying to look like I have all of my stuff together the honest truth of the situation is that just like you I don’t have all of my stuff together. Let me be clear – I AM NOT PERFECT NOR DO I PRETEND TO BE. Sorry to disappoint those who would like to think that their clergy are perfect little Jesus’/Buddhas/Moses’/etc. We’re not and I’d be really skeptical of anyone who pretends to be. So yes I cuss when I feel that that is how I need to express myself. I’d rather get it out of my body so I can make efforts to move on. I’d rather be clear about my feelings and own them as mine then to try to cover them up and ignore them. I’d rather that you see my humanness then for me to try to create an illusion that I’m convinced most people see right through anyhow. Let me also say that I don’t support people who seem to have limited their vocabulary to using a cuss word every other word. To me that’s just plan ignorance. That’s doing it because you can, not because you’re really expressing a feeling or yourself clearly. That is a whole separate issue. So back to being a “Christian and I cuss” – if I haven’t already offended you just know that I might in the future. If I’ve totally rocked your idea of a pastor then I’m okay with that because there’s room for all of us pastors and I’m sure that if me cussing means that I’m not your pastor that there will be plenty of other people who are more than happy to be your pastor. But don’t put your pastor up on a pedestal that they really shouldn’t be on. The fall is hard for everyone.

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