Is it just me, my age and CofE upbringing or does anyone else find the use of O.M.G offensive. There, you see I don’t like to actually use it and never have done.
It is blasphemous after all. I know it is in common use but I can’t help it, I don’t like it.
I just spotted an enormous one on the front page and I showed it to Bob, my husband and remarked that I know it isn’t intended to be but I actually do find it offensive.
Probably just me… I’ll go back to my snoozing while Bob watches the football.
I have to admit that I don’t like it - I tend to type ‘oh my goodness’ if I want some sort of phrase like that. I do find that on FB and forums (not this one, others I am on) OMG (oh my God) is often used by those who are not in the slightest way religious and who mock others religion. If you don’t believe in any sort of God why use phrases like this? Sadly I also think there are many who have no idea what the initials stand for (same with may initialised phrases now) and use them blindly. It would probably annoy them if they realised I read their constant ‘OMG!s’ as 'Oh My Goodness’es LOL!
Depends what it stands for. As a pagan, I see it as Oh My Gods (plural), as an appeal to the gods to save me from the current madness! I have an athiest friend who says “Oh My Dog” instead.
The English language is a wonderful colourful thing, and while I personally dont like words being misappropriated, it is the way the language evolves.
I understand that some people will be offended by words, phrases, or abbreviations that others see as perfectly fine. In America, the word ‘handicapped’ is seen as OK to describe disabled people and facilities, whereas in the UK and generally in Europe, a lot of disabled people are offended by it.
On one of the BBC Question Time programmes, a politician was speaking and used ‘handicapped’ several times. He obviously had no idea that it could cause offence, and clearly was using the word to talk about an important issue.
There is a fine line between what is seen as ‘political correctness’ and causing genuine hurt and distress to some people in society.
I put OMG in the same category as LOL, where it can be interpreted as meaning several things to different people. I hate such abbreviations and never, ever, use them in emails or texts.
I’d like to point out that OMG has a far more offensive counterpart beginning with W and LOL has it’s own offensive counterpart too. These seem to be in far more common usage than the less offensive expressions. This might be because by initialing them people think that makes them less offensive. I just think that it doesn’t reflect well on the person that uses them and as such, I’m not that offended.
I don’t find OMG offensive, but was slightly shocked to log on to folksy today and see a photo of a keyring bearing the legend ‘you’re a knob’ !!
Ellie
Personally, I don’t find anything like that offensive. I don’t see the point in getting upset about words/phrases people choose to use.
Quite a lot of the time people just use certain words and phrases because they aren’t sure what else to say- but also, considering the globalised world we live in- we pick up words and phrases from all over and use them how we fancy so they evolve so quickly now. That’s the beauty of language in my opinion.
Unless someone says something to me, on purpose to upset me- I’m not fussed.
I always thought I was not easily offended and whilst I personally try to avoid such expressions I do accept that the are now part of every day usage. I was therefore surprised to find myself quite shocked to come across an item for sale on Folksy with a phrase using the word beginning with F! Maybe I’m getting old!
Yes, it’s offensive as it’s blasphemous. I tend to read it in my head as Oh my goodness instead. I have no idea why a lot of people seem to use it so readily.
It’s using God’s name in vain, that’s what blasphemy is. If you use God’s name in prayer that’s fine, because you are talking to him, but using it randomly as an exclamation when you’re not actually talking to or about Him is misuse of His name.
Hhmm…I don’t find it offensive either. I use it as well. Actually, I use both (God and Goodness) whichever comes in mind first. I suppose we hear it so often and we use it out of habit.
I think people use the word God without thinking. i.e. God knows, God willing, may your God go with you, oh God yes. In these days where church congregations are diminishing, the name of God still is in everyday language, which is I suppose a blessing. Marg.
It seems the word God is seen as something negative.
Blasphemy seems a bit unfair as it implies God is being used negatively outside of prayer whenever it is uttered. Why cant the phrase be considered a small prayer in itself?
I always feel the phrase is referring to the individuals God who is stating the phrase, therefore they can say the phrase if they like.
I hate it and would never use it because as a Christian God is very important to me. I don’t think people mean it to be offensive, they don’t even think about it probably so I don’t really take offence. The worst thing is when it comes out of the mouths of 6 year olds who have learnt it from adults. I hear it regularly at school and it makes me cringe.
I don’t use it and cringe when I hear other people use it.
oh and WTF doesn’t stand for ‘wow that’s fantastic’ but I try to read it as such as I know what it does stand for.
I dislike any kind of foul language myself I often wonder do you kiss your mother with that potty mouth, when I hear people use profanity as nearly every other word.
LOL means ‘Laughing Out Loud’ used to express the that you fine something funny or are laughing at yourself, but some use it for ‘Lots Of Love’.
We’ve had discussions on here recently about the trademarking of words and phrases. I have Gods in my belief system. If I say “oh my God” I am referring to mine, so it can’t be blasphemous. There could be Christians who say it and refer to their God, just as Grimm says, as a kind of appeal or appreviated prayer.
There are so many interpretations of religious doctrine, it’s very difficult to be certain what someone else might mean. Better I think to be sure of what we mean individually.
