Is "hell" a swear word to you guys? Yes or No?

[Malibustyle23]

It was?!?? I missed that one.

Apparently according to google it was in Cars as well. Lightning McQueen says I am in Hillbilly Hell. Kinda disappointing in Disney that it has appeared in two recent movies even if I can't remember hearing it in either now. Neither are movies that I watch continuously or have memorized though.

I don't want either of my kids to say it at the age they are currently at so yes it is a bad word in our house.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I saw it mentioned near the beginning, and I will agree that it depends on the context in which it is used.

 

[DawnM]

Wow, this is an old thread resurrected. Maybe resurrected from Hades?

 

[Mac4life30]

No is not

 

[Wishing on a star]

NO, not around here... not unless really used as such.
It is just an expression... and we can be pretty, well, 'expressive'!

BTW: If I could just throw this in here, just for consideration, no intention to start any religious discussion, as they are banned here. Personally, we do not believe in hell, as in the common association of the word in a religious sense. Can not find anything to back it up.

OMG!!! This is an old thread...
I didn't even notice when I hit reply.
I must need another cup of coffee this morning!!!!

 

[MrsDuck]

If you say the word in a sentence or such... Of course not.

If you tell someone to go there... It is not exactly a compliment.

Exactly!

 

[ceemys]

Depends on how it is used. If it is in our bible discussion and we are talking about where Satan lives, then we can say it but to say it out of anger...it is not allowed and considered a swear word.

 

[meggiebeth]

If you are talking about 'hell' in the 'heaven/hell' context, then no. If you are saying it as an exclamation like 'what the ...' then yes, I think it is a swear word.

 

[cobright]

Maybe that is simply because his accent was so atrocious...

He attempted a ****ney accent right?

 

[shortbun]

Context is everything regarding Hell/hell. It is one of the words I edited out of my vocabulary when my son was little. I do not consider it a swear word though, just off color or impolite in genteel company. That said, I have a pretty complete list of words that I'd like not to say but I say them anyway. My son is 18 and he heard me utter one of them for the first time this summer; he laughed when I apologized. The only time I've ever heard him swear was when he was 3 and repeating something he had heard. I managed not to laugh and quietly said, "that is not a nice word."

 

[mr.bungle]

I don't believe in swear words. It seems like these days people are far too sensitive to words. I see nothing wrong with "swear" words or "bad" words.

Sticks and stones, people.

 

[minnie mum]

Oh hell no. Well maybe. Umm?? Depends too much on context, as many PPs have said. When used to denote a particular place that some religions believe exists, then no. When used as an expetive?? I suppose it depends on the person. I'm sure that some who hold particularly strong religious beliefs may consider the usage profane. Personally, I just think of it as common or vulgar and really not up there with anything that is censor-worthy.

 

[ilovepcot]

I can't imagine anyone past the age of 11 even contemplating this.

 

[Sorsha]

I don't believe in swear words. It seems like these days people are far too sensitive to words. I see nothing wrong with "swear" words or "bad" words.

Sticks and stones, people.

Exactly.

We teach our children that most words are just words. They mean nothing until someone assigns a context/appropriateness to them.

That said, we teach them that words have their place. If you are in the garage and you hit your thumb with a hammer, then be my guest, say whatever word makes you feel better. If, however, you are having tea with your grandmother, that probably isn't the best place for those same words if you slosh tea in your lap. Know your location; words that you can use at home, in your room, in the neighborhood with your friends may not be acceptable around your friend's mom, with elderly persons, in school, if you attend a church function with a friend, etc.

The only words that are absolutely banned from use in our house are words that refer in a derogatory fashion to someone's race, sexual orientation, religion, or handicaps.

As always, "And ye harm none, do as ye will."

 

[Micca]

I don't know about "swear words." Nearly any word is ok around me and many people I know. I recognize that there are words that many are less comfortable with and I'd refrain from using such terms around those people (includes terms not suitable for children.) Around adults, I don't see a problem with "hell."

 

[Minnesota!]

No, I do not. I don't consider damn or *** or ***** to be, either.

 

[JenM]

I don't believe in swear words. It seems like these days people are far too sensitive to words. I see nothing wrong with "swear" words or "bad" words.

Sticks and stones, people.

And forget "hell", I went to see The Wolverine a few weeks ago and there was a summer camp at our show because it was raining. The kids were about 12-13, and their biggest cheer/laugh went up when Wolverine dropped the f-word at a ninja.

I know there are folks who would have an issue with that word being used in a PG-13 movie or that a summer camp took the kids to see it, but I thought that was pretty hilarious.

 

[cobright]

More important to me is how effectively that word is used to communicate the intended message.

Sometimes profanity is the only way to get across to a person just exactly what you feel inside. Sometimes it isn't.

A secondary concern is appropriateness to the audience. Some venues don't care how you really feel, they want the theater of politeness from you.

The last thing I want to do is create stigmatize some list of words and have my children afraid to use them no matter what.

Here's what I heard at a friends house when their child was trying to tell them something important,

"Mr. Flannel had some movies on TV that were gross and had bad words about a girl..."

"Wait, what? What was it?"

"I'm not supposed to talk about it." (note:This is when my daddy sonar went PING)

"Just gross stuff and bad words. And they were making the girl do gross stuff."

"What bad words?"

"I'm not supposed to say them."

It was frustrating as hell because in my house an explicit description of exactly what had been said and shown to my kids would not have involved the 30 minutes of teeth pulling that ultimately occurred.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

It was used in a G-Rated Disney movie in 1959 when Maleficent screamed that unforgettable taunt.... "And now you face me, oh Prince, and all the forces of HELL!"

I consider it a swear word in certain contexts, but not in that context. In that context I see Maleficent referring to forces that literally come from Hell.

 

[cousinbb]

As a Christian I find that word to be very vulgar used in the swearing context. Like telling someone to go to heck..yikes, I hate that. I put it right up there with using the Lord's name in vain, that makes me cringe, too.

I'm on the same page as this person .