Letter to the Editor recently:

Increasingly common

My wife and I recently attended a performance of Moonlight and Magnolias at Twin City Stage ("Movie Stage," Sept. 13). What we were hoping for was a wholesome comedy. What we experienced was a profanity-laced production that made frequent use of a variety of obscene language.

This is the type of language that is becoming increasingly common not only at Twin City Stage and in movie theaters, but also throughout our society.

A sewage pond is not pleasant to smell. Most people would try to avoid being anywhere near it. Yet, it seems as if many people in our society today don't mind hearing — and even speaking — obscenities.

Ephesians 4:29 instructs us to "let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth."

Likewise, Colossians 3:8 instructs us to rid ourselves of "filthy language out of your mouth."

It would be no stretch to assume these biblical passages also imply that Christians shouldn't casually stand by and listen to such language when it is spoken by others. Such language not only contaminates the person who is speaking, but may also contaminate those who are listening to it. Consider what the psalmist says in Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."

How pleased God would be if each of us tried to honor him through the words we speak and the words to which we listen.

HARVEY E. ARMOUR
Winston-Salem

Ah, vox populli.

My favorite paragraph starts:

It would be no stretch to assume these biblical passages also imply that Christians shouldn't casually stand by and listen to such language when it is spoken by others.

"No stretch to assume these biblical passages also imply…?"  In other words, he's saying the Bible commands him to condemn, although it actually doesn't.

People like Mr. Armour drive me nuts.  It's not his objection to foul language.  It's his supposition that we all must conform to his sensiblities.  I call it the "prude veto".  Mr. Armour can choose to live his life as he chooses, and take whatever steps he needs to avoid the cesspool of language which offends him so.  There are off buttons on remote controls.  There are knowledgeable people at the theater who can tell you language content.  But to sanitize all things — especially all entertainment — to cater to the the likes of Mr. Armour is simply ludicrous.

People, in this country, you're allowed to clutch your pearls and swoon onto the fainting couch.  You're not allowed to make other people do that.  It's one thing to ask people to respect your religion; quite another to ask them to respect your taboos.