I dislike bad language. If individuals have been blocked on my social media pages, 9 times out of 10 it will be because of bad language. I also despise hearing my Lord's name taken in vain, and when they use the man who died on the cross for my sins in a disparaging way, it literally turns my stomach.
And where do I hear it? Everywhere. Bad language fills the airwaves, social media, the workplace—everywhere. Blasphemy too. From the ‘lips of babes’ to the working man and woman. BBC presenters, Lords to ladies, pop stars to film stars, everywhere.
So why do I write this? Well, it appears that if anyone makes a misogynistic comment, they are vilified immediately. Say a racist comment, the same. Comment negatively on any member of society who identifies as LGBTQ the same. Black, Asian, same again. Dare to take Allah's name in vain, and there is outrage.
But us Christians are just meant to suck it up. Well, I’ve had enough. So we have two choices: we either call each other out for poor language, or we treat Christians the same as any other group. You take my Lord's name in vain, and we’ll send the police round, shall we?
There will be no room in prison. Fine, let all the rapists and murderers out and lock up all the blasphemers.
Will this happen? Of course not. Why? Because it is stupid. Just like sacking employees and sending the police around to every idiot who talks poorly in front of any colleague—male, female, black, white, straight, gay, able-bodied, or not. But does that mean we should not call it out? Again, of course not.
In my office in Parliament and in my office in my day job before I was an MP—and now that I am not—I don’t hear it. Why? Because I don’t allow it. I don’t allow it in my work, my home, or my car. I tolerate it elsewhere to a degree, but I often call it out too. However, I don’t think the police are the answer.
So what is? Have a zero-tolerance attitude yourself. Call it out immediately when you hear it in your workplace—every time, all the time. If we do, it will stop. Our girls and women will feel safer, our minority groups will feel cherished, and Christians everywhere will feel obliged too.
Free speech is imperative, but poor speech should be dealt with—not by the state, but by us all.
