hmm.

So, I had a friend ask me a few days ago why I do not have much of a problem saying things like: Oh my God. She thought I would since, yes, I do believe in God, and I go to church and so on. And truthfully, at the time I had no direct answer that would make any sense. So I said I would have to think about it. And, think about it I did. Truthfully I thought I would forget about it, but for some reason it has been continually on my mind. So. My answer is this: While I agree that God's name is reverent, and holy, and that it should be cherished and held higher than the average name, I also think that perhaps we tiptoe around his name to much. If God is love, do you really think that you will be struck by a lightening bolt when using his name in vain? However, I definitely have more to say on the subject. It does say in Exodus 20: 7: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." I think that people take this scripture verse far, far, far to literally. Basically anything can be using God's name in vain. For example, there are the sayings like: Oh my God, Jesus Christ, or God Damn, and so on that most Christians think abhorrent. But what about other things? Like: "God told me today that I should tell you that you need to stop working at Starbucks because you work with so many gay people, and since they are horrible people because they live in open sin, you won't be able to go to Heaven because you work with them." (that has happened to me by the way) Or how about the Crusades? Or, Catholic priests raping innocent little boys? Or the people who burned innocent woman who were supposedly witches, because God said so. Or, cults where the leader does horrible things under the name of God (Warren Jeff's anyone?) Besides those major things, there are others. Like, I only got that parking spot because I prayed and God magically moved the car that was there so I could have it (sarcastic yes, but people do believe stuff like that.) Maybe it's me and my lack of an innocent mind, but I really don't know if God cares about that stuff (call me hypocritical), maybe he does and I'm really really wrong. But if one really thinks about it, how on earth does that make sense?
I bring all these things up (and there are SO MANY more) to prove my point. While I agree we have to watch what we say, I don't think that saying Oh my God is the end of the world. I take that verse from Exodus like this: Do not do things in my name that deserve punishment. Do not hate, judge, or persecute people in my name. Do not abuse people in my name, just because you think they are wrong. I think that what God was trying to say was: These are my people, my precious, imperfect humans, and just because you think that you know better, does not mean that you are allowed to use my name in order to bash others into the ground.
So, while my answer could be called vague and hypocritical, for myself I have definitely been challenged by that question, and for once in my life, I am relatively content with my answer.