Tennis Tournament and God's Name

We have girls in our church who play tennis. Yesterday my husband suggested we watch them play in a tournament that included three other rural community schools. As the girls and coaches gathered on the court for introductions and rules, we couldn't help but notice an interesting one. Along with being told that spectators have to be 10 feet away from the fence and coaches only could be on the sidelines of the court, the players were informed that they could not take the Lord's name in vain. Wait...what?

I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised. I don't like hearing people swear. Granted, there are times when only certain words fit a situation such as extreme pain (think catching your finger in the door) or incredible frustration, but overall, there really isn't a reason for general cursing, swearing and using profanity. Some people speak this way out of habit. Others, use it just to be perceived as tough, cool, or because they want to fit in with a group who speaks that way. But why do people use the name of God or Jesus Christ to swear? In Michigan, where many Muslims live, I never heard anyone damn anything by Allah or just say Mohammed as a swear word. Trust me, if you did that in Dearborn, you would have need to be concerned for yourself. In West Bloomfield, I never heard anyone use Yahweh in a way that was irreverent. But for some reason, people just use God or Jesus Christ in ways that are not prayerful or in discussion about their faith. I strike it up to bigotry against Christianity, or lack of sensitivity to be aware that it offends many, much like racial slurs offend.

But, back to the tennis match. Never, in the suburbs, did I ever hear a sports official address this specifically. In some respects, it is sad that high school students (and I'm also assuming their parents) have to be reminded of sportsmanlike language. On the other hand, the official could have just said, "No swearing or using offensive language." But I appreciate that he thought it important to remind all of us that even when things do not go our way, we have a choice in what words we choose to use. This rural community still honors traditional standards of many who live here. While not everyone believes in God, at least I've noticed that they have a tolerance for those who do.