Blasphemy on <i>Xarabank</i>

Xarabank (TVM, November 7) was a regrettable foregone conclusion of blasphemy in Malta: the majority of the Maltese take the name of God in vain; swearing is not a grave sin; it is part of our culture; it is a frivolous habit which usually starts as self-assertion of one's maturity and ends up as an addiction.

But what's wrong with the blasphemy addict? He is just another kind of addict, like the drug addict, the work addict, the film addict, the sports addict, the book addict, and the alcoholic. After all he is a harmless creature who roams our roads, our supermarkets, our stadia, our workshops, and nightclubs. He is a frequent caller at Sunday Mass and dresses up for the spectacular Good Friday pageant. He even helps our 'economy' with the export of his 'wares' to various other foreign cities where the 'Qulla people' have settled down.

Whereas some of the local factory floor workers are being sacked, he makes good profit on his investment trust by selling his 'shares' to women and children alike. He has no guilt complex because he always has an excuse up his sleeve: a vicious upbringing, spiteful influencial friends, detestable working conditions, unexpected misfortunes, inadvertent manner of speaking.

Unfortunately, Xarabank's wandering talk very rarely spoke plainly about what swearing morally involves. I take off my hat to Mr Briguglio on the panel; it was in vain that Fr Joe Vassallo, OP, tried to emulate Fr Gerald Paris, OP, founder of Ix-Xirka ta' l-Isem Imqaddes t'Alla. More often than not Xarabank tried to minimise the blasphemer's culpability to the smallest possible offence by comparing it with that of a murderer. As if sins could be compared with one another.

Bluntly speaking, blasphemy goes against the second commandment of the Decalogue: "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Ex. 20:7; Dt. 5:11). Jesus said: "You have heard that it was said to men of old, 'You shall not swear flasely...' But I say to you, Do not swear at all." (Mt. 5:33-34).

How great the blasphemer's guilt is cannot be judged by us; however, one is morally accountable for one's blasphemous behaviour, just as one is for transgressing the fifth commandment, "Thou shall not kill". Comparisons here are odious, because love of neighbour cannot be separated from love of God. Yes, we can understand the repulsive action of Abel's murder by his brother Cain, but how can we visualise the serious offence of our abuse of speech in sacred matters unless we have the sense of the sacred.

The respect for God's name is an expression of the respect we owe to God Himself. This respect for the Lord's name is in direct proportion to our belief in Him, as Cardinal Newman said: "In proportion as we believe that He is present, we shall have the Christian feelings of fear and awe before Him; not to have these feelings is not to believe that He is present." (Sermons V, 2, pp. 21-22). Therefore God entrusts His name to those who believe in Him, and because His name is holy, man must not abuse it. He must cherish it in loving adoration by blessing, praising, and glorifying it. On the contrary, blasphemy consists in uttering against God words of hatred, reproach and defiance.

That is why Xarabank's impression was so negative and regrettable. Responsibility in producing this kind of programme does not only entail the absence of child viewers but also a morally balanced view by calling a spade a spade, becuase what is not good for the goose is not good for the gander. Since when should Paceville's youth be the criterion of our Christian morality? To show off their irresponsibility in religious matters, when asked about their opinion of the use of bad language, they just laughed it off, and the audience of the hall joined in. How disgusting!

In days gone by stevedores were renowned for their swearing. On being asked by a very religious clerk whether this bad habit could be possibly checked, the foreign chief manager wanted to put this thing to the vote; as if God's commandment could be voted off and let one swear to one's heart's content!

Another example of the lack of our sense of God's sanctity is the local mother's justification of her husband's irreverent talk in front of their innocent children by the common expression 'Dak diskors tal-kbar' (that's adults' talk). As if grown-ups have a right to offend God! Even worse, when a person I know drew another preson's attention to his blasphemous language against the Virgin Mary, the latter retorted 'Jaqaw, din tigi minnek?' (is she perhaps a relative of yours?), thus adding insult to injury. When asked by a psychiatrist who had taught him such foul language, a six-year-old replied 'my teacher' - a scapegoat for his father's behaviour; the teacher happened to be a member of the Legion of Mary.

St Augustine wrote: "God's name is holy when said with veneration and fear of offending Him." Excuses for swearing could be many. It could be a means of giving vent to one's excitement, or to one's anger, or to assert one's right of way on the road, or to intimidate a woman driver in a car accident, or to make one's point, or, as a member of the panel kept on repeating ad nauseam, that swearing is part of our culture, like our Maltese language, customs, civilisation, religion, and historical achievements. What a shame! Yes, Xarabank and X'gharukaza had much in common on that day!

The Book of Wisdom says: "For Wisdom is a kindly spirit and will not free a blasphemer from the guilt of his words."