Good question. I never thought of it that way. I am a Christian and I do think it's wrong to say GD, but I just don't think it's very reverent to say, "oh my god." and I try not to say it. Some people probably think what you asked because now a-days, God is what we call Him, so to us, God is His name. Hope that helps and is understandable.

I have thought long and hard about this. I do frequent the "oh, my God" but I don't mean it like that. I'm thinking that saying in frustration, anger, etc (it's hurting me to type this) the name of God or Jesus is taking the name in vain.

I am agnostic and I use "oh my god", "Jesus Christ" and other religiously related things quite often (prob too often)! I see them more as variations on a theme and a lot politer than "Holy sÆ?#" (whoops there is another one! Also when you write it down, if you do not intend to use the term god as a name, as stated in the question, then do not capitalise the G. :)

1. It trivializes Christianity or any other God-based religion. Few Christians use this in common speech. 2. It demeans the person using the phrase displaying their lack of expressive vocabulary.

In my belief, God is the only god, no matter what His true name is, when I speak of God or a god, He knows I am refering to Him because He is the only one. So, therefore, if I am using a reference to Him casually, or as a curse for hitting my thumb with a hammer, or excitement over a Birthday present, that is blasphemy. It is like when I was a kid, when I said "Dad", my dad knew I was talking about him because he was the only dad I had. If I said, "Dad is a liar", he would know the insult was to him and as my dad never lied to us, he would be insulted, hurt and angered. And my sister would run and tell on me and I would be in big trouble.

The distinction between name and title you draw is largely irrelevant. This is especially true for books where the "name" of a book is also called its "title". Furthermore, it is highly questionable whether any word we use to refer to God is anything but titular. However, we treat such titles as God has with reverence and respect. Hence, the capital 'G' and the desire to treat the title as sacred. Our modern idea of names is rather skewed. Originally names were very clearly titles. People's names had meanings which other people readily understood. Nowadays a name is just supposed to sound pretty and some of us feel it is some kind of exalted magic word which is bound to our identity, others think of them as serial numbers. They partake of both, but are really neither.

The LORD abundantly that title "God" to identify Himself (Gn. 1:1ff), and thus does not simply relegate it to a "title" as you do. Nor did He see fit to give us in Scripture the consonantal version for YHVH, but provides the name we are saved, healed and baptized by (see below). Taking God's name in vain is a form of "identity theft, and is not simply invoking His identity to your curses, but is doing anything in which you invoke His identity (whether it be His title "God" which He uses, or a more proper name, as Jesus Christ), to validate something, words or actions, but which are really YOUR words or deeds, and are not done in order to honor or act for Him. There are many false ministries and grouopsm, such as "Jehovah"s Witnesses (http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/TheBIBLEandSoCalledJEHOVAHS-WITNESSES.html), which are clearly guilty of this. For a man who is not a law enforcement official and or not acting in accordance with the authority behind it, to claim to be doing something "in the name of the law", would be taking the name of the law in vain. and "the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain" (Exo 20:7). Finally, seeking salvation through any other name than that which God declares is taking His name in vain (which we all have done), for "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12), (1 Pet 3:18) "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" (Acts 3:19) "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"

The word GOD is a symbol for a word we do not know. It is not a title. It is a translation of the Greek and the Hebrew. The translators chose a word that was common to the reading generation at the time. They chose a word that was easy to understand. Easy to spell. Easy to give a definition for. Surely there was a word before the word GOD even existed that we could use to be more accurate. Yahweh is just a guess of what The Creator's name might be. YHWH is four letters and four syllables. not two syllables. Yahweh and God are equal in meaning because they are symbols of a word, a name that no one knows. And I ask why is that, when so many christians claim to have a personal relationship with GOD. Surely they would know His Name. The name could be RA, the Egyptian Sun God. It could be ALLAH. Personally I would think His Name would be a long name, perhaps it would take a year to say it completely speaking day and night, twenty four hours a day. Never saying the same word twice. The One who created the Universe as we know it. Surely His Name is not just one word with four syllables.

Some people think that using the phrase, "Oh my God" as an exclamation and is taking God's Name in vain because it is the beginning three words of a catholic prayer which is as follows: Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because I have offended thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen. People that hear those three words and know the prayer, think that the speaker should know better than to speak without responsibility. The word GOD in the OMG phrase, clearly represents the God of the Bible. That word is a symbol for the Creator of the Universe. A symbol for a name no one seems to know. Hardly a title. Hearing the OMG phrase is offensive to someone who loves God and worships God, and realizes just how important God is in our individual lives. http://www.student.ipfw.edu/~newman/prayers.htm

Firstly the use of someone else's "name". This is to use or rely upon someone else's authority. It is worth noting in passing that insurance policies sometimes include a clause which enables the insurer to undertake litigation "in the name" of the person insured. What this means is that the insurer can take a case to court as if they were the insured. The second unfamiliar idea is taking that name "in vain". The Hebrew word for "in vain" may equally well be translated "in falsehood". Hence the text of Exodus 20:7 becomes: "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in falsehood; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in falsehood". This is clearer in meaning than the words "in vain", and begins to reveal a wide application. The use of God's name in swearing by God's name, implicit in Exodus 20:7, is made explicit in Leviticus 19:12: "And you shall not swear by my name falsely and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD" - the Living One who sees what is happening and judges. People forget that God sees all, and think it does not really matter if they tell lies. But God will not hold such people guiltless: He will exercise vengeance (Hebrews 10:30). False swearers will come under judgement, and swiftly (Malachi 3:5). Hebrews 6:16 tells us that "Men swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation". This has been common practice throughout the ages. The idea is that if you invoke someone greater and more powerful than you, that person becomes responsible for ensuring you carry out your oath. It relies on the fearful prospect that the greater person will bring you to justice and punish you if you default on your oath, because you have damaged his reputation, by swearing an oath falsely (by using his name in connection with something which is not fulfilled). Not only will the greater person punish you, but he also acts as a guarantor who will perform the oath in order to clear his own name. Exodus 20:7 makes it clear that the LORD will step in with judgement if He is brought into disrepute in this way. The third commandment is a reminder to Israel not to abuse the privilege of being allowed to use God's name as a surety - in the contemporary treaties, the people were permitted to swear by the name of the king. In light of the above, when Jesus came, He fulfilled the Old Testament Law and we are no longer under it. That is why He said this----- Matthew 5:33-37 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ 34 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36 “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil." I hope this helped.

Oh my God is a prayer not blasphemy

Good question. Which is more real, the Name or the Reality which the Name signifies? Check out Nominalism and Realism in a good philosophical dictionary or encyclopedia. What does it mean to separate the sacred from the profane? Some people just need to get a sense of humor.

blasphemy!!!! LOL like oh em gee! Yh, when people say God they don't really think of God, it's just to emphasize the importance/extent of the situation...

There is only one true GOD and to take His name or title in vain is blasphemy.

Because they believe their mothers and grandmothers, and don't bother to read (or at least interpret) the Bible for themselves.

"In vain" means without purpose. That implies identifying oneself as his follower but without total spiritual commitment. In the Old Testament, he is named as God Adonai El Elohenu Elohim (which is plural) Jahveh I Am The Lord thy God Giving the different contexts in which these names/titles are used, and the behaviour of the deity in question, it looks like seven different gods to me. Or eight if you want The Son to be a god. Or nine if you include the Holy Spirit.

"O God" = "YA ALAAH" (in Aramaic: the mother tongue language of Jesus. Also as pronounced in Arabic by Muslims) Check it here in this Christian website (hear it with your own ears) http://www.learnassyrian.com/aramaic/church/church.html "My God" = "Elahi" (in Aramaic: the mother tongue language of Jesus. Also as pronounced in Arabic by Muslims) Hear it with your own ears in this clip from the passion of christ Movie, it is a christian video (at the minute 3:36) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAQ_9LnUqik Who does the Real historical Messiah call his God? ALLAH (Alaha, EL Lah) is the highest name of God of Abraham in Aramaic and Hebrew which the Messiah Son of man used and when translated from Hebrew to English it is written as EL Lah which stands for LIVING GOD in Hebrew or to be more precise, THE ETERNALLY LIVING One, that alone encompasses all Godly attributes. Now the name can differ in writing but when correctly pronounced it is the SOUND which matters.