Should Pastors Use Profanity?
Gavin Ortlund
21.36
15 August 2025
25 November 2025
In this video, Gavin Ortlund addresses the growing normalization of profanity and ungodly speech among Christians, urging them to follow the Bible’s call to speak with humility, grace, and integrity.
Here is the first quote referenced in the video: "Misogynistic Rhetoric: Wilson uses derogatory terms for women, including “cunts,” “harpies,” “crones,” “lumberjack dykes,” “twinkies in tight tops,” “waifs with manga eyes,” and “small breasted biddies.” His 2020 novel Ride, Sally, Ride, about a sex robot, includes graphic content with terms like “pussy” and references to “over-topped bustiers” and “blonde bombosity.” He obsesses over women’s breasts, claims women were made to “make the sandwiches,” and equates promiscuous women to “useless locks” while describing promiscuous men as “master keys.”
Clearly Reformed article: https://clearlyreformed.org/on-culture-war-doug-wilson-and-the-moscow-mood/
Truth Unites (https://truthunites.org) exists to promote gospel assurance through theological depth.
Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites, Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary, and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.
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00:00 - Growing Polarization
00:46 - Ungodly Speech in Conservatism
03:46 - "You're Attacking the Wrong Side!"
06:31 - "What about Jesus and Paul (and Elijah and Ezekiel?)"
07:14 - Biblical Gravity vs. Modern Glibness
10:24 - We’re Not Jesus, Paul, Elijah, or Ezekiel!
12:52 - The Extremes Are Not the General Model
15:02 - Some Speech Is Always Wrong
16:52 - Cultural Pressure Increases, Not Decreases, the Need for Godly Speech
18:46 - Imagine Jesus Is in the Room
20:50 - Closing Thoughts
