Saying the Lord's name in vain is offensive to many people, says John McWhorter. A recent paper suggests that swearing may be a way of showing your disdain or irreverence for a shared enemy. The written word was once more buttoned up maybe with a carnation lapel than it is today where we have the linguistic equivalent of sweatpants. There does seem to be a kind of dissolution of faith in the traditions and institutions that were at once in history held sacred.