According to “Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition”, “curse: The expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc. befall a person, group, etc.” On the other hand “foul 1) grossly offensive, to the senses, disgustingly loathsome, noisome to the senses, disgustingly loathsome.”
It irritates the Watchdog to hear the “f” word used indiscriminately and repeatedly; some individual show a want for adjectives and adverbs.
But the Watchdog is sufficiently steeped in religion tradition to be more offended by someone saying “God damn you” than “f- -k you.”
The former implies an invocation to the All Mighty, Great Sprit, Jehovah, God, Jesus, Allah, or what have you to cause harm in this world or the next. The latter is but an expression of irritation and disdain.
I agree with you in the respect that some individuals use the “f” word far too much and need to find other ways of expressing their disdain. I also admit that there are times when I use it and use it far too much, something I am trying to move away from.
I think, however, that the phrase “curse word” or “cursing” does stem from religious tradition that such words that are considered foul were a curse coming from a Christian’s lips. I am not at all a religious person, so I am not attempting to leave out or narrow in on any religious group, I am simply thinking of religious history and the history of those in the past who were easily offended by such words. Even today, there are people highly offended on a religious level because it seems, in my opinion, all they cling to for sanity is their religion.
My thought process tends to go back to the Civil War era/post-Civil War era in the Old West which is a time I love to read about, watch movies about, etc. It was not out of the question for even the simple phrase “damn”, regardless of God being in front of it or not, was considered blasphemous. So I am sure that, at one time, the term of cursing was relegated as being a curse and only said by those considered to be sinners.