"Bastard" as a pejorative: soon to vanish?

[chaplainM]

With 40% of US babies now born to unwed parents, I wonder if the term, "bastard" will eventually fall out of popular usage.

[MrSlayer]

1. Nah, most people don't know its true meaning anyway.

They only know it as an insult.

[Captain Hilts]

4. True. nt

[HeresyLives]

2. You mean it's BEEN in use all this time???

[chaplainM]

8. Heheheh. Yes.

Look at the list of Oscar® nominated films.

[mitchum]

3. Not as long as I am alive

[aikoaiko]

5. As a metaphor it will be around a long time.

Even as attitudes to children born to unwed parents improve greatly.

[Chemisse]

6. I think we'll stick with it

It's original meaning has been forgotten by many. Now it is just a nice word for those who like to vary their cussing so as not to always use the same boring words.

[Political_Junkie]

7. No, it's just another insult now.

When I had my son back in 1987 it was still considered a horrible thing to have a child out of wedlock. I knew how cruel people could be and how that word was thrown around so much, so I taught him that it was nothing to be ashamed of. To this day he laughs at anyone who calls him that and says, "That's not my fault, it's hers!" and points at me! No one can insult you if you don't accept the insult.

[Hekate]

9. It'll stay on as an insult, but not in the same way. nt

[ZombieHorde]

10. Oh, I thought people were calling me a bass turd all this time. nt

[Xipe Totec]

11. My children are bastards

Although my wife an I are married, we did not marry in church. As far as the Catholic church is concerned, my wife and I are not wed, so they are bastards in the eyes of the church.

[happyslug]

17. Bastard was a legal term not a Religious term

Under the Common Law a bastard could not inherit from EITHER parent. In the 1800s it was permitted for a bastard to inherit from his or her mother, and in the late 20th century, in most states, he or she was permitted to inherit from either parent as if born in wedlock.

The Catholic Church only impediment to illegitimate Children is that they can not enter any religious orders without first getting some sort of dispensation (which can include a ruling that a "bastard" is legitimate in the eyes of the Church).

Good piece on this in the 1912 Catholic Encyclopedia:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02579b.htm

I believe the Catholic Church has adopted a different view since the publication of the above encyclopedia. The only reference to illegitimacy in the Code of Canon law is as follows (The canon law was re-written under John-Paul II):
Canon 1140 of the Code of Canon law says "As regards canonical effects, legitimated children are equal in all things to legitimate ones unless the law has expressly provided otherwise."
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P43.HTM

Since the 1912 Catholic Encyclopedia, things changed radically (for a 2000 year old institution) under Vatican II in the 1960s, so the ban on illegitimate joining religious orders (without a wavier) seems to have been revoked. The main reason for the difference, the dumping of illegitimate children on the church, seems to have ended centuries ago, but like a lot of reforms took years to implement.

Remember even people who are ex-communicated are expected to attend Church, they just can not get Communion (and it is a ex-communication offense for a priest NOT to give Communion unless he KNOWS someone is excommunicated). The Church wants people in not out of the Church. The Church wants to maintain s sense of belonging while standing for certain positions. Thus the only affect on illegitimate children was a denial of the right to join religious orders (And that can be waived) but it appears that the ban on joining religious orders died out during Vatican II.

[Xipe Totec]

18. Why are you quoting references from the 1800's for a term already in use before the 1100's?

early 13c., "illegitimate child," from O.Fr. bastard (11c., Mod.Fr. bâtard), "acknowledged child of a nobleman by a woman other than his wife," probably from fils de bast "packsaddle son," meaning a child conceived on an improvised bed (saddles often doubled as beds while traveling), with pejorative ending -art (see -ard).

What you are describing are the legal implications of being a bastard, not the definition of bastard which predates your references by centuries.

[demmiblue]

12. Huh! Never knew it was current terminology in this day and age.

I have never heard my child described as such.

:shrug:

[Warpy]

13. It's already obsolete as a legal descriptive

since children born out of wedlock can inherit if there is a paternity test and/or paperwork to that effect.

However, as a pejorative, it's going strong and is likely to for a long time.

[seabeyond]

14. we dont call prostitutes whores, just all women who are not prosititutes.

kinda the same thing

[Fire1]

15. I think it will stick around until the Boomers die out. We know

the 'real' meaning, even if we use it as an insult. In certain generational culture classes, having children out of wed lock is still frowned upon.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

16. Not as long as South Park is on.

You bastards, you killed Kenny!

[Blue_Tires]

19. the proper usage is "lowlife rat bastard SCUM"

or something like that...