As a moderator, please remember to remain thoughtful and respectful and not condemn anyone else for their opinions or views. Also, I'm pretty sure no profanity whatsoever is allowed on the forum. So please try to compose answers that communicate without having to provide examples. We're discussing a principle here, not actual cases.
That said, my reply.
Are we talking about just swearing or profanity in general?
It depends on your target audience.
I do believe there is a limit. And I read an article someone linked to on the same subject pointing out that your characters don't have to use foul language in order to be accurate or evil.
However, I don't believe that there's never a place for swearing in Christian fiction. This is similar to the other issues we've brought up, of torture and suicide. Obviously, if you're writing YA you don't put it in unless very carefully handled. If your writing something intended for an older audience what is the difference between a high level of violence and a few choice swear words? If that's what it takes to tell your story, and if there's a reason.
My dad's take on the subject is that films and books use violence and profanity gratuitously. They use it for a shock effect, and just because they can. It isn't necessary. In reality, if you throw around R-rated words in ordinary life, what are you going to have left when you really mean it?
Example in case: The Princess Bride. Jay pointed out on that thread that Inigo's choice of words at the end was entirely appropriate. Yes, they weren't nice, but they weren't meant to be. And because his language is in general clean, it's very impacting when he says that. If the whole movie was peppered with profanity it would have been meaningless. I think that is the proper use of swearing in fiction.
I've seen that in one or two other books, where the character says something, and he says what he means, and it was done intentionally. I think characters that just have perpetually dirty language are pointless and defiling. We don't need to be subjected to that.
In my own case, Lightning Ranger is a serious, serious work, that I never expected to reach the levels it has, where I'm uncomfortable with younger people reading it, with violence and suicide, and torture, and everything else we've talked about. In that setting, I don't think swearing would be out of place, but I don't use it. Lightning swears, he's a heathen, he's a murderer, and I can imagine he talks that way. But in my book, he swears. He doesn't say anything.
Of course, if he did, since it's fantasy, it wouldn't even be modern day language. Which brings up an entire new field. I've been told and told you can't use modern slang in fantasy. Obviously. No "Okay" or "Yikes" if you can help it. And it drives me insane when they use modern swear words too, because it shatters the illusion, and makes me groan and roll my eyes. For that reason I'd say keep the swearing out of your novel.
And then! There's the invented swear words! (We talked about this somewhere, where did we talk about it?) Or words in another language. This way your character can talk freely while preserving your readers innocence. Because after all, it might be a terrible word in your world, and meaningless gibberish in ours.
Then again, there's the principle. Do you want to convey people swearing in your world at all? Is that corrupting the message of Christianity? They told me in the Suicide thread that it would be tragic, but not out of place for an unbeliever to commit suicide, and I think it's the same thing with swearing. Don't expect your unsaved characters to act perfect.
All in all I believe it depends on what your conscience tells you, and who your target audience is. If you're writing for the MACEC (Modern American Christian Evangelical Church) keep it clean. If you're writing for young people, keep it clean. If you're writing for Holy Worlds, keep it clean. Find another way to write, find a way to keep the violence and profanity out without corrupting your work. It can be done. If the book is dark and you use swearing, be aware that that's going to be a different audience, of people who can handle it, and who's parents don't disapprove.
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I think saying "Oh my God!" is very bad, as it is referring to someone cursing God, basically. "Gee" and "gosh" mean "God", and I don't say those words. I prefer saying something different, like "Oh my goodness!" or "Oh my!" or "Oh my word!".
Hope you get it back soon!
) stems from the name of a tyrant: Jurksta-En. It doesn't have the same meaning as the word Jerk (though it would be pronounced the same). In my world (after Jurksta is defeated) the name Jurk implies that that person mirrors Jurksta; a horrible insult considering what the man had done.