An essential part of the work of the Christian theologian is to see to it that the holy name of God and the image of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in more academic theology and in the life of Christian communities, are not distorted. It is true that whatever image of God we have is always partial and more dissimilar than similar (IV Lateran Council: Denzinger-Hünermann 806). But after this caveat we must affirm, that, to use the name of God in vain distorts the image of God and when this happens the respect of human dignity suffers. A vain use of the name of God results in a false image of God that generates suffering and mistreatment of the image of God that is every human being. Arguably, one of the areas where this is most evident is in the field of migration policies in the richer world. Lately we are witnessing a growing association in certain political currents of a discourse that presents itself as confessionally Christian and at the same time does not conform to the biblical mandate to respect and welcome the stranger. In the face of this, the moral theologian is called to remember that we cannot use God’s name in vain.
Surely the second commandment is one of the commandments that receives the least attention in contemporary moral theology. One reason is the salutary return of virtue ethics, which leads to posing moral questions in terms of what virtue to cultivate or what virtue one sins against when one behaves in a certain manner. Another reason is that we surely tend to focus more on the commandments of the second table of the Decalogue than on those of the first, or if we wish, on love of neighbor rather than on love of God, which is the first and principal commandment. The love of neighbor is, as the Lord Jesus says in Gospels, the second and similar. Therefore, when love of God suffers, love of neighbor also suffers, especially the neighbor who is farthest from us, and this is always the foreigner, especially the poorest because, in general, the rich and well-educated foreigner arouses much less rejection than the poor and uneducated one.
The commentaries to the commandments affirm that the commandment to respect the name of God was originally oriented against magic, and that it was thought that knowing the true name of the divinity and invoking it allowed to obtain his favors. This prohibition is also oriented to prohibit perjury, that is, to invoke God as a witness when giving false testimony. Adolf Exeler considers that the respectful use of the name of God is not at odds with the closeness of God. In this way he understands Jesus of Nazareth’s use of the appellative Abba to address God. (A. Exeler, The Ten Commandments. Vivir en la libertad de Dios, Santander 1983, 109). Respect for God’s holy name and God’s closeness (especially to the poorest and neediest, among whom we find the poor immigrant) are combined in Jesus Christ.
In the history of Christianity, the name of God has been invoked improperly on various occasions. One of the tasks of the theologian, and, in particular of the moral theologian, is to denounce these cases. To use the name of God with respect means to defend in God’s name the dignity of every human being (created in his image), also that of the migrant, and above all that of the one who suffers the harshest conditions in his/her migration. This, among other things, is to sanctify the name of God, one of the petitions we find in the Lord’s Prayer. Not to use God’s name in vain is not only to avoid blasphemy or perjury, but also to put into action that which we ask for in the Sunday prayer: “Hallowed be thy name.”
In terms of virtue ethics, certain pronouncements on migration issues of those who claim to be and boast of being Christians, should be qualified as contrary to the virtue of religion and piety, virtues that Saint Thomas Aquinas situates in the Summa Theologiae as virtues in connection with justice. The virtue of justice is treated by Aquinas in qq. 57-122, II-ª-IIae. Religion and piety are dealt with in qq. 81-101, II-ª-IIae. Religion and piety are virtues that inspire love of God from which derives devotion to holy things and, by consequent love of neighbor, acts of love and mercy toward the latter. The virtues of religion and piety presuppose intimate knowledge of divine filiation and fraternity with all human beings, and not only with those who belong to “our group”, be it local, ideological, racial, religious or national. Surely, for Christian communities to live well the virtues of religion and piety, an adequate aggiornamento is necessary to avoid a certain pietism that forgets that these two virtues appear in the Summa as virtues connected to justice. To use the name of God to treat the stranger unjustly is to use the name of God in vain, a sin against the second commandment and against the virtues of religion and piety.