So your personal experience led you to (over)generalize the cause? Hm. I do have a slight problem with that. For one, I think life is far more dramatic and interesting than we make it out to be -- I think REALITY as God intends is far more significant and outrageous than us protestant American white Christians are prone to think. We like our comfort, our hymns, our couth and structured systematic theology. We don't like raising our swords and fighting against the very gates of hell because, well, that's just too extreme. We don't like speaking in tongues or casting out demons because, well, we're not really sure if such odd and spiritual things really occur in America today. Yes... I'm also overgeneralizing here. I realize this kind of stuff is not what you are referring to or talking about, but just to make my point: I would agree with your cause if I knew I could judge the motives of each man's heart - but I can't. Some people don't think like you do/did. Some people enjoy using creative speech to get a point across, or (as I like to do) "spice up life." Is that annoying to some people? Maybe. And to that I say, I hope they never tell stories to their children. Look at X-Men, or any superhero or comic... movies... things that reflect life and culture and lore. I'd say all of us revel in the use of extreme language every now and then for the sake of spicing up a story.
Does it skew reality? Perhaps. Give and receive grace there.
Or do we underestimate the intensity of true life by using mute and colorless language? Perhaps. Give and receive grace there.
Let's just try to not overgeneralize based on our personal experience. Me too.

ZZZzzzzzzzzz......

what a fun dialogue this turned out to be.

is that your kid in your profile pic??
much love
jes allen otz