Thinx 20: The name of Jesus

O sons of men, how long will my honour become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?" -- Psalm 4:2-3 NASV

Why is it that the name of Jesus, which is to me a badge of honour, is used almost worldwide as a word for cursing and swearing? What is it about that name that lends itself so well to being used as a filler, almost adjectivally? If you have to say something, why not say, "Oh, Buddha", or "Oh, Krishna", or "Oh, Mohammed"?

If Jesus and Christianity are so useless, why mention them at all?

Thinx 19: Redundancy in prayer

"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words... " -- Matthew 6:7 RSV

This injunction, amongst other things, seems to be against redundancy in prayer. It may be echoing something Solomon said in Ecclesiastes

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few. -- Ecclesiastes 5:2 RSV

And we are good at redundancy. How many times have I prayed, "Lord, please be with so-and-so." How redundant is that! What meaningless babble! Doesn't Matthew 28:20 say, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age"? Why ask God to do what he's already been doing for thousands of years?