Wow, well, I'm not Jewish, but even when I considered myself an Xtian, I meant just "God" when I said "Lord." Nowadays, I'm likely to say "thank sweet baby Jesus," mostly because it's more colorful, but perhaps it is indeed ironic coming from someone who does not consider themself Xtian any longer. Maybe it's more logical to switch to, "Thank the Way?" Anyway, I'd have been puzzled by her comment, too.

I don't really use lord...unless I'm talking about some royal person in England. I'm thinking your carpooler was too narrow in her use of it...after all that Lord's Prayer thing is pretty much interdenominational isn't it? And...sometimes, Mormans are just like that...so are the JW's...so are those Baptists.

Anybody else out there I can insult today? I'm in the mood.

In my religious upbringing, we were taught that there is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit....that they are all one, but also separate. Since that is sort of a nebulous concept, I've always felt that when I use the word Lord or God, I'm referring to the whole shebang.

Well if y'all wanna really know! Let this colored Jesus Lovin man tell yah.
Lord = Alpha and Omega,
Jesus= Lamb of God (son),
Christ = last name of Jesus,
Praise "HIS" high and Holy name

I'm Jewish, so take this with a grain of salt, but I have a lot of friends in the bible belt that are Christians of various denominations and when they say "the Lord", they mean Jesus. As in the son of God.

Well, crap, okay so I feel a Pagan should say something here. All of y'all are wrong!!! Hehe I kid I kid! J O K E = I am kidding.

I was brought up Catholic and "the Lord" always meant the big G. ~shrugs~

"You mean because we're, like, The Chosen or something?" Hehe love that. =)

It thinks its obvious in this great big crazy world of ours, the only thing you can count on is that everyone will have a different opinion.
Aside from that when I attended an LDS church, people would use Lord to refer to either God, or Jesus. I don't think (at least I don't remember)there was a "standard" by which you had to use Lord to reference one or the other, which meant you had to place it within the context of the conversation you were having.

re: comment by DogsDontPurr

I may have to start referring to any deity-concept as "the whole shebang" as in "Thank the Whole Shebang It's Friday."

Speaking as a card-carrying Godist, I think that, were I to have made a similar remark, I would've been thinking about Jesus. But I have no problems with someone saying "Lord" and meaning God the Father. Think of it this way - "Lord Jesus" versus "Lord God." They both work equally well, therefore one shouldn't assume what another means when they say "thank the good Lord."

(Although, now that I say that, I wonder if "the good" could color a meaning.)

And you blew it, Shell. You should've told her you meant Joseph Smith.

Wow, TJ, you really want Shell to pick a fight like that?

Can open ... worms everywhere.

I don't recall from Catholic days (long, long past) that Lord/God were anything but interchangeable.

You mean you don't say "Thank YHWH?"

Well...I've always heard "I am the Lord God" and that was in the Old Testament...a book Christians and Jews share. True, because Christians do the whole Trinity thing and that means...you know...God, Jesus and the Spririt...that all three entities are all one and the same. A nice trick if you can pull it off.

I try to assume that any person who speaks of a higher power, speaks of God (the Big Kahuna)...and whatever your religion of choice/birth is...you're referring to that being. Mainstream Christians use Jesus as the phone operator to God and Mormons hold Joseph Smith on an equal plane with Jesus...though they'll never tell you that, because most of what they believe is a secret. And in their eyes...All non-Mormons...Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and any othe kind of Christian under the sun...are Gentiles. Dig that. I'm sure she laughed at your joke about being the Chosen because Mormons believe that THEY are the Chosen and the rest of us are non-believers and she's not sure how to break that down for you.

As for me...I figure that a person who walks the talk of their religion IS walking with God. Christians (and I belong to a Christian religion that believes what is between you and God Is BETWEEN YOU AND GOD and it's no one else's business) who seek to convert others to their own beliefs are wrong, wrong, wrong.

I seriously doubt God gets confused when addressed by all the names He/She gets called. It's all the same.

Yup...them worms got out.

Wordgirl. I agree with most of what you say, however unless you have been a member of the mormon church, or studied them in depth, be careful what you say. They do not consider Joseph smith on the same plane as Jesus. Yes, they consider him a prophet, yes they believe he spoke to Jesus, but regard him in the same plane? They do not.
You think they keep their beliefs secret? I think not, ask a devote member to give you their testamony and they will, better yet attend some of their Sunday services, or ask a missionary to come by and speak to you about their beliefs. They will be more than happy to tell you.
Yes they have certain ceremonies that can only be attended by "worthy" indviduals, but that is because they hold certain ceremonies to be highly sacred, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I may not consider myself to be a member of that church any longer, for a number of personal reasons, but you should not disparage a group of people, when you don't know enough abou the religion to get your facts straight.

{stepping off my high horse before Cynical beats me off with a stick}

All I can say (besides how is it that I haven't seen your blog before? where have I been?) is OY VEY! These cultural-religious miscommunications! Pesach is coming! Pesach is coming! We can all agree on that!

Well, as a newcomer to this Bible Belt thing, I will tell you they hold Jesus pretty high up there...I've heard him called Lord (right in my neighborhood). Seems to me that as long as she was clear that was how SHE took it...its her perogative. Its good that she owned up to misinterpreting YOUR meaning of the word. With my Christian upbringing (if lacking the devotion of all my new neighbors), I'd say they're all essentially going the same "higher" place (whether you commit to one, two or all three)...at worst, you can agree to disagree and be glad its the weekend!?

Just to clear up the Mormon thing from a practicing Mormon - The Lord is typically Jesus to the Mormons - and FYI Joseph Smith is to Mormons as Moses or Abraham is to the Israelites (of which Judah aka Jew, is one of the 12 tribes. Smith is not one of the Trinity, just one of their spokespersons. Don't know who started that false rumor.

I agree with the worm release comments.

Well, being not a very good Jew from KY with friends of every persuasion I can only remind you of the Shema:

Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.