To Thomas: Why SHOULD a Christian say "retarded?"

@Thomas Umstattd Jr. has taken to using the word “retarded” or “retard” lately in his Author Update podcast. This past episode, he even said he was “going to keep using the word because it offends people” (might not be the exact quote, but I think I got it right).

I have two questions. 1) Is he aware of the history of the word? and 2) if he is, why should a Christian decide to start using the word again in 2026?

A little history

So, the word “retardation” appeared in the fourth edition DSM (the American Psych association’s diagnostic and statistical manual). Up into the 1980s, it was a widely accepted medical term for persons with pronounced intellectual disabilities. However, the term became a mean, hurtful slur. Often, folks using the term wren’t trying to be mean, it just became slang for anything you didn’t like or thought was dumb. “hey did you like Legend of Zelda Two?” “ No, I thought it was retar…”

However, the word was also used as an insult to people with disabilities. If you were a bully at high school picking a disabled kid, a kid slogging through school doing his best facing challenges most people can’t imagine, you might shout “hey look at the F@#king retar…” before beating that person up or throwing something at them. Also, kids, adults and family members of people with intellectual disabilities didn’t like hearing the very real and sometimes difficult condition they lived with used as an insult or a derogatory slang term.

People Changed Because they Like being Kind

So, people changed. The DSM changed. The word fell out of vogue and people realized that it’s not nice to hurt someone’s feelings just because you like using one word and it’s especially cruel to pick on or insult disabled people —especially kids.

But, @Thomas Umstattd Jr. and others want to bring the word back

I would like to understand why you want to use the word “retarded.” Please explain it to me from a Christian theological viewpoint. Imagine you are standing across from Jesus and he has his arm around a disabled high school kid named John. John is a kind young man with an intellectually disability. Jesus asks you to explain (to him and John) why you, Thomas, want to use this word even though it hurts John’s feelings, even though its the same word bullies say to John at school.

Thank you.