That's Obscene?

The jury is still out on this one-- from where and what did obscenities originate? who decided that the middle finger was a crude gesture, or that random words that probably weren't even words to begin with, were a sign of disrespect or vulgarity? I periodically get curious and attempt research, but have come up with zilch. it seems no one really knows where these came from, and yet somehow everyone knows that they're "bad".

I remember the first time i swore (really who doesn't) and I don't know where i even heard the word from--tv was limited & monitored in my house, so my sister and i only watched educational shows, or nothing at all-- but the first time "shit" ever escaped from my mouth, my ass turned colors i didnt even think were humanly possible. the next few times were from school.

this is so backwards i can't even make it up: i learned more bad habits from the catholic schools i went to than i had originally learned from the public elementary school. Sure the religious schools were insanely strict; shirt tucked in, uniforms must be ironed, hair a certain length, no makeup, no music, weekly prayer, 1 item of jewelry to be worn at a time, etc.

These same schools were also the first places i encountered the rest of the swear words i hadn't been subjected to, what flipping the bird meant and creative ways to do it, exactly what flashing was, what a penis looks like drawn as well an original viewing of (middle school boys pantsing-style) and a little later, exactly what sex was.
though if i may interject, the middle school guys i was friends with, were still grossed out by that; the high school guys i was friends with (while in middle school), were not. my dad started sheltering a wee bit too early. also because of the male species (up to and including my dad), i missed out on a lot of cool field trips & other overnight activities because i wasn't in an all girl school and it was "inappropriate" for me to be around guys that much. for shits and giggles i seriously considered implying that they wanted me to be a lesbo, but i'm not that good of an actor.

it does make me wonder if one set of oober religious parents somewhere sat down, deemed all these things to be the signs of evil, and one by one society followed. religion, after all, has been considered the opiate of the masses. majority does rule; words that we've created and used are suddenly appearing as legit in the dictionary: ringtone, drama queen, d'oh, muffin top--also abbreviations we created; OMG, LOL, BFF. when will we draw the line? or is it absolutely impossible in an ever-changing world?