People seem to get quite offended when told to "Have a blessed day!" What about sneezes?

[Snake Alchemist]

If someone says "Bless you!", I usually respond with daggers in my eyes and something along the lines of "May Satan curse you!"

[Cleita]

1. Is it just Christians who annoy you or is it any religion.

Someone wishing blessings on you could also be a Wiccan.

[Snake Alchemist]

3. Neither. I fail to see denominations with "Bless you!" nt

[NV Whino]

2. To avoid confusion

Always ask who's doing the blessing.

Damned auto fill.

[Snake Alchemist]

5. I was wondering about that pod. nt

[etherealtruth]

4. LOL

[yewberry]

6. Geshundheit. nt

[City Lights]

61. Same here. eom

[frylock]

7. my usual response to "bless you" is "no thanks"

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. I just yell "GERMS! GERMS!" and run away.

[JohnnyRingo]

9. I usually joke that the blesser isn't properly ordained to do that.

Or I point out that they have no right to bless me, but I don't take myself too seriously.

If someone sneezes I say "good health", which I understand is English for gedzuntheit. Many assume that's "bless you" in German, but that's just how we think I guess.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. It annoys me, but I either ignore it or thank them, even though

I think it would be an excellent idea to invade their country, slaughter the adults and convert all the children to atheism.

What really does annoy me is when I have a sneezing fit and someone insists on saying "Bless you!" loudly after each and every sneeze. And I can't even say "Stop!" because I'm sneezing.

[Snake Alchemist]

11. I don't have enough spare energy to be annoyed.

I'm usually just trying to keep my eyes from popping out of my head to have such thoughts.

[pamela]

12. When someone sneezes I say, "You are so good looking!"

[bvar22]

14. ...not that there is anything wrong with that.

[snagglepuss]

13. I regard the two as very different. Have a blessed day reeks of smarmy born again TV evangelists

and their spawn. People who say this are the xhristian equivalent of the type of hipsters who take themselves seriously. The expression bless you in response to a sneeze is old as the hills so it's lost the pious overtones of "have a blessed day".

[Kurmudgeon]

47. I have a cousin who is hardly mainstream religious, uses "blessed" quite often.

It may be a regional thing as much as it is about beliefs.

[snagglepuss]

57. It probably is a regional thing but it is imo an expression of dominence when

used with strangers or potentially spiritual oneupmanship when used with people who share the same beliefs. How would your cousin feel if out of the blue someone said they hoped your cousin's partner would give him or her explosive mind-blowing orgasms today?

[Kurmudgeon]

71. Dominance? Seriously? What amazing ability you have to be offended.

[Edweird]

15. I think getting bent out of shape over 'blessing' is more than a little over the top.

I think it makes one appear hyper-sensitive and defensive. I don't 'do' organized religion, but I'm jot going to take it out on an individual that is wishing me well in the way they know how - anymore than I would beat up on a WalMart cashier because I don't like their corporate polices. I understand the intent and appreciate the gesture.

Proselytizing, however, is a whole different can of worms. If you get all evangelical and try to 'witness' me then I'm likely to respond in kind and shake your faith.

[zinnisking]

65. I think using the phrase "bent out of shape" is over the top.

Last edited Sat Jan 28, 2012, 07:30 PM - Edit history (1)

I would have felt annoyed too if a NEWT Gingrich supporter gave me religious blessings.

The OP this thread is referring to was mildly annoyed and handled it in a jovial way.

[Edweird]

66. I am actually referring to a different OP - the same one this OP is also referring to.

That OP is not in any way 'jovial'.

[zinnisking]

67. Laughing and feeling "funny" isn't jovial?

LOL

[Edweird]

68. Run along, the adults are talking.

[zinnisking]

69. Up your nose with a rubber hose.

[cherokeeprogressive]

86. A "jovial" way?

[pinboy3niner]

16. Anyone who can sneeze "Have a blessed day" has my respect

At most, I might be able to burp it if I tried really hard.

[Broderick]

17. I involuntarily punch them in the nose

And stream expletives and vomit. Now I wear ear plugs and just in case I hear such an offense to my soul I wear a straight jacket and keep a sock wedged in my mouth. Oh the horror of hearing those ill advised words uttered in my direction. The horror of it all.

[etherealtruth]

22. Now that's a little over the top ...

Vomiting on demand is NEVER acceptable ... check yourself ... you turned a perfectly legitimate response very wrong.

I missed the "involuntary" in your post ... so never mind

[Broderick]

23. It's involuntary

It comes out green too.

[etherealtruth]

24. I edited my post ...

as long its not voluntary/ on demand ... it's appropriate and proportional.

Sorry about the accusation of "over the top" ....

[xmas74]

59. Is it thick like pea soup? nt

[oldhippie]

33. Vomiting with a sock in your mouth is dangerous.

You should probably see a professional about that.

[ldf]

38. i believe that is referred to as

vomit boarding... a twist on an old standard...

[Rex]

18. People seen to get quite offended when someone mocks their belief

system and DU3 proves it over and over. So much so that they have to start a new thread about it!

[Snake Alchemist]

27. You view bless you after a sneeze as a belief?

[Rex]

29. I guess you don't know the meaning of the phrase.

Not my fault you are ignorant about something you started a thread on!

[Snake Alchemist]

32. Please relay the meaning. nt

[etherealtruth]

35. LOL

[Kurmudgeon]

48. If you think that's bad, wait until someone mocks one's disbelief.

[Nye Bevan]

19. I consider "bless you" to be proselytizing. So I throw my snotty tissue at them. (nt)

[Snake Alchemist]

28. Someone told me "bless" you after a sneeze once.

And next thing I knew I was going door to door giving out bibles.

[Zorra]

20. I don't conceive of the word blessed as necessarily having religious meaning. nt

[yurbud]

21. I get even madder at MYSELF when I say ''God damn it!'' or ''Jesus Christ" when I stub my toe

How dare I invoke a non-existent deity to curse my offending toe.

[ThomThom]

58. that's why I just use the f word

people I tell "I'm not a christian" don't believe me and look at me funny then avoid me from then on

[yurbud]

25. this reminds me of white people who pretend that racial slurs aimed at them actually hurt

A couple of talk show hosts here in a LA did an hour years ago where they had non-whites call in and try to insult them to see if they felt offended.

As I was listening, I had about the same reaction they did. The only ones that came close to being offensive are the ones that white people would use too like ''white trash.'' Actually, that's about the only one that rose to the level of irritation of a large grain of sand in my shoe.

The intent with ''bless you'' is to be polite or express some minimal level of concern or at least acknowledgement of my existence.

If you can come up with a humanist/non-theist substitute, I'd be glad to start using it.

But I won't get my knickers in a knot if someone says ''God bless you'' or ''Zeus save you'' or anything like that.

[Rex]

26. How about, 'have a nice day'.

Easy one to use.

[yurbud]

42. we said that interchangeably with ''bless you'' as kids, but I hardly ever hear it any more, and

the few times I've said it, people look at me funny.

[IcyPeas]

44. good to know this - it's Gesundheit..

for me from now on. I don't like to say "bless you" either - but to your health seems sensible. thanks for all that info.

[notadmblnd]

30. I think it is pretentious

A perfect stranger saying it- usually doesn't give two shits about me.

[bigtree]

31. you might not love god, but god loves you

. . . heard that on the radio today and it pissed me off. I hate people foisting off their religious rhetoric on me. For me and religion, the questions never end.

[ldf]

34. i ignore anyone "blessing" me

at the office, i sneeze, they bless. and get ignored.

i now have them pretty much trained at this point not to bless after my sneezes. i don't give a crap if they bless someone else.

if i DO want to say something, it is, "i'm an atheist. don't waste your breath".

all the "blessing" going on now is people shoving their religion in other people's faces. like it is some damn badge of honor. if anyone said "mohammed bless you", most of the sneezers would be insulted. as they should be.

organized religion is a cancer on a civilized society.

treating people with dignity and respect, just like we ourselves want to be treated, requires no justification. foisting it all off on a fairytale father figure, with no link whatsoever with reality or science, and which requires everyone else to believe the same bullshit, is ludicrous.

personal religion is just that. if it helps someone cope, fine. but it is irrelevant to everyone, and everything, else.

[Snake Alchemist]

39. I feel the same rage when people talk about going on holiday. nt

[Nye Bevan]

45. I actually say "Bless you, and Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior"

so your relatives would *really* hate me.

[Dragonfli]

77. Can you prove it tho? I submit that he was/is no such thing, Pushy Proselytizing thing to say.

Kind of rude actually as well as condescending.

[PassingFair]

85. +1000

Love this post!

[Odin2005]

37. Gesundheit!!!

[Festivito]

41. People angered by "Bless you" seem overly affected.

They cannot see past their own internal anger.

Bless you, can be as a parent giving blessing to a choice of spouse having nothing to do with God. But, some people have become so anti-God that they have become fanatically anti-god, which is characterized by their angry reaction to "bless you."

Their reason and logic they say they love is thrown out the window. Instead, they just respond with angry retorts.

They sad thing for me is that they either unwittingly, or worse, wittingly, work against Democrats by keeping people of religious faith at bay instead of inviting them to join us, keeping us from a very big voting block.

[Festivito]

79. Mostly that's from a logical fallacy. Some A are B, so B -> A ... NO!

And, as far as unwanted proselytizing goes, you'd have to repeal the first amendment. I doubt that you've taken even one step in that direction.

As far as bless you being proselytizing, I think it often is, however, it can be secular as well, which would be another logical fallacy on your part.

[Dragonfli]

83. I thought we had freedom from religion as well as the freedom to worship one of our choice,

So how is it a first amendment right to proselytize those that wish to be free from a dominate one?

It is my belief that proselytizing is just plain rude and a sign of a weak character that must seek new apostates in order to feel secure.

This is why those in my coven refuse to do it (most other covens as well), we have manners and realize that if some one wants to hear about praising a Goddess or worshiping a horned God on Samhain or listen to phrases such as "Blessed be", "So mote it be" and "I summon stir and call the up!" then they would approach us, we have no need to approach them.

When the student is ready the student seeks the teacher, a teacher that must catch disciples like prey in a net has nothing of value to teach.

Or as Lao-Tzu would put it "those that say do not know, those that know do not say"

This of course is simply my opinion as a second degree Wiccan priest.

[Festivito]

89. Welcome newcomer to the midst of discussion. You've moved to simple free speech.

Whether it is proselytizing or talking about your bowls, it is a speech issue, thus the first amendment. If you wish to change the first amendment to include a limit on rudeness, go for it.

If your religion forbids rudeness, then avoid rudeness. That should speak well of you and your religion.

If your religion has you await approachers, I wish you well in the awaiting and the approaching.

Your freedom from religion as a practice deserves its freedom along with those who practice something else, but not more freedom for either one of you over and above the other. Just as freedom of speech does not give freedom of silence, freedom of religion does not offer freedom from religion, but, freedom of practice does, er, rather, can offer freedom from religion because that is the double edged sword in the first amendment (choice and practice) whereas the freedom of speech is a single edged sword.

[Rex]

43. Sneezes are evil and must be purged from the soul.

You are at risk of becoming possesed by evil every time you sneeze. You also risk having demons fly into your nose (as you inhale) and take over your soul! Hence the reason someone 'blesses you' with a small prayer to keep the demons that float around in the air at bay.

[Snake Alchemist]

46. Or as the Buddhists believed it is a moment of enlightenment. nt

[Rex]

55. I'll go with the Buddhists on this one.

nt

[LeftishBrit]

49. Doesn't bother me.

I don't even associate it with religion, any more that I associate 'Goodbye' with religion, even though it is originally based on the expression 'God be with you'.

As for 'Have a blessed day', no one says in in England; but I don't mind good wishes however they're expressed.

[NNN0LHI]

51. Lot of times when I sneeze I fart at the same time so I don't usually get many, "Bless yous!"

[My Good Babushka]

52. Phatic statement

"Bless you" doesn't bother me because it has become a phatic statement. Like saying "how are you?" to someone at work when you get into an elevator together. It's a trivial, meaningless statement that conveys awareness of the other person's existence. "Have a blessed day!" is a newly minted contrivance that someone uses when they are going out of their way to make sure you know all about their holiness.

[Snake Alchemist]

53. How does something become a phatic statement? :) nt

[T S Justly]

54. '"Have a blessed day!?"' after a sneeze? Hmmm ... and LOL!

[customerserviceguy]

56. I simply accept it as the gesture of good will that it is offered in

Christians look for enough excuses to feel persecuted, why should I hand any of them another one? I either say, "gesundheit", or nothing at all, since nothing I say will fix anything, not that anything needs to be fixed, a sneeze is designed to do the job all by itself.

So--if I sneeze, you're supposed to say "bless you" (or something like that), if I burp, I'm required to say "excuse me", and if I cough, nobody has an obligation to say anything. All three are involutary reactions that come through the mouth, but all have different social responsibilities, why?

[pipi_k]

72. I wondered much the same thing...

People say that "Bless you" after a sneeze is a nicety meant to express concern for the person who sneezed.

What about a cough? A person with a cough could be way sicker than one who sneezed (maybe it's just an allergy), but nobody gives a shit about the cougher's health...

[customerserviceguy]

81. It is my understanding

that the "Bless you," was offered as a result of an old time belief that the heart stopped during a sneeze, and it was a call on the invisible skyfather to play defibrilator. Of course, we know that no such thing occurs, and it is completely superfluous to say anything like that.

Like I say, I don't have a problem when people do it, as long as they don't have a problem that I don't do it. Such is the nature of religious freedom in a pluralistic society.

[Douglas Carpenter]

60. adios means "to God" ...but some people think it means goodbye

[Rex]

62. Thanks.

Did not know that!

[FourScore]

63. This belongs in the lounge. n/t

[moriah]

64. And people get offended if you *DON'T* say "Bless you!" when they sneeze, too!

Can't win for losing.

[digonswine]

74. Right-

I dislike the expectation(perhaps imagined by me) that I am to say something, anything after someone next to me sneezes. But I am weak, and often say "bless you" despite thinking it nonsense.

[pipi_k]

70. Oh, this one

really pisses me off.

I hate when someone says, "Bless you" after another person sneezes.

Yeah...bless you for spewing out God-knows-what kind of bacteria, viruses, and other nasty microbes in their snot at 90 MPH in the general vicinity.

When I sneeze, I say, "Excuse me". And if I'm fast enough to catch the sneeze, I do it into the crook of my elbow...not into open space.

I refuse to say, "Bless you" when someone sneezes. It's all I can do to keep from turning away in disgust, never mind blessing someone for spewing.

[HeiressofBickworth]

73. When I sneeze

I say "excuse me" just like I would if I belched or farted or made some other bodily noise. I try to get it in quickly before anyone can say "bless you". Just my little effort in re-training people.

In the book The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazier (sp?) the origins of "bless you" when some one sneezes is explained. It apparently started in primitive humans who believed that the soul escaped when you sneeze. By invoking the blessings of the local deity, it calls your soul back into your body and you can continue living. I'm not sure what they thought would happen if no one was around to do the blessing for you.

[Fuzz]

75. An ex girlfriend's father would always get really grumpy when someone said 'god bless you' after

someone sneezed. His daughters would always say it just to piss him off.

[Dragonfli]

76. I just reply with "blessed Be and may the horned God shine upon you

While the Goddess cradles you in her loins"

That usually does the trick.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

80. It bugs me when people say ANYTHING when I sneeze

I have allergies, and there are occasions and seasons when I sneeze A LOT. It irks me to have someone I don't even know call attention to it after...every...single...sneeze.

Thanks for calling attention to something that I'd rather not do in public but sometimes end up doing anyway.

It's a stupid habit, and even if you really believe that demons are going to fly into me during the sneeze, it's still a stupid habit.

I don't say anything when people sneeze in my presence, and I wish they'd return the favor.

[customerserviceguy]

82. Ha, you made me laugh

My lady has a thing about sneezing many times after a full meal (she didn't do it tonight, even though she said she had quite a full meal), it usually goes on for about 10-12 sneezes. About all I can do to stop them is to count them out loud for her, seems to have the effect of reducing them.

Of course, when we're out in public having a meal, and this happens, it sounds like a cathedral during High Mass with all the "bless yous". Her response is to thank the person(s) and say, "This happens to me a lot after I eat, just give me blanket absolution, OK?" then launches into the next sneeze. People look at me sitting there unperturbed, and go back to normal, at least until the next sneeze rips through the place.

It would be soooo much easier if she would just learn to fart after a meal, like I do...

[Snake Alchemist]

87. that is a classic symptom of acid reflux. nt

[customerserviceguy]

91. Hmm, interesting

I have that, but I take Protonix daily for it. Maybe she should use something, too, but it happens directly after a meal, and not 100% of the time, like when she's at my parents home, for instance. I figured it was psychological, but you really have me thinking now.

[aaaaaa5a]

84. Aren't we being a little sensitive?

I believe intent matters. People are just trying to wish you well in the way they know best.

[riderinthestorm]

88. I'm Irish. I say "excuse me" when I sneeze, don't expect any response.

Sometimes I add "damn allergies".

And this is a CATHOLIC country where a religious blessing might REALLY be a part of tradition....

[JFN1]

90. Is that what it seems like?

Hmmm...