What do atheists say when someone sneezes?

[prolesunited]

It seems rude not to say anything and bless you seems hypocritical.

What do you think is the appropriate response?

[Blue-Jay]

1. You're sooooo good-lookin'!

[elshiva]

6. Seinfield! LOL! I wish that would catch on.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

62. Great episode, that.

:thumbsup:

I love Seinfeld!

[elshiva]

2. Although, I am not an atheist, I think the appropriate thing

would be "Gesundheit."

[LeftyMom]

3. Would you like a tissue?

:shrug:

[leftofthedial]

4. we want the news, not the weather

[Gold Metal Flake]

5. I say "bless you"

Ironically.

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. Gesundheit!!!

It translates to "healthness".

[terrya]

57. I think that's the only thing an athiest could say

He/she couldn't say "bless you", since that would imply some sort of religious sapect.

[PassingFair]

60. We could say *uck off!

would that make you feel "blessed"?

Personally, I say "Shazaam".

[Name removed]

64. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Arugula Latte]

76. I say "Gesundheit."

I don't want to appeal to a sky diety to "bless" anyone after a normal body response. Plus, I just think it sounds cool.

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. Why does it seem rude to say nothing?

I've never been one to say "Bless you," "Gesundheit" or anything else.

:shrug:

[prolesunited]

13. I think people want an acknowlegement of their sneeze

If you don't say anything, they may assume you could care less if they got really sick and died.

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. If they assume that

they're probably right. :eyes:

[prolesunited]

26. Judging by the eyeroll

You have no problem with rudeness.

On edit: I was being sarcastic and taking it to ridiculous extremes. Maybe it wasn't clear, thus, the eyeroll. Or maybe your eyeroll still stands. Whatever.

[Hissyspit]

25. I don't say anything. I don't care what people think when I don't say

anything.

I'm an asshole.

[Oeditpus Rex]

31. I guess I'm an asshole, too

And a rude one at that.

[July]

46. Me, too!

We can start a club.

[DS1]

91. Is it too late to sign up?

I'm in

[sbj405]

45. I must be worse, I say "No, thanks" if someone blesses me.

:evilgrin:

[Hissyspit]

52. I'm gonna start doing that: "Thanks, but no thanks!" n/t

[Fox Mulder]

47. I guess I'm an asshole too.

I don't say a goddamn thing when someone sneezes.

Why should I? Everybody sneezes!

Should I say something when someone goes to the bathroom too? :eyes:

[Kali]

80. I have heard "Everything come out alright?"

}(

[Left Is Write]

58. Don't worry.

I don't think there is any etiquette rule that forces the acknowledgement of someone else's sneeze.

We aren't required to acknowledge coughs and sniffles. Why sneezes?

[JI7]

34. i saw "bless you" because it seems rude not to say anything

i remember i didn't say anything a few times and especially if i'm the only other person there they gave me a kind of look which made it seem like they thought i was being disrespectful or something.

so i just say "bless you" just to say something. even though it doesn't really mean anything to me.

[Hissyspit]

53. That's interesting. I find it really annoying when people bring extra

attention to me after I've sneezed by saying something.

[Bear down under]

38. The custom of blessing a sneezer is a very old one

The ancient Greeks believed that a sneeze (which cannot be made voluntarily or controlled once it starts) was a sign that a god was taking possession of the person, and that the next thing he said would be divinely inspired and therefore true -- as in Book 17 of the Odyessey when Telemachus "sneezes mightily" as he tells the suitors that Odysseus will soon return and destroy them. But as the god's presence may not always be benign, the custom grew of saying whatever the ancient Greek equivalent of "god bless you" was to ensure the sneezer's safety.

The ancient Hebrews believed the opposite: that an evil force was trying to deprive the sneezer of his breath and consquently of his life -- and again it was thought necessary to invoke divine protection.

There is another version of the story, however, and that is that Pope Gregory the Great started the custom during an outbreak of the plague in Rome, invoking God's blessing on both the sneezer and anyone who might catch the plague from his sneeze. To refuse to join in the prayer might endanger one's own safety...

So it's a good question, what does an atheist say?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

9. "Go to hell."

[prolesunited]

16. Atheists believe in hell

any more than they believe in heaven. Or, do you think atheists are devil worshippers or something?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

21. It's a joke.

I'm an atheist myself.

The joke was that "go to hell" is the opposite of "God bless you."

[cynatnite]

54. That's funny!

:rofl:

[NMMNG]

10. Gesundheit

:shrug:

[InsultComicDog]

44. That's what I say

[WCGreen]

11. Get any onya.....

[arwalden]

12. We Say "HEY! You Sneezed!!"

That's pretty much the equivalent of saying "Bless You". I've always wondered... why do people feel compelled to say anything AT ALL?

[Roon]

14. I am with you on that one

My boyfriend gets mad if I don't say anything when he sneezes. I don't want anyone saying anything to me when I sneeze...

[prolesunited]

15. I always do

I think that if I don't, the other person will think that i am not concerned about them.

And to be honest, when I sneeze, I'm always secretly hoping for a response that says someone cares.

[arwalden]

17. Oh you... I'll bet you FAKE sneeze just to see if anyone still cares!

:hug: :hug: :loveya:

You don't need to sneeze for that!

[prolesunited]

19. I do ALL sorts of things for attention

You should see the shirts I wear! :P

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

56. No, he shouldn't. I should.

He'll be much more pleased with nude Hedges shots. Trust me on this.

Now. You were talking about shirts.

[REP]

18. "Gross" or "Are You Contagious?"

I always excuse myself after sneezing in public - I don't believe devils will fly into my mouth/nose, so incantations against such occurances are not needed, but discharging bodily fluids in public is kinda gross, so I say "excuse me."

On edit: not atheist, just not Big Three.

[A HERETIC I AM]

22. I always say "Excuse Me" when i sneeze before those nearest can say

anything. "Gesundheit" is a good response though.

On a side note...why does no one say anything when you cough? They are both respiratory clearng actions so why is one deserving of a comment and not the other? I know about the mythology and history but hey....if i cough it would be nice to hear "I trust you'll get better" or something!

[Catch22Dem]

23. Big joke from my Air Force days

We were all godless liberals back when I was active duty. Perhaps that's why all these years later we still get together every year with our families for summer vacation. Anyway, we'd always say, "I acknowledge that."

[LisaLynne]

24. I remember someone suggesting ...

"Sneeze acknowledged". I've been using that or the Seinfeld one. :)

[Benfea]

27. Religious concepts are embedded in our language, unfortunately

Over at an atheist/agnostic/freethinker community I frequent, people make fun of this aspect of our language by replacing religious words with "IPU." For example: "IPU bless you!" or "IPU protect me!"

IPU stands for "Invisible Pink Unicorn," which from our perspective is about the same thing. ;)

Anyway, that stuff is embedded in our language, and the truth is, I say that stuff all the time anyway. The funny thing is, most of that "embedded religious language" is stuff Christians shouldn't be saying either: those phrases theologians refer to as "garden variety blasphemies" because they've all but given up on getting Christians to stop saying those things.

[prolesunited]

28. Embedded is right

I said "bless you" to Jason when he sneezed the other night out of reflex, and that's where this question originated. To me, the phrase carries no religious meaning, just a message of concern for someone's well-being.

[Benfea]

32. Yep.

Take the phrase "God damn it!"

Nearly everyone—Christian or not—uses that phrase, and no one should be using it. If you believe in the Abrahamic God, then you shouldn't "use His name in vain." If you don't believe in the Magic Sky Fairy, then why are you invoking its name? It's a phrase no one should be using, but everyone does.

[SofaKingLiberal]

29. STFU!

:D

[latebloomer]

30. My mom's an atheist

and she always says "Gesundheit!"

She gets pissed when people say "Bless you!" :eyes: (She's a bit intolerant!)

[prolesunited]

33. Why get pissed?

It's not like they are trying to offend you (well, unless they know you're intolerant and it will piss you off and they say it in a loud, obnoxious manner).

If my worse problem of the day is that someone says "bless you," it's been an awfully good day.

But, I've never been very militant or one to try to make others adhere to my beliefs. Is she uptight about other things as well?

[latebloomer]

50. My mom is VERY opinionated

and is quite sure only SHE knows the answer to many issues.

I can thank her for my leftist views, but her attitudes toward spirituality are another matter. She thinks people who believe in God are ignorant and brainwashed.

My husband and I, though not conventionally religious, are spiritually-minded and open to all kinds of possibilities in the universe. She nearly had a stroke when she realized that our wedding ceremony (performed by interfaith ministers rather than the Ethical Culture person she recommended) was rife with references to "higher power" and such.

A very good lady, but she does have her issues.

[GreenPartyVoter]

35. My 6 yo says "Bless me" when he sneezes *lol* Dunno where that came from

because we're not really a "bless you" kind of family. More likely to say, "go get a tissue and wipe the buggies off your nose".

[KT2000]

36. Shut Up!

if it's a loud sneeze.

[ashling]

37. Rant (long, sorry)

I don't mean to offend, but this is the type of question I get from my fundie friends (along with "There are no athiests in foxholes")
Since "Bless you" is a natural response in this culture, they can then say "AHA! You deny the existence of GOD but when you are in trouble who do you call on?"

As my dear old dad would have said, "SUCH A LOAD OF CRAP!"

Having been raised in a society replete with Judeo/Christian images' literary and otherwise, it is no wonder that one would use one of these in everyday parlance no matter what he or she believes.

Analogy: I think the Industrial Sports Complex in this country has gotten waaaay out of control. Players are paid too much (understatement), Coaches are paid too much (again, understatement), College and high school football takes money and energy away from academic pursuits (I could go on and on)

.... however, that doesn't keep me from using the occassional sports metaphor.


Saying "Bless you" when someone is suffering from a cold or allergies is an accepted and generally understood way of expressing concern.

[sam sarrha]

39. Cover your mouth..!! you blew snot all over me..!!

[The2ndWheel]

40. "It seems rude not to say anything"

Why? Do people say anything when someone coughs? What's the difference?

I say nothing, and enjoy that silence.

[Kerrytravelers]

41. "Quit spreading germs!"

This is what Mr kt, my parents and I always say.





And we're not Athiests, but really don't feel the need to bless snot, I guess... :shrug:

[Robeson]

42. "Did you get any on you?"

[bridgit]

43. "eat shit & die in the knowledge there is no god"

:rofl:

[buddhamama]

48. I disagree that saying "bless you" is hypocritical for an anthiest

I say it, sans "God". If I were to say "May the universe bless you" am I being hypocritical; Imo, no. Atheism does not equate to (at least not for me) a lack of spirituality. I may be an atheist but it doesn't mean that I do not believe in good energy and its positive effect on people; although I do believe one must first be sincere and genuine in their words/actions or they are is devoid of any true meaning and/or positive energy.

[LaurenG]

68. Hum

I asked this question in another forum months ago. I know many atheists who are spiritual in the sense that they treat others with kindness and seem to care deeply. I didn't get many clear answers. Until now. :hi:

[buddhamama]

89. i am glad you

were able to gleam some answers from this thread. :hi:

[NewJeffCT]

49. Not sure how to spell the pinyin version of it

But, there is a Chinese saying after you sneeze that means "1000 years" - meaning, may you live 1000 more years.

Not sure if it is urban legend or not, but supposedly "God Bless You" started when the plague was common in Europe, so if somebody sneezed, it could mean they would be dying soon, so people would give them god's blessing. I think the Chinese saying is similar, in saying that.

[prolesunited]

59. Snopes has a whole page devoted to its origins

http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/blessyou.htm

The plague one is among those mentioned.

[genie_weenie]

51. Ha ha ha The Devil stole you Soul!

[Jamastiene]

55. Cover your mouth?

I don't want to get sick. :shrug:

I only posted that because I can't spell gesundheit.

[Hissyspit]

61. I can't stand when people don't cover their mouth.

It's like saying "Hey, everybody. Here's my conceivably life-threatening infection. Enjoy!"

[bigwillq]

63. I say, "Salute" (nt)

[riderinthestorm]

71. In Spanish the appropriate response is "Salut"

So I use that (it's also close to French and Italian version as well).

I'm an atheist and "bless you" just doesn't roll off the tongue but some kind of polite acknowledgement seems required.

So I revert to something most people won't recognize but it at least gives a nod to Miss Manners.

[bigwillq]

73. I am using the Spanish response too...

I guess I just spelt it wrong. I am not Spanish but my boyfriend is and that's what he says when someone sneezes.

[riderinthestorm]

74. Heh! Great minds think alike and all that! n/t

[zippy890]

65. I don't say anything

and haven't for years, and it is not awkward, and actually
seems silly to me when people say god bless you when someone sneezes.

if someone is haveving a sneezing fit or seems undomfortable I will ask
after their health - are you ok? ,

but its no big deal, really.

[leeroysphitz]

66. I'll typically berate the "sneezer" with a random string of

lurid obscenities and then, given the time, I'll start in on making lewd and/ or profane suggestions about his/ her immediate family. If that doesn't make him/ her go away I'll then shower the sneezer with dirt twigs and animal feces (if in a wooded area) or garbage like fast food wrappers and cigarette butts (when in a more urban setting). That almost always does the trick.

Fuck, I loves being an atheist!

:evilgrin: (The preceding smiley is not intended to represent any mythical figures that clearly do not exist.)

[hyphenate]

67. I say

"bless you" without the "God" in the equation. Even Wiccans use the word "bless" (as in "Blessed Be") so it's not really a singularly attached word. It just comes more naturally to me than Gesundheit.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

69. If my cube - mate

doesn't stop with her little prissy sneezes ("chew" "chew" "chew") I'm gonna throw my Buddha at her.

[prolesunited]

82. I think you are in need of deeper reflection

What would Buddha do? ;-)

[YankeyMCC]

70. "Sneeze Acknowledged"

if I say anything at all.

[Bzzzz]

87. Same here n/t

[NNadir]

72. I say "God Bless You."

I see it as a polite idiom.

Sometimes I refer to a class of people as "Gentlemen," but they are not necessarily gentle although usually they're men.

[Kali]

75. Usually the Spanish - (Mexican) "Salud!" (upside down ! in front)

sometimes "Gesunthiet" or however it's spelled, but I have German friends and have been made aware that I am completely incapable of pronouncing anything in German so now I have a complex about that....

With my kids sometimes I exclaim "Excuseyou!" as a sort of made up word/expression/reminder (run it together fast)

[prolesunited]

79. I like salud

It's easier to pronounce.

[KamaAina]

77. Kihe, a mauliola

that is, Sneeze, and have a long life.

[Deja Q]

78. I'd say "Wipe it up"

:rofl:

What can one say in all seriousness?

I say "bless you" to the atheist friends of mine, and then engage in talk for 20 minutes about the etymology of the phrase "bless you" and how people were so dim, they used to think that when you sneezed, your soul vacated you along with your snot...

[Ellen Forradalom]

81. "Thanks for sneezing all over my arm."

"And don't wipe your nose on your sleeve!"

[Beware the Beast Man]

83. I say bless you no matter what.

I really don't feel like I'm shoving anything down anyone's throat by saying it.

[Susang]

85. I'm pretty much an atheist

And I never take offense to someone saying "bless you" when I sneeze. Unfortunately, I am not comfortable doing the same. ;-)

[malachibk]

84. "Salud"

n/t

[alphafemale]

86. ...euh....Clean that shit up!" Other people gotta touch that .

:evilgrin:

[progressoid]

88. Atheist or not, you don't have to say anything.

What do you say when someone coughs or hiccups or blinks?

[DS1]

90. I don't say anything, and don't like having to answer to "Bless you"s

I wish people would just sneeze and shut the fuck up

[arwalden]

92. How Come Nobody "Blesses" Me Whenever I Fart?

That's another completely normal and natural body function... so where's all the heavenly concern about that?

[Susang]

93. Jesus does

He blesses all the flatulence! :P

[arwalden]

95. Oh Joy! My Farts Bring Me Blessings!!!

:rofl:

[ComerPerro]

94. When a Christian says "God bless you", how sincere are they really?

I mean, honestly...

[Parrcrow]

96. Blech! Now look at my shoes! n/t

[JanMichael]

97. Nazdrowia.

That's "To your health" in Polish.

It's also "Cheers"

[lakemonster11]

98. "Ya sou" (the Greek response) is secular.

It just means "health to you."