for me, it has everything to do with religion. this whole custom is steeped in religious hocus pocus (ridding the soul of the devil etc etc), which is why I don't say it. saying Germany's gasundheit (sp?) is more applicable, it directly translates as "health".
I used to have a problem with saying it - not for any religious reasons, just because I thought it was a stupid custom. But then one day I had a boyfriend who got really hurt with me that I didn't say it to him when he sneezed. He felt like saying "bless you" is the polite thing to do and it shows care/concern for your fellow people. I see his point and now I always say it - either that or "salud". I think it's polite. We could use more polite people in this world. It has nothing to do with religion.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
I used to have a problem with saying it - not for any religious reasons, just because I thought it was a stupid custom. But then one day I had a boyfriend who got really hurt with me that I didn't say it to him when he sneezed. He felt like saying "bless you" is the polite thing to do and it shows care/concern for your fellow people. I see his point and now I always say it - either that or "salud". I think it's polite. We could use more polite people in this world. It has nothing to do with religion.
its just a sneeze. :roll: hope you didnt marry that boyfriend.
Yeah, I thought he overreacted at the time, but I do think it's important to be polite to others. No, I didn't marry him - but that's a whole other story.
politeness it one thing... blessing them is entirely something different.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
for me, it has everything to do with religion. this whole custom is steeped in religious hocus pocus (ridding the soul of the devil etc etc), which is why I don't say it. saying Germany's gasundheit (sp?) is more applicable, it directly translates as "health".
I used to have a problem with saying it - not for any religious reasons, just because I thought it was a stupid custom. But then one day I had a boyfriend who got really hurt with me that I didn't say it to him when he sneezed. He felt like saying "bless you" is the polite thing to do and it shows care/concern for your fellow people. I see his point and now I always say it - either that or "salud". I think it's polite. We could use more polite people in this world. It has nothing to do with religion.
Yeah, but that's for you. For lots of people it's not about religion, so I don't think people should assume it is when it's said to them. Same with "Merry Christmas". I'm actually surprised to hear that people are so uptight about these things, especially considering the backlash against political-correctness around here. I don't know why people can't just appreciate it when someone is trying to be nice to them.
for me, it has everything to do with religion. this whole custom is steeped in religious hocus pocus (ridding the soul of the devil etc etc), which is why I don't say it. saying Germany's gasundheit (sp?) is more applicable, it directly translates as "health".
I used to have a problem with saying it - not for any religious reasons, just because I thought it was a stupid custom. But then one day I had a boyfriend who got really hurt with me that I didn't say it to him when he sneezed. He felt like saying "bless you" is the polite thing to do and it shows care/concern for your fellow people. I see his point and now I always say it - either that or "salud". I think it's polite. We could use more polite people in this world. It has nothing to do with religion.
Yeah, but that's for you. For lots of people it's not about religion, so I don't think people should assume it is when it's said to them. Same with "Merry Christmas". I'm actually surprised to hear that people are so uptight about these things, especially considering the backlash against political-correctness around here. I don't know why people can't just appreciate it when someone is trying to be nice to them.
thats cause they just dont know its origins and say it as a reflex. and quite frankly if someone does not know BLESS you has religious connotations then being blessed is the least of their worries.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Yeah, but that's for you. For lots of people it's not about religion, so I don't think people should assume it is when it's said to them. Same with "Merry Christmas". I'm actually surprised to hear that people are so uptight about these things, especially considering the backlash against political-correctness around here. I don't know why people can't just appreciate it when someone is trying to be nice to them.
thats cause they just dont know its origins and say it as a reflex. and quite frankly if someone does not know BLESS you has religious connotations then being blessed is the least of their worries.
As with Christmas, just because someone knows the word bless has religious connotations doesn't mean they mean it in a religious way. And even for those who do mean it that way, I still don't think people should be so uptight about it.
I don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls me ma'am, despite the fact that the word is meant to refer to married women (which I'm not) and presupposes that a woman's identity is defined by her marital status (a concept which I find offensive and abhorrent). I just appreciate that they're trying to be polite.
I don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls me ma'am, despite the fact that the word is meant to refer to married women (which I'm not) and presupposes that a woman's identity is defined by her marital status (a concept which I find offensive and abhorrent). I just appreciate that they're trying to be polite.
i've always thought mrs seemed like a possessive title, like it's mr's. why does a womens change? if she's single it's ms, if she's married it changes to mrs but a guy is always mr
don't compete; coexist
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
I don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls me ma'am, despite the fact that the word is meant to refer to married women (which I'm not) and presupposes that a woman's identity is defined by her marital status (a concept which I find offensive and abhorrent). I just appreciate that they're trying to be polite.
i've always thought mrs seemed like a possessive title, like it's mr's. why does a womens change? if she's single it's ms, if she's married it changes to mrs but a guy is always mr
It's actually Miss if she's single and Mrs. if she's married - and it really was because women's identities were based in large part on their marital status. Ms. is the newer term created to be the counterpart to Mr. without being indicative of marital status (hence the name Ms. for the feminist magazine).
I never noticed about Mrs being Mr's! Interesting...
i've always thought mrs seemed like a possessive title, like it's mr's. why does a womens change? if she's single it's ms, if she's married it changes to mrs but a guy is always mr
think you answered your own question there pepe.
consider the fact that before we all became enlightened, only marriage legitimised a child.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
i've always thought mrs seemed like a possessive title, like it's mr's. why does a womens change? if she's single it's ms, if she's married it changes to mrs but a guy is always mr
think you answered your own question there pepe.
consider the fact that before we all became enlightened, only marriage legitimised a child.
Yeah, but that's for you. For lots of people it's not about religion, so I don't think people should assume it is when it's said to them. Same with "Merry Christmas". I'm actually surprised to hear that people are so uptight about these things, especially considering the backlash against political-correctness around here. I don't know why people can't just appreciate it when someone is trying to be nice to them.
thats cause they just dont know its origins and say it as a reflex. and quite frankly if someone does not know BLESS you has religious connotations then being blessed is the least of their worries.
As with Christmas, just because someone knows the word bless has religious connotations doesn't mean they mean it in a religious way. And even for those who do mean it that way, I still don't think people should be so uptight about it.
I don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls me ma'am, despite the fact that the word is meant to refer to married women (which I'm not) and presupposes that a woman's identity is defined by her marital status (a concept which I find offensive and abhorrent). I just appreciate that they're trying to be polite.
well how do they mean it then? i bet the vast majority of people couldnt answer you. as i said its become a reflex. not long ago i heard our then prime minister speak for the entire country and offer prayers to another. was he speaking for me?? he seemed to think so when he said all australians. this is the kind of thing that irks me. the presumption that we are all religious beings. and that those of us who arent are just spitting sour grapes when we take offense, no matter how slight, at the insidiousness of religion in a modern secular society.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
I don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls me ma'am, despite the fact that the word is meant to refer to married women (which I'm not) and presupposes that a woman's identity is defined by her marital status (a concept which I find offensive and abhorrent). I just appreciate that they're trying to be polite.
Ma'am is a contraction of the french Madame (brought into english). It's a term to used to address ANY adult woman (thus when one looks like she would be past the Miss/Mademoiselle stage) and is not linked to marital status. Like in formal letters.. Dear Sir/Madam....
Though I am agnostic, I don't have a problem with 'bless you' as it is engrained in tradition and no longer holds any religious value (though I do prefer the french 'a tes souhaits' or 'gezundheit'). I'm sure there are a number of common expression with such religious etymology, eg. labour of love, eat drink and be merry (from the bible)..
The lengths some of you people go to to kick off another anti-religion tirade astounds me.
Our history is steeped in religious tradition whether you think yourself too clever to embrace it or not. Saying 'Bless You' post sneeze signifies only ever a courteous recognition of the snotty spazm which may well be a precurser to something more. It does not represent, even if it's being said by a Minister of some description, a pre-medidated prayer for your spiritual well-being.
If I say 'Pardon me' on the back end of a burp am I expected to leave the room if nobody responds? Nobody's deconstructing the pointlessless of that tradition, just accepting that it is meant to be polite.
I realise that the irrational hatred of all things faith based is pretty fucking rife around here, and so towing the line will always earn you some kudos, but the effort you've put into looking for a religious inference in mundane things to then get peeved about is EXTREME.
I get what you're saying although on this particular saying, I generally ignore it from habit... but it annoys me when people say things like "have a blessed day" or wish me celebratory saluations for religious holidays for which I don't practice or believe. .. ie merry x-mas or something.
Personally I think that is pretty messed up.
I wouldn't get annoyed if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or anything else. People don't know what YOU believe, they only know what they believe and celebrate. If they want to wish me well during that time frame, how does that hurt me in the slightest?
thats cause they just dont know its origins and say it as a reflex. and quite frankly if someone does not know BLESS you has religious connotations then being blessed is the least of their worries.
As with Christmas, just because someone knows the word bless has religious connotations doesn't mean they mean it in a religious way. And even for those who do mean it that way, I still don't think people should be so uptight about it.
I don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls me ma'am, despite the fact that the word is meant to refer to married women (which I'm not) and presupposes that a woman's identity is defined by her marital status (a concept which I find offensive and abhorrent). I just appreciate that they're trying to be polite.
well how do they mean it then? i bet the vast majority of people couldnt answer you. as i said its become a reflex. not long ago i heard our then prime minister speak for the entire country and offer prayers to another. was he speaking for me?? he seemed to think so when he said all australians. this is the kind of thing that irks me. the presumption that we are all religious beings. and that those of us who arent are just spitting sour grapes when we take offense, no matter how slight, at the insidiousness of religion in a modern secular society.
It's a phrase that people say to be polite, to acknowledge their fellow human beings. That's how they mean it - in the same way they mean anything else that we say out of courtesy.
There's a big difference between someone speaking FOR you and someone speaking TO you.
I think of saying "Bless you" is nothing other than being polite, or at least that's what it's seemed to evolve into. Not to mention, in an unfriendly world, to have a stranger be polite to you for simply being human, is hardly a bad thing.
I also think of the movie "Singles" when Briget Fonda feels disappointed that her boyfriend Matt Dillon refuses to say it to her when she sneezes. It's just a nice thing to do. And the movie ends happily when he actually does tell her "Bless you"...
I get what you're saying although on this particular saying, I generally ignore it from habit... but it annoys me when people say things like "have a blessed day" or wish me celebratory saluations for religious holidays for which I don't practice or believe. .. ie merry x-mas or something.
I was in a car accident and in the hospital for 4 months. I had MANY people tell me they were praying for me, praying to particular patron saints for the ill and hopeless, had their entire church parishes (of different denominations) "say a prayer" for my family. (I'm Agnostic) Should I really be unhappy or even offended that they wanted to shower me with their faith? At the time, I really didn't mind, I just wanted to get better. And I thought it was very thoughtful and caring. Put into perspective, people wishing their faith onto you may be annoying, but it really isn't all that bad...
English – “Bless you” or “God bless you”
German – “Gesundheit”
Greeks and Romans – “Banish the Omen”
Hindu – “Live” and responds “With you”
Zulu – “I am now blessed”
Interesting facts:
Sneezes are an automatic reflex that can’t be stopped once sneezing starts.
Sneezes can travel at a speed of 100 miles per hour and the wet spray can radiate five feet.
People don’t sneeze when they are asleep because the nerves involved in nerve reflex are also resting.
Between 18 and 35% of the population sneezes when exposed to sudden bright light.
Some people sneeze when plucking their eyebrows because the nerve endings in the face are irritated and then fire an impulse that reaches the nasal nerve....me and bang my head on the mirror :oops: :?
I think you read a wee bit too much into the actual point. This is not an anti-religion thread. I just don't like saying bless you, with or without the god part, because I'm not religious, so it makes no fucking sense for me to bless someone. Is that not simple enough?
I wouldn't have a problem saying gasundheit (not religious), but it sounds ridiculous coming from a Canadian white male. I don't give a shit about how steeped we are in religion.
how about every time you hear someone fart you say to them "Devil damn you". That would be polite if you were a Satanist, so it must be nice for everyone, right? I mean, our history is steeped in wicken tradition and all, too, right?
the lengths some of you people go to kick off another don't-hate-on-religion tirade astounds me.
The lengths some of you people go to to kick off another anti-religion tirade astounds me.
Our history is steeped in religious tradition whether you think yourself too clever to embrace it or not. Saying 'Bless You' post sneeze signifies only ever a courteous recognition of the snotty spazm which may well be a precurser to something more. It does not represent, even if it's being said by a Minister of some description, a pre-medidated prayer for your spiritual well-being.
If I say 'Pardon me' on the back end of a burp am I expected to leave the room if nobody responds? Nobody's deconstructing the pointlessless of that tradition, just accepting that it is meant to be polite.
I realise that the irrational hatred of all things faith based is pretty fucking rife around here, and so towing the line will always earn you some kudos, but the effort you've put into looking for a religious inference in mundane things to then get peeved about is EXTREME.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Between 18 and 35% of the population sneezes when exposed to sudden bright light.
I'm one of those wackos. It's fucking annoying too. Every time I get out of the car on a sunny day, or go outside in general, or even a bright room, it happens, sometimes in multiple succession. People are always asking me if I have allergies. I say "yeah, bright light, just call me Gizmo".
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
The lengths some of you people go to to kick off another anti-religion tirade astounds me.
Our history is steeped in religious tradition whether you think yourself too clever to embrace it or not. Saying 'Bless You' post sneeze signifies only ever a courteous recognition of the snotty spazm which may well be a precurser to something more. It does not represent, even if it's being said by a Minister of some description, a pre-medidated prayer for your spiritual well-being.
If I say 'Pardon me' on the back end of a burp am I expected to leave the room if nobody responds? Nobody's deconstructing the pointlessless of that tradition, just accepting that it is meant to be polite.
I realise that the irrational hatred of all things faith based is pretty fucking rife around here, and so towing the line will always earn you some kudos, but the effort you've put into looking for a religious inference in mundane things to then get peeved about is EXTREME.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
I don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls me ma'am, despite the fact that the word is meant to refer to married women (which I'm not) and presupposes that a woman's identity is defined by her marital status (a concept which I find offensive and abhorrent). I just appreciate that they're trying to be polite.
Ma'am is a contraction of the french Madame (brought into english). It's a term to used to address ANY adult woman (thus when one looks like she would be past the Miss/Mademoiselle stage) and is not linked to marital status. Like in formal letters.. Dear Sir/Madam....
Well that's debatable. But since it's not the subject of the thread, how about if I say I could choose to take offense to someone thinking I'm old enough to be called ma'am, but I opt to just appreciate their attempt to be respectful instead.
I get what you're saying although on this particular saying, I generally ignore it from habit... but it annoys me when people say things like "have a blessed day" or wish me celebratory saluations for religious holidays for which I don't practice or believe. .. ie merry x-mas or something.
I was in a car accident and in the hospital for 4 months. I had MANY people tell me they were praying for me, praying to particular patron saints for the ill and hopeless, had their entire church parishes (of different denominations) "say a prayer" for my family. (I'm Agnostic) Should I really be unhappy or even offended that they wanted to shower me with their faith? At the time, I really didn't mind, I just wanted to get better. And I thought it was very thoughtful and caring. Put into perspective, people wishing their faith onto you may be annoying, but it really isn't all that bad...
I think it's nice that they're willing to pray for you without insisting that you convert to their religion. They could say you're not worthy of prayer if you don't believe in their God.
I think you read a wee bit too much into the actual point. This is not an anti-religion thread. I just don't like saying bless you, with or without the god part, because I'm not religious, so it makes no fucking sense for me to bless someone. Is that not simple enough?
I wouldn't have a problem saying gasundheit (not religious), but it sounds ridiculous coming from a Canadian white male. I don't give a shit about how steeped we are in religion.
how about every time you hear someone fart you say to them "Devil damn you". That would be polite if you were a Satanist, so it must be nice for everyone, right? I mean, our history is steeped in wicken tradition and all, too, right?
the lengths some of you people go to kick off another don't-hate-on-religion tirade astounds me.
The lengths some of you people go to to kick off another anti-religion tirade astounds me.
Our history is steeped in religious tradition whether you think yourself too clever to embrace it or not. Saying 'Bless You' post sneeze signifies only ever a courteous recognition of the snotty spazm which may well be a precurser to something more. It does not represent, even if it's being said by a Minister of some description, a pre-medidated prayer for your spiritual well-being.
If I say 'Pardon me' on the back end of a burp am I expected to leave the room if nobody responds? Nobody's deconstructing the pointlessless of that tradition, just accepting that it is meant to be polite.
I realise that the irrational hatred of all things faith based is pretty fucking rife around here, and so towing the line will always earn you some kudos, but the effort you've put into looking for a religious inference in mundane things to then get peeved about is EXTREME.
I think you're the one who's over-reacting. You might not have intended this as an anti-religion thread, but that's what it became. And if you don't want to say bless you to people, that's fine - but it's a different story to get upset with other people when they say it to you, which is what some people have said.
Though I am agnostic, I don't have a problem with 'bless you' as it is engrained in tradition and no longer holds any religious value (though I do prefer the french 'a tes souhaits' or 'gezundheit'). I'm sure there are a number of common expression with such religious etymology, eg. labour of love, eat drink and be merry (from the bible)..
Have to agree with this. I'm agnostic ... know where 'bless you' originally came from... still say it as I think it is a nice/polite thing to do ... an acknowledgement. When I say it to someone it is with no religious belief. I guess I would notice if someone didn't say it to me. The vast majority of my friends/acquaintances are agnostic/athiest and seem to say it.
Like redrock ... I see it as just a saying ... and not that I am actually 'blessing' the person in question.
Same way I say god damn ... jesus christ etc ... it's a reflex ... and one I don't have a problem with.
Post edited by chime on
So are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?
I think it's nice that they're willing to pray for you without insisting that you convert to their religion. They could say you're not worthy of prayer if you don't believe in their God.
i am agnostic and in general anti-religion ... anyhoo, i was buying groceries in new orleans this year and the bagging guy at the cash blessed all my food ... i was like: "thanks man!" ...
I think you're the one who's over-reacting. You might not have intended this as an anti-religion thread, but that's what it became. And if you don't want to say bless you to people, that's fine - but it's a different story to get upset with other people when they say it to you, which is what some people have said.
I don't consider sarcasm over-reacting.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Comments
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
politeness it one thing... blessing them is entirely something different.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Yeah, but that's for you. For lots of people it's not about religion, so I don't think people should assume it is when it's said to them. Same with "Merry Christmas". I'm actually surprised to hear that people are so uptight about these things, especially considering the backlash against political-correctness around here. I don't know why people can't just appreciate it when someone is trying to be nice to them.
thats cause they just dont know its origins and say it as a reflex. and quite frankly if someone does not know BLESS you has religious connotations then being blessed is the least of their worries.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
As with Christmas, just because someone knows the word bless has religious connotations doesn't mean they mean it in a religious way. And even for those who do mean it that way, I still don't think people should be so uptight about it.
I don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls me ma'am, despite the fact that the word is meant to refer to married women (which I'm not) and presupposes that a woman's identity is defined by her marital status (a concept which I find offensive and abhorrent). I just appreciate that they're trying to be polite.
i've always thought mrs seemed like a possessive title, like it's mr's. why does a womens change? if she's single it's ms, if she's married it changes to mrs but a guy is always mr
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
It's actually Miss if she's single and Mrs. if she's married - and it really was because women's identities were based in large part on their marital status. Ms. is the newer term created to be the counterpart to Mr. without being indicative of marital status (hence the name Ms. for the feminist magazine).
I never noticed about Mrs being Mr's! Interesting...
think you answered your own question there pepe.
consider the fact that before we all became enlightened, only marriage legitimised a child.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Shit, only marriage legitimized a woman!
well how do they mean it then? i bet the vast majority of people couldnt answer you. as i said its become a reflex. not long ago i heard our then prime minister speak for the entire country and offer prayers to another. was he speaking for me?? he seemed to think so when he said all australians. this is the kind of thing that irks me. the presumption that we are all religious beings. and that those of us who arent are just spitting sour grapes when we take offense, no matter how slight, at the insidiousness of religion in a modern secular society.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Ma'am is a contraction of the french Madame (brought into english). It's a term to used to address ANY adult woman (thus when one looks like she would be past the Miss/Mademoiselle stage) and is not linked to marital status. Like in formal letters.. Dear Sir/Madam....
Though I am agnostic, I don't have a problem with 'bless you' as it is engrained in tradition and no longer holds any religious value (though I do prefer the french 'a tes souhaits' or 'gezundheit'). I'm sure there are a number of common expression with such religious etymology, eg. labour of love, eat drink and be merry (from the bible)..
Our history is steeped in religious tradition whether you think yourself too clever to embrace it or not. Saying 'Bless You' post sneeze signifies only ever a courteous recognition of the snotty spazm which may well be a precurser to something more. It does not represent, even if it's being said by a Minister of some description, a pre-medidated prayer for your spiritual well-being.
If I say 'Pardon me' on the back end of a burp am I expected to leave the room if nobody responds? Nobody's deconstructing the pointlessless of that tradition, just accepting that it is meant to be polite.
I realise that the irrational hatred of all things faith based is pretty fucking rife around here, and so towing the line will always earn you some kudos, but the effort you've put into looking for a religious inference in mundane things to then get peeved about is EXTREME.
The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08
Personally I think that is pretty messed up.
I wouldn't get annoyed if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or anything else. People don't know what YOU believe, they only know what they believe and celebrate. If they want to wish me well during that time frame, how does that hurt me in the slightest?
It's a phrase that people say to be polite, to acknowledge their fellow human beings. That's how they mean it - in the same way they mean anything else that we say out of courtesy.
There's a big difference between someone speaking FOR you and someone speaking TO you.
Sheesh - why are we even talking about this?
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
I also think of the movie "Singles" when Briget Fonda feels disappointed that her boyfriend Matt Dillon refuses to say it to her when she sneezes. It's just a nice thing to do. And the movie ends happily when he actually does tell her "Bless you"...
I was in a car accident and in the hospital for 4 months. I had MANY people tell me they were praying for me, praying to particular patron saints for the ill and hopeless, had their entire church parishes (of different denominations) "say a prayer" for my family. (I'm Agnostic) Should I really be unhappy or even offended that they wanted to shower me with their faith? At the time, I really didn't mind, I just wanted to get better. And I thought it was very thoughtful and caring. Put into perspective, people wishing their faith onto you may be annoying, but it really isn't all that bad...
English – “Bless you” or “God bless you”
German – “Gesundheit”
Greeks and Romans – “Banish the Omen”
Hindu – “Live” and responds “With you”
Zulu – “I am now blessed”
Interesting facts:
Sneezes are an automatic reflex that can’t be stopped once sneezing starts.
Sneezes can travel at a speed of 100 miles per hour and the wet spray can radiate five feet.
People don’t sneeze when they are asleep because the nerves involved in nerve reflex are also resting.
Between 18 and 35% of the population sneezes when exposed to sudden bright light.
Some people sneeze when plucking their eyebrows because the nerve endings in the face are irritated and then fire an impulse that reaches the nasal nerve....me and bang my head on the mirror :oops: :?
I wouldn't have a problem saying gasundheit (not religious), but it sounds ridiculous coming from a Canadian white male. I don't give a shit about how steeped we are in religion.
how about every time you hear someone fart you say to them "Devil damn you". That would be polite if you were a Satanist, so it must be nice for everyone, right? I mean, our history is steeped in wicken tradition and all, too, right?
the lengths some of you people go to kick off another don't-hate-on-religion tirade astounds me.
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I'm one of those wackos. It's fucking annoying too. Every time I get out of the car on a sunny day, or go outside in general, or even a bright room, it happens, sometimes in multiple succession. People are always asking me if I have allergies. I say "yeah, bright light, just call me Gizmo".
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and by the way, the word "bless" has religious connotations to it, too, not just "God".
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Well that's debatable. But since it's not the subject of the thread, how about if I say I could choose to take offense to someone thinking I'm old enough to be called ma'am, but I opt to just appreciate their attempt to be respectful instead.
I think it's nice that they're willing to pray for you without insisting that you convert to their religion. They could say you're not worthy of prayer if you don't believe in their God.
I think you're the one who's over-reacting. You might not have intended this as an anti-religion thread, but that's what it became. And if you don't want to say bless you to people, that's fine - but it's a different story to get upset with other people when they say it to you, which is what some people have said.
Have to agree with this. I'm agnostic ... know where 'bless you' originally came from... still say it as I think it is a nice/polite thing to do ... an acknowledgement. When I say it to someone it is with no religious belief. I guess I would notice if someone didn't say it to me. The vast majority of my friends/acquaintances are agnostic/athiest and seem to say it.
Like redrock ... I see it as just a saying ... and not that I am actually 'blessing' the person in question.
Same way I say god damn ... jesus christ etc ... it's a reflex ... and one I don't have a problem with.
i am agnostic and in general anti-religion ... anyhoo, i was buying groceries in new orleans this year and the bagging guy at the cash blessed all my food ... i was like: "thanks man!" ...
I don't consider sarcasm over-reacting.
Fargo 2003
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