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Non God Believing Folks - Do you mind "God Bless You"? (1 Viewer)

Non God Believing Folks - Do you mind "God Bless You"?

  • Not A Believer - Don't mind it at all. In fact, I think it's kind of nice.

    Votes: 41 27.9%

  • Not A Believer - Don't mind but don't really care.

    Votes: 67 45.6%

  • Not A Believer - Mind a little bit.

    Votes: 4 2.7%

  • Not A Believer - I don't like it.

    Votes: 8 5.4%

  • Doesn't Apply - I Believe

    Votes: 27 18.4%
  • Total voters
    147
Joe Bryant

Joe Bryant

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Staff member
Question for folks that don't believe in God. Do you have any opinion when someone who does believe in God says "God bless you" or "God Bless" or "May God bless you'?

I ask as someone who does believe and I say this somewhat often in real life to people I don't know, like restaurant servers for example,  and I wondered how it was taken. 

Thoughts?

 
Joe Bryant said:
Question for folks that don't believe in God. Do you have any opinion when someone who does believe in God says "God bless you" or "God Bless" or "May God bless you'?

I ask as someone who does believe and I say this somewhat often in real life to people I don't know, like restaurant servers for example,  and I wondered how it was taken. 

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Like when I sneeze?

 
Being bothered by this means you are looking for something to be offended by (as someone who is not a believer).

I would draw the line at someone saying they are going to pray for my soul, when they know I am not a believer, then I would take offense.  But someone saying bless you after a sneeze, or that they are going to pray for you at a time of loss, etc, are attempts by one person to be nice to another.  Someone being bothered by that says a lot about that person.

 
Joe Bryant said:
Question for folks that don't believe in God. Do you have any opinion when someone who does believe in God says "God bless you" or "God Bless" or "May God bless you'?

I ask as someone who does believe and I say this somewhat often in real life to people I don't know, like restaurant servers for example,  and I wondered how it was taken. 

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Be pretty hard  to escape that sort of thing in the USA. Then here comes the Holidays and those family gatherings and granny needs to say grace, so what are your options?   You can't....sorry granny.....so ya play along.   Coach says...ok men bow your head....so ya bow your head.

While no big deal,  it can be a little annoying...if....you aren't a believer.

I never push it on others being a believer (sorta).....something is responsible for all this,not sure what however.

 
Are we talking sneezing or other times?  For sneezing, I don't think it's to be taken literally.  At other times, I think it can be inappropriate (I think we should keep our religions to ourselves when talking to strangers) but I realize it's being said with good intentions.

I voted I mind a little bit.  

 
Don't believe, kind of nice.

Unless they literally mean for a god to bless me, which they don't (I hope/assume?).  It is just a polite tradition.

eta - unless a person is really laying it on thick, then I quickly transition to FU mode.

 
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I was thinking about something similar to this today.  I went to my Grandpa’s funeral, and he was a fervent believer, as are the vast majority of his friends and my extended family, so I got a lot of blessings and “praying for your family,” and the service was highly religious.  I thought it was nice for people to include me in their prayers and blessings, though I’m not a believer, because it’s something that’s important to them that they are welcoming me into.  It’s kind and shows great grace.

 
Long Ball Larry said:
i don't mind because i am not an insane person, but honestly i find the custom odd all around and would like it stop, whether it's god bless you or gesundheit or whatever.
Click to expand...
It's a vestige of superstitions that we've carried forward through tradition. Pretty goofy. But it comes from good intention, so I still think it's nice of people to say it.

 
krista4 said:
I was thinking about something similar to this today.  I went to my Grandpa’s funeral, and he was a fervent believer, as are the vast majority of his friends and my extended family, so I got a lot of blessings and “praying for your family,” and the service was highly religious.  I thought it was nice for people to include me in their prayers and blessings, though I’m not a believer, because it’s something that’s important to them that they are welcoming me into.  It’s kind and shows great grace.
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I'm not a believer, but I actually use T&P's in similar circumstances.  It conveys the right message (and hoping really hard for mercy is the essence of what a prayer means to me in that case).

 
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I guess this is the opposite of the war on Christmas.

I am a believer, and I never get offended when someone says: "Happy Holidays!"

Its the sentiment that counts, not the words.  And, I suspect the same is true here.

 
I'm a believer, in my own way I guess though not as dogmatic as some. GB you is fine. One nation under God in the pledge sort of bothers me though. Don't think God appreciates man's governmental institution usurping His/Her name and authority.

 
Oddly enough, Joe, it appears you have been successful in building a community of non-believers. Or maybe the demographic here just trends towards non-belief.  

 
Not A Believer - Don't mind. kind of nice.

A few weeks ago, a guy I'm in a lawsuit with told me he's praying for me. I genuinely appreciate that he's doing that. Honestly, what could be nicer than that -  the guy is a devout Christian, and he's asking his God to look out for me. 

 
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CletiusMaximus said:
Not A Believer - Don't mind. kind of nice.

A few weeks ago, a guy I'm in a lawsuit with told me he's praying for me. I genuinely appreciate that he's doing that. Honestly, what could be nicer than that -  the guy is a devout Christian, and he's asking his God to look out for me. 
Click to expand...
HE PRAYED FOR YOU, CLETIUS !!!

 
krista4 said:
I was thinking about something similar to this today.  I went to my Grandpa’s funeral, and he was a fervent believer, as are the vast majority of his friends and my extended family, so I got a lot of blessings and “praying for your family,” and the service was highly religious.  I thought it was nice for people to include me in their prayers and blessings, though I’m not a believer, because it’s something that’s important to them that they are welcoming me into.  It’s kind and shows great grace.
Click to expand...
I agree completely with this, but if a stranger out of context (or anyone engaging in commerce), I get a tiny bit irked.

 
Don't like it and don't know why people have to say anything when I sneeze. No one says anything when I cough? 

 
I'm a devout atheist, but I say things like "oh my God" and "God forbid".   They're just phrases with no religious meaning to me so who cares.  

 
The only people that are going to complain about this are those who are looking to create problems anyway. Best to let them say their piece and then leave em in the dust. It's about intent of the words, not the words themselves. This phrase has always been used in a positive manner AFAIK.

 
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General Malaise said:
It's like asking me if I have an objection to people being polite.  The sentiment matters more to me than the context.  
Click to expand...
As usual the pasty one is right. 

I’m not a fan of overbearing religious guy, but if this bothers you then you’re looking for stuff to get butthurt over. 

 
Bull Dozier said:
I would draw the line at someone saying they are going to pray for my soul, when they know I am not a believer, then I would take offense.  
Click to expand...
This is something different entirely. 

If it’s a casual “thinking of you / will say a prayer for you” by a friend regarding a challenging point... it doesn’t really bug me. 

But when bible beaters (usually pearl clutching women) do this... it’s usualy judgy In context and I generally have a smartass rebuttal to put them in their place. 

 
Don't mind. Just wish we'd evolve past it someday. I still celebrate the pagan holiday of Christmas though, and even call it Christmas. What bothers me is when they do stuff like support organised pedophilia.  

 
cap'n grunge said:
I'm a believer, in my own way I guess though not as dogmatic as some. GB you is fine. One nation under God in the pledge sort of bothers me though. Don't think God appreciates man's governmental institution usurping His/Her name and authority.
Click to expand...
This bugs the hell out of me.  I intentionally cite the pledge loud and clear when in a crowd, go dead silent on this phrase, and then pick it back up again.  "In God we trust" on our currency also disturbs me, but for the most part, I have grown to just ignore it and concern myself with more important things in my life.  People saying "God bless you" doesn't really bother me at all.  I appreciate the good intentions and the well wishes in the spirit they are offered.  However, my wife's aunt says "God bless you" every third sentence out of her mouth.  I have literally counted over 30 times in an hour.  This can get pretty annoying.

 
Galileo said:
This bugs the hell out of me.  I intentionally cite the pledge loud and clear when in a crowd, go dead silent on this phrase, and then pick it back up again.  "In God we trust" on our currency also disturbs me, but for the most part, I have grown to just ignore it and concern myself with more important things in my life.  People saying "God bless you" doesn't really bother me at all.  I appreciate the good intentions and the well wishes in the spirit they are offered.  However, my wife's aunt says "God bless you" every third sentence out of her mouth.  I have literally counted over 30 times in an hour.  This can get pretty annoying.
Click to expand...
Been serving on the federal grand jury in my district for the past several months and swearing in witnesses with, "... so help you God?" really doesn't mean that much to me.

 
Galileo said:
cap'n grunge said:
I'm a believer, in my own way I guess though not as dogmatic as some. GB you is fine. One nation under God in the pledge sort of bothers me though. Don't think God appreciates man's governmental institution usurping His/Her name and authority.
Click to expand...
This bugs the hell out of me.  I intentionally cite the pledge loud and clear when in a crowd, go dead silent on this phrase, and then pick it back up again. 
Click to expand...
The phrase "under God" was forcibly jammed into the Pledge in 1954. The Pledge was originally written as "one nation, indivisible", which is a much more meaningful phrase.

When you tack on "under God", it tends to make "indivisible" an ironic afterthought.

 
Leroy Hoard said:
It almost implies that sneezing is somehow a sin. I don't approve of that message.
Click to expand...
I thought I heard that it come from the thought (Fact?) that your heart stops for a beat when you sneeze, so the saying is hoping you don't die?

Maybe an old wives' tale, but that's what I've heard.

 
krista4 said:
I was thinking about something similar to this today.  I went to my Grandpa’s funeral, and he was a fervent believer, as are the vast majority of his friends and my extended family, so I got a lot of blessings and “praying for your family,” and the service was highly religious.  I thought it was nice for people to include me in their prayers and blessings, though I’m not a believer, because it’s something that’s important to them that they are welcoming me into.  It’s kind and shows great grace.
Click to expand...
I'm agnostic but want to believe, and always think twice about the P in TPW. I remember when people said they were praying for Christopher Hitchens, noted atheist, and it sort of felt like a mean way of saying he was going to die of esophageal cancer. I never want that to be the case. I generally leave the P out out of respect for people's non-belief option. 

Since you're into music -- but not necessarily punk or hardcore, so your mileage may vary -- it was a great subject again in Touché Amore's Stage Four album, in which the lead singer questions his atheism in the face of his mother's death from cancer. Probably the most heavy-hitting album exploring your own lack of faith in the face of faith and religious well-wishing. I just type this because the album was on point with what you're saying.  

Here's Benediction as a music video. 

My condolences to you again, by the way. I hope your Grandpa died at peace.  

 
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There is no god imo. "God Bless you" "Merry Christmas" and all that stuff is great. It's the gesture and meaning that count. I like it when people are nice, it's pretty great.

 
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