Nonchristians only: how do you respond when people around you sneeze?

Question

Or when you sneeze and people say "God bless you"?

What's the best way around this silly cultural relic?

WOW! I thought this question was harmless enough, but apparently I awoke a coupla Sneeze Nazis taking the question a wee bit too personally. Lighten up. Jeez!

Is there ANY question that won't offend SOMEBODY?!

Answer 1

I say evolution maintain you!!!

Answer 2

You dont have to be christian, or religious for that matter, to say "god bless you" when someone sneezes. Look at ur hand, it looks solid right? Look at it from a powerful microscope and its nothing but vibrating energy....there is a source within and all around us.....wehter u want to call it god or you want to call it energy doesnt matter. What is Energy? Its cant be destroyed, it can move in and out of form, its all that is. the same thing could be said about god. it just depend on how u look at it. Just say "bless you", or dont say anything at all....its their choice to be offended or not

Answer 3

Bless you, gesundheit, or nothing at all. There is nothing wrong with either of these responses. You can never say enough bless yous or good health to yous. Sometimes the silence between the notes is golden too.

Answer 4

I just say bless you. It's more cultural than spiritual really. I mean it the term was used before to be warding off the evil spirits that you had just released from the sneeze.

Answer 5

I grew up saying "bless you", and that is what I do to this day if I even respond to it at all. Sometimes jokingly I say satan bless you just to mess with them but that is usually around my friends, most of which aren't religious as well. Use a sense of humor about it and you will usually get a good reaction.

Answer 6

When someone sneezes around me, I say Goddes bless you. When I sneeze, and someone says God bless you, I smile at them and say thank you, because I have a God and a Goddess.

Answer 7

I say "bless you". I'm not saying who is to bless you. This is actually a ritual to chase away the evil spirits. You are supposed to say it after the sneeze and before the next breath. It sounds more pagan than christian to me.

Answer 8

When someone else sneezes, I offer a tissue. When someone says "God Bless You" , I say "Thank you" I dont see a need to be rude.

Answer 9

I don't say anything when people sneeze, but when people bless me I say thank you because it's the thought that counts.

Answer 10

I usually don't say anything but if you think someone will think you're rude you can say salud (health) or just bless you.

There is a girl in my spanish class who always says "God Bless You!" very loudly and annoyingly. I usually whisper to my friend, "no he doesn't". X3

Answer 11

I'm atheist. I take it as a compliment. It could be that they mean it as a compliment so I should take it as a compliment. It could also be just a cultural thing where they say "god bless you" as a reaction. I really don't mind as long as they say something, it's rude not to.

I say "ghe-zoon-tight." I have no idea how to spell that German word.