I was on the train sitting down and then doors open and dust came flying in my face so i sneezed, and some person told me god bless you and i told them no, i'm an atheist and they just shut up after that. Was that rude? What should i have done? I wasnt gonna just sit there mutely as they walk all over my atheist beliefs by saying god bless you
2006-11-01 14:56:53 · 54 answers · asked by Henry 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
That was rude. Did you really think that they were "walking all over your beliefs"? Or are you looking for another excuse to bring up the fact that you're athiest. Surely there's more to your personality that's a little more interesting than that.
2006-11-01 14:59:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
Buddhists, muslims, jews, christains, and every other religion says god bless you. It's transformed from the literal meaning to just something you say after someone sneezes. Don't think too much about your beliefs. Just say thank you.
If you really want to press your beliefs onto someone else or you're seriously offended then say something like, "Thank you, but I'm an atheist so that doesn't work" and kinda make a joke out of it. The person is trying to be nice, don't be inconsiderate back. (Plus your giving atheism a bad reputation if you do somethin like that)
2006-11-01 15:05:51 · answer #2 · answered by skiiermandan 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They were just doing the normal thing. Yeah, they didn't care to notice about your religous beliefs. Not everyone who says "god bless" believes in god. That's ok, because a lot of athesists try to walk all over religious people's beliefs. So, it's kinda gonna go back the same way. One side yelling at the other. It's gonna be like that all the time. Sorry
2006-11-01 15:14:39 · answer #3 · answered by lizz 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes you were most certainly RUDE!!
You were selfish in feeling that your beliefs were violated. Regardless of what religion you are you should say "thank you" or say nothing at all. "God bless you" may have come from a religious preface but in present day times it's a natural and polite gesture. I mean even now people have shorten it to "Bless you".
It really shouldn't matter what she said. It was her tone of voice and the meaning behind it. She only meant politeness and extented her courtesy out to you. You should know that and should not have been so short with her/him.
I'm an athiest too. And I personally always say "thank you" to a "God bless you" because any blessing regardless of who it's from is a good thing in my book.
2006-11-01 15:13:02 · answer #4 · answered by tofu 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually, that was quite rude. You might think God Bless You is a bad word in your beliefs but not the person who said it. You should respect other people's religons and they will respect yours. Just because a little God Bless You won't harm you forever? Look on the bright side!
2006-11-01 16:19:00 · answer #5 · answered by Cheesecakeextreme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were just trying to be nice to you. It's like opening the door for someone and they don't say thank you. It would have been better for you to just smile and say thanks. I'll bet the next time they won't say anything to anyone at all. I love it when a man opens the door for me, I always say thank you. There are so many women that don't like it and won't say thank you. We don't always have to discuss women's rights because a man opens the door, and we don't have to discuss religion because someone says bless you. Do we have to always make a big deal out of everything. Can't we just be polite and smile, offer a thank you or two. You must be the type that gets offended when some caring person hand writes a Christmas card and and spends the 37 cents to send you a card. Goodness!
2006-11-01 15:11:57 · answer #6 · answered by sunny 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would have to say yes it was rude. The comment was made as an innocent courtesy. You could have easily just nodded and smiled and went about your way. They weren't looking for lifelong friendship, just trying to be polite. And if your an atheist, they are just words that don't mean anything. Doesn't mean you have to walk all over the beliefs of over 86% people in the world. You went out of your way to make a statement that probably hurt that person's feelings and that is rude.
2006-11-01 15:12:15 · answer #7 · answered by jigsawinc 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
yes that was very rude. not to say that u in general are a rude person but chances are that the person said, "bless u" not "god bless u". "bless u" is a common term and nowadays has NOTHING to do with religion. it is just a simple polite way to excuse someone for sneezing. they were just trying to be polite and u shot them down like THAT?! yes, u were rude, but i suppose, maybe in ur mind, u were justified. i am not a christian, i am a hindu, but when people sneeze, i say "bless u" and if i sneeze and someone says it to me i thank them. it's common etiquette and manners. u need to be a little more respectful. next time just say thank u and move on with ur day. no one wants to hear ur atheist ramblings when all they were trying to do was excuse u for sneezing. i hope this helped u and i hope u r a little nicer to ppl next time they say "bless you". have a wonderful day...
2006-11-01 15:08:15 · answer #8 · answered by ♥_mrs.smith 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
So you walked all over their beliefs in stead. Do you believe that simply because others aren't gay that they should tell gays that they are wrong for their situation. Would it have killed you to acknowledge simple kindness as a gesture of courtesy and not started a political battle. Yes you were very rude and intolerant, no wonder we're amazed by the lack of simple courtesies anymore! You have probably helped some to see why the world is in the shape it's in!
2006-11-01 15:56:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"God Bless You" is a common response dating back several hundred years, and was most common during times such as the black plague, where sickness what common...sneezes and coughs where thought to be signs of oncoming illness, which at the time was considered a punishment by God, so it was not just a general response, but a general prayer for the health and safety of the individual...as time has progressed and people have split farther from religion, in general though not entirely, it has become merely a response to a sneeze (i still dont know what to say to a cough) merely as a common courtesy out of recognition and general concern for your health and/or well-being...oftentimes nowadays "God" is entirely left out of the phrase and it is simply "Bless You"...they were not purposely insulting you, so i suggest next time if you still want to point out your separation from belief in a god, say something along the lines of "thank you for your concern, but i would greatly appreciate it if you would leave the name god out of that statement, for i do not believe in a god but would still like to believe that your concern has some effect upon my life" in a nice tone of voice
2006-11-01 15:03:38 · answer #10 · answered by BabyFace 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Remember that religion is all a matter of personal opinion and belief. To other atheists this would be rude. Riddle me this, how is the other person to know just by looking at you that you are an atheist? In my opinion, if they meant no ill intentions it was rude. Good intentions should always be recognized; it is when they get in the way of your inner struggles that intent is questionable.
2006-11-01 15:03:20 · answer #11 · answered by tat2dlydia 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋