would an atheist get offended if you said "god bless you" when they sneeze?

Question

this is just some dumb question i thought of
not trying to "hurt" anyones feelings or put anyone down
just wanted to know if they'd get offended, if they'd say nothing, say thank you, or preach the person that they are atheist?

Answer 1

I don't get offended, and I say it myself. It's common courtesy, not an expression of faith.

Answer 2

I wouldn't. However, do not expect a "god bless you" from an atheist if you sneeze.

There is a difference between saying "god bless you" after a sneeze and preaching to a person. If you are expecting the person to conform to your beliefs then that would be bad. However, saying "god bless you" after a sneeze is nothing. I would not be concerned about an atheist getting upset.

Answer 3

I've seen atheists hit their thumbs and say Goddamnit, say God Bless you when you sneeze and not turn to dust.
There are some Christians that get bent out of shape if you take the Lords name in vain, the farther into any religion, or the making of no religion a religion the easier it is to offend.
You can't keep the world happy, be polite and if the other person chooses to become 'offended' say sorry and move on, its their problem not yours.

Answer 4

Is the reason we say "bless you" because a long time ago when someone sneezed people thought your spirit left you?Now I think saying "bless you" or "God bless you" is simply somehow considered good manners. Personally I would think why would God bless me for sneezing, but I have never thought of it until now. If someone gets offended then they are just silly.

Answer 5

As an athiest, I can assure you that I have never been offended by a "God bless you" when I sneeze. Nor have I been offended by those who say they will pray for me when they find out my beliefs, or when they tell me I am going to Hell for my thoughts (not very many, percentage-wise do this). I am not offended by anyone's beliefs, because we are who we are. No since in wasting time defending yourself or arguing about things that can only be changed by internal forces. By the way, I often return the favor by saying one of the following: "Buddha/Yaweh/Zeus/Flying Spaghetti Monster/Mohammed/Bob/Dog/Confucious bless you".

Answer 6

If they were offended,(which would be a little immature),by someone extending to them a good intention then you might opt to use the Hispanic version of "Salude"...it simply means "health"

....now Adios(go with God,goodbye) ...is getting back into the God issue,and may send a very few( I would assume) into a vicious spiral of negative emotions.

Hopefully both Believers and Non-believers are not that thin-skinned.

Answer 7

Oh well I don't worry much about offending atheists, it seems they are always offended about something lol.

Seriously, I think if you say God Bless you and they get upset over it, then the issues they have go a lot deeper than someone just mentioning God's name.

Answer 8

While it is an expression of faith, it's a holdover from the ancient Roman belief that a part of the soul escapes when you sneeze. Therefor "God bless you" (Jupiter bless you, in the old days) is a common blessing to help one's soul reach its proper afterlife.

I say gesundheit, myself. It's non-religious and offers hope for your health, rather than a holdover from an outdated belief that a portion of the soul escapes.

Answer 9

I'm a Christian, and I don't say, "God bless" as the origin of this comes from superstitious belief that the soul leaves the body when sneezing, and that you need God's blessings so that your soul returns and isn't taken by the devil. When I sneeze, I say, "Excuse me".

Blessings, Gypsy Queen

Answer 10

I'm atheist and I don't get offended when someone says 'bless you' when I sneeze. I say 'thank you'.

If someone sneezes, I say 'gesundheit' which means 'good health' which I feel is more appropriate.

Answer 11

Good Question. It shouldn't bother you to say what you want. If we start worrying about everything..we become a very PC society. If they say something and you know this person, then consider changing to not offend them. But other than that..be yourself and respect others.