It just seems rude....maybe because I am not knowledgeable on their beliefs...*shrugs*
2007-10-02 06:54:57 · 26 answers · asked by shannon b 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
lmaooo at those of you who assume I'm looking for a 'thank you' I mearly mentioned it because it has been done a few times here and the "jehovah" refuses to even acknowledge the person saying it. And btw , they are very OUT "if you will" about their religion and do NOT keep it a secret..so there is no ASSUMING what religion they are. And furthermore there is no expecting a 'thank you'. Typically people say thank you and due to their religion and them not saying thank you, is where the basis of the question came from....
2007-10-02 07:05:36 · update #1
The vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses do simply say "thank you" to expressions such as "happy birthday", or "merry Christmas", or "good luck", or "bless you". When a Witness fails to do so, it seems possible that it may indicate poor hearing or (admittedly) personal poor manners.
At other times, the coworkers or neighbors of a Witness are fully aware of his religious convictions yet persist in expressing such ostensible good wishes (apparently in order to tease the Witness). Insincere expressions of that nature are less likely to be appreciated by Jehovah's Witnesses, and seem not to merit a 'thank you'.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20020801/article_02.htm
2007-10-03 01:37:26 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
“Bless You!”
In many lands it is a custom for those standing nearby to say “bless you” to the person who sneezes. Where did such a custom originate?
According to the book How Did It Begin? by R. Brasch, some ancients believed that when a man sneezed, he was nearest to death. Brasch adds: “The fear was based on an erroneous but widely held notion. Man’s soul was considered to be the essence of life. The fact that dead men never breathed led to the fallacious deduction that his soul must be breath. . . . It is thus not surprising that from the earliest days people learned to respond to a sneeze with apprehension and the fervent wish to the sneezer that God may help and bless him and preserve his life. Somehow in medieval times this early origin of the custom must have been forgotten because it was Pope Gregory the Great who was credited with having introduced the saying ‘God bless you,’ to anyone who sneezed
2007-10-02 07:19:42 · answer #2 · answered by sceneofdarhyme 2 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Well now I know where it came from.
Thx u; to the 1's w/ the knowledgeable answers.
Why is it necessary?...
To acknowledge that you sneezed.
I usually, just say "excuse me" or "excuse you."
But, I'd have to go w/ Achtung_Heiss on this 1.
Now, the funny 1's that gave me a chuckle,
were Specious, DarwinMan.
& Abracadabrantesque how true.
The 1st 2, along w/ qoinupru & Dominiman
were equally good.
2007-10-06 01:21:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is because it is a superstitution, and we do not get caught up in or believe in superstitions. It is not our intent to be rude, but at the same time it would bother our conscience to say "thank you" as if we believe the superstition, because then we would be lying.
"During the sixth century, it was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because they were expelling evil from their bodies. Later, when a great plague took hold of Europe, and people began sneezing violently, the Pope passed a law. Since sneezing meant that the person was going to die of plague, people were required to bless the sneezer."
www.islandnet.com under silly superstitions
"The custom of saying "God bless you" after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it). Gregory (who also invented the ever-popular Gregorian chant) called for litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God's help and intercession. Columns marched through the streets chanting, "Kyrie Eleison" (Greek for "Lord have mercy"). When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague. All that prayer apparently worked, judging by how quickly the plague of 590 AD diminished.
The connection of sneezing to the plague is not the first association of sneezing with death. According to Man, Myth, and Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown, many cultures, even some in Europe, believe that sneezing expels the soul--the "breath of life"--from the body. That doesn't seem too far-fetched when you realize that sneezing can send tiny particles speeding out of your nose at up to 100 miles per hour!
We know today, of course, that when you sneeze, your heart doesn't stop, nor will your eyes pop out if you can keep them open (www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_30 4.html), nor does your soul get expelled. What does get expelled are hundreds upon thousands of microscopic germs. The current advice when you sneeze is to cover your mouth with your arm rather than your hand. That way, all those germs won't be on your hands when you touch the countless things you're going to touch in the course of the day (don't tell us; we don't want to know).
There are many superstitions regarding sneezing, some of which you've already listed. But here are some of my favorites.
Sneeze on Monday for health,
Sneeze on Tuesday for wealth,
Sneeze on Wednesday for a letter,
Sneeze on Thursday for something better,
Sneeze on Friday for sorrow,
Sneeze on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow,
Sneeze on Sunday, safety seek.
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a letter
Four for a boy.
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told.
And lastly, a sneeze before breakfast is a sign that you will hear exciting news before the end of the day. "
www.straightdope.com
2007-10-02 07:18:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
It is not polite to say "god bless".
By telling this, you made a remark that depreciate the person who sneezed in public.
An after all, thou shalt not tell the name of the lord in vain
For me, i say ole !
2007-10-02 07:03:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Probably because it's not up to you to bless them. Are you only saying it to get a "thank you?" That's what it sounds like.
2007-10-02 06:59:45 · answer #6 · answered by Justsyd 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Why do people even say "bless you" in the first place? What's wrong with "Gesundheit"? It makes a lot more sense, since it's the German word for "healthiness".
2007-10-02 07:02:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Many people dont say thank you when this occurs. It doesnt mean they are JW, or Mormons , or Catholics or Protestants. It just might mean they didnt hear you, or they dont think an answer is necessary, or that they are just rude.
2007-10-02 06:59:50 · answer #8 · answered by goinupru 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Is that why you say it, to get a "thank you"?
So you are an I do for you, you do for me type?
If you expect something then don't do it in the first place.
2007-10-02 06:59:01 · answer #9 · answered by m_c_m_a_n 4 · 7⤊ 0⤋
I don't say thank you either all the time, I didn't know that it was required. I usually just say excuse me and move on...
2007-10-02 07:05:35 · answer #10 · answered by Brittany 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋