For those of you who are Atheist??

Question

Not to be rude, but if you dont believe in God, then why does this often happen??

If you did something wrong, while cutting a block of wood, while making something, and you axidentaly cut a finger, or a hand off, why is it that most of you would say " Oh God" even though you don't believe in him??

Like I said, not to be rude, or bring anyone down, but why?

Answer 1

Cause people have turned God's holy name into a curse word. People who don't believe in Jesus yell "Jesus Christ!" when pissed off. Go figure.

Answer 2

Because you religious folks have had control of culture and language for so long that all the expressions to express surprise or anger involve religion somehow. Your citing "Oh God," is an example. So is "damn it" and "go to hell."

It doesn't mean we actually BELIEVE in these concepts. We ARE raised in the same cultures as you are, you know.

The science fiction writer Larry Niven suggests that we are in for a new period of puritanism, anti-sexual priggishness, like Victorianism. In some of his stories set in a further future time after such a puritanism has faded away, he has people using the words "censored" and "bleep" as curses. As in "What the bleep do you think you're doing?" and "I locked the censored keys in my car."

Just something to think about. Languages and cultures evolve. Just like biological entities do.

Answer 3

Oh my FSM....

Do you really think that? I hate to break it to you, but there are over 6 billion people in the world that are not native english speakers. I'm not, so I don't say it. It's a cultural thing, not religious. If you bother to look things up before making up your mind, you'd know what you said is not even close to being true.

I say ***** when I hurt myself (Didn't want to type the actual word in case someone has a Finnish-English dictionary ;) , but you could equate it to the english F-word)

Answer 4

Not rude? Wow the last time I checked broad generalization, and condescending assumption fell within the category of rude...

As for the question, you assume far too much in assuming Atheists use that particular expression...

Answer 5

That question is a generalization and very difficult to respond too on the grounds that most die hards wouldn't, but most new atheist possibly would fall back to it out of habit , because it is technically close to swearing.

Answer 6

It's an expression, that's all. Usually if I am hurt, I would use a lot more profanity and skip over the "oh god."

Answer 7

If I ever found myself in the strange position of woodworking and whacked myself with a hammer, my outcry would be considerably more definitive than "Oh God".

Answer 8

Subconsciously we like to admit to ourselves that it was something else (God) that cause us to slice our finger, not our own stupidity. Living in a world were virtually everyone believes in a higher power (God), its only natural to say it.

Its just a phase with no meaning we say.

Answer 9

I admit that I do say "Oh God" or other expressions involving a diety. (Christ on crutches is a personal favorite) but these expressions do not mean I believe in God, anymore than when I say "F*** you" it means I want you to have sex!

Answer 10

not to be rude, but it's a symptom of the innudation of the christian infection that exists through the earth... but we are evolving beyond religion... that is why when we say Oh God it's a curse...

Answer 11

It's just a common saying that somehow becomes learned behavior.