Wow, I'm really suprised so many people have abandoned the time honered "God Bless You" and "Thank You." My roommate and I are apparently both allergic to this apartment, and sneeze all the time. We end up saying "Bless You" about 15 times a day each. We also say "Thank You" to each other, but never EVER "You're welcome!" I'm going to have to start that, I suppose.

I never say 'bless you', or anything of the sort. I AM an atheist [of sorts, maybe I'm more agnostic... but that's beside the point] but that's not my reasoning for not saying it. I just... I don't know, I don't like saying it. It doesn't feel right, so I don't.

When I sneeze though, I usually say 'excuse me' or something. Just reflex, I guess.

I'm a pretty religious guy, however, even I only say "God bless you" when someone sneezes out of habit. In fact, I usually do not preface with the word "God" prior to acknowledging someone's sneeze. Speaking of which, I literally just sneezed! But nobody said anything...

I say "bless you." I was raised as catholic, but I don't believe in the majority of it. Anyway i just say that.

I say bless you to those who say it to me, just out of common courtesy. It'll be awkward for my friends who do say it normally and they sneeze, then no one says it to them. Although I'm atheist, it's not as if saying it is making me believe in a god all of a sudden.

I'll put in my input since I am non-denominational when it comes to religions, since I do not anotate other beliefs, but study them in practicality.


God bless you is basically a "wish you well" saying. All it implies is that one is wishing you well. Now people who are religious use that in a different meaning such as "in hopes that god watches over you and keeps you from harm" or the more spiritual sense to ward off both bad omen and ill fate. In any case, the same or similar meaning.



Such was used with the Bubonic Plague "Bless you" when one would sneeze. This is nothing more than in hopes of you remaining well and safe from potential harm.


Now some people believe in many things while others don't. Does that make it wrong for someone, anyone to say something like this to an athiest? It shouldn't be offensive. They are just expressing things as they always have.

I know what you mean. I was raised a Catholic as well. It has been a hard time getting rid of saying that for me, considering I had to say stuff like that when I was younger. I truly believed in that whole lose your soul thing for a while. What can I say? I was young and naive. Sometimes, I still think I am naive...:(