Bless You!!!
 

A couple of years ago, I said "bless you" to a guy who sneezed, even though I didn't know him. He gave me a scowl and said "Don't give me any religious bullshit". After that, I never said "bless you" to anyone I didn't know. Until today.

I was at my daughter's school dropping off a snack for her class. As I was leaving the school, I passed another parent (I assume it was a parent) who had just sneezed. I reflexively said "bless you". I was past her, but I heard her say, "Don't say that!". I said, "Excuse me?", and she said, "You don't say that to people". I just quickly apologized and left.

What the hell is wrong with saying "bless you"? It's not like I'm stealth baptizing people when I say it. It's not even religious, it's a dead superstition that I thought was just common courtesy.

So has anyone else had this happen? Better yet, does anyone else say it to other people anymore?

Are you sure you didn't say "God bless you?" Still seems like a weird reaction, I've never heard of anyone getting mad about it, even though it's stupid to say it.

Wow. People can go fuck themselves afaic

you should taser those people

Jesus Fucking Christ, you if I can't say "Bless You" to someone who sneezes then I'll be goddamned.

Maybe it is just the area where you live. I have never had this type of reaction, but who really knows anymore about anything or why people act the way they do?

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Next time, when someone sneezes just say "fuck you". That way, the "bless you" sounds much nicer. :p

You're so good looking.

Nope. I've never said "God bless you" to anyone.

Are you saying it's stupid to say bless you?

Schmidty, those people totally overreacted. They're probably the same people that go apeshit over someone saying "Merry Christmas". Fuck 'em

in the ass with pinecones.

I think we finally agree on a situation where a good taserin' is welcome. :)

Maybe I should just start saying "Bless you, unless it is not within your religious convictions".

How about Fucking Bless You, Dumb Fuck?

im an atheist and I say bless you.

Gesundheit, ftw?

I've always said "bless you" and I say it to everyone (unless they appear to be a rude person) who is in my presence when they sneeze, stranger or not. I've never had a bad reaction to it.

yup, same here

I can just never imagine someone having that reaction here in the country. I always thought that "bless you" was just something kind to say when people sneezed, and didn't really have a religious connotation.

+1

per wikipedia

I just feel it's too goofy sounding to say to someone. I will say it to my daughter sometimes, which helps form my stated opinion on the word I guess because she usually laughs at it.

I will say bless you, no bad reactions here. If someone did I would probably be pissed, because I am far from saying it in a religious way. It is the same as "good health to you" in my eyes, but shorter and rolls off the tongue easier.

Thanks Cliff!!!

;)

I love me a good bubonic plague story.

I think multiple bless you's are annoying. I appreciate the first one but if I'm on a sneezing spree one will be enough.

+1

I've never heard of anyone reacting like that. That's very strange.

It's Northwest Washington, and specifically, Bellingham. It's very, very weird, especially for a midwest guy like me.

+1

Put me down as a "bless you" speakin' heathen.

If anyone ever has the gall to say bless you to me, I wrap my hand around their throat, bring 'em in real tight to my face and sternly say "If you pull that Bible-thumpin horeshit again, you're gonna be the one who needs the blessings..."

I get arrested a lot.

:D

Cliff as in... Clavin? If so, nicely done :D

If not, ignore I said anything

SI

Boy that's overly sensitive.

Tho I also get a nice chuckle out of everyone who is pissed and saying "eff you with an effing eff eff eff" in the act of condemning people who won't accept a polite greeting :D

SI

Hadn't seen this. Very nice :)

SI

Bingo!!!

+1 Tell the next asshole that gives you a hard time not to fucking sneeze in public if they're going to be so uptight.

I think the proper etiquette is one "bless you" at the end of the sneezing fit.

I agree, but some people don't get it. I often sneeze in tears of seven or eight, and when I lived with other people it would take months before they would finally give up on saying bless you every time. After a few years they stop altogether.

I always say 'bless you' if someone sneezes, to me its like saying "please" and "thank you" - its just something you do out of politeness, no particular religious affection involved really.

I'm also atheist and think it's no big deal and sometimes say it to someone myself. It's a weird tradition, I'll grant you that.

I will say that I almost shat a brick when I was last in Las Vegas and me and my buddy played golf. We had to be paired up with 2 other guys because the course was crowded and the first thing out of one of the guy's mouth when we shook hands before we started was "Have a great round. God bless."

THAT was annoying. Saying "bless you" after someone sneezes? Not so much.

I love you for this.

I never say it. I used to all the time, but then I got to thinking, I'm not religious in any way, assuming ti even has to do with that, and what the hell does it even mean? So, I stopped, but I usually get the opposite reaction, I'm the asshole for not saying it.

Ok, not to derail this, but why did that bother you? Maybe that will help me understand the people that got mad at me.

If you're an atheist and don't believe in a creator or God of any sort, why would it annoy you? Wouldn't you just think, "How quaint" and move on? If you know/believe that God doesn't exist, he can't actually bless you can he? If you have no ties to what the guy is saying and he isn't giving you a pamphlet and telling you that you're going to hell, what's the problem with him giving you goodwill from the perspective of his worldview?

I'm just curious. Good gracious, I hope I didn't turn this into a poopy thread. :)

Well, I don't know if this is an adequate analogy or not, but I would never presume to make an anti-religious comment to someone I never met.

I wouldn't start off a round of golf with, "Have a great round. There is no God." or anything like that.

It doesn't have anything to do with him challenging my belief system and me feeling threatened or anything like that, but it was very assumtive on his part, I think. Saying "bless you" after a sneeze is just a nonsensical phrase that doesn't really mean "May God look after you in your time of sickness and protect you from harm" in this day and age. It's just a shorthand way of acknowlaging the fact that you sneezed. But in the odd context that he said it, it was more meaningful from his perspective. And just weird.

I don't want strangers blessing me all over the place. That's just creepy, IMO.

I don't get it since he's not asking you to take part, he's justsaying something he thinks is true.

Anyway, it's no big deal. Have a blessed day!! :)

Grrrrr.....

:devil:

Yeah, but what about the times when someone sneezes once, you say bless you, then they try and hold off the next one so it comes like 10 seconds later? How long a time lapse between sneezes should you feel compelled to issues a second bless you? Do you then switch it up and go with gehsundheit instead? :)

Not as much fun as judging people based on whether they reciprocate a yawn, but it can be amusing.Don't move to Texas.

I think God would have better things to do besides blessing a round of golf. :)

Bless you KWhit

If people say things like that to me, I just do a quick internal translation. Someone says "Have a great round, God bless"...I hear "Have a great round, enjoy the day". Rather than be annoyed at the words someone uses to wish you something nice, just mentally translate the good sentiment to words that work for you.

I say Gesundheit not bless you. God has better things to do than micromanage sneezing