# Atheists, Do you say phrases like "Thank God" or "Swear to God" as forms of exasperation? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2016, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274 "2016-09-30T09:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/21 "2016-09-30T14:07:25Z")
Why should the believers get all the great curses? I mean, it’s tough to put a curse on someone when you don’t believe in the supernatural but the object of our ire can’t know for sure that we really don’t believe. When I hit my fingers with a hammer, the hammer doesn’t know that God isn’t really going to damn it for eternity as I’ve requested but maybe it will fear hitting me again. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/22 "2016-09-30T14:08:13Z")
I’m considerably bluer than ‘God damn’ when I curse. I doubt he/she/it would approve. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/23 "2016-09-30T14:14:12Z")
All the time. And with high degree of confidence that, like prayers, curses fall on deaf ears. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/24 "2016-09-30T14:41:03Z")
I say “goddam” a lot. I figure I’m not saying which god. I also say “if gods there be” a lot. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/25 "2016-09-30T15:28:28Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > I don’t swear to anything. I never quite understood all the “swearing on my wife’s right tit” that some people do. I would confront those people and make them explain why they seem to be so focused on your wife’s right tit. Although, I have to confess, I’m a bit curious about it now that you’ve brought it up. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/26 "2016-09-30T15:39:07Z")
Thank God? Almost never. I grew up saying, “Thank goodness!” instead, although my family was Christian. It’s the same with “Oh my god”. Maybe it was seen as taking the lord’s name in vain or something. I do type OMG but I guess that could be “goodness” too. So I do say “god” sometimes, but I’m a lot more creative with my cussing. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/27 "2016-09-30T15:47:41Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > “Jesus fucking Christ!” is the most satisfying curse to say after you stub your toe. Yeah, jesus fucking christ is one I use in anger. When in a “bad neighborhood” I’ll tell someone to lock up the car "tighter than a nun’s c\*nt on Easter Sunday. Other than those two I’m pure as the driven snow. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/28 "2016-09-30T15:57:26Z")
Thank god, god willing, etc., are the same as praise allah, allah akbar,etc. I never say such things and have very diminished respect for people who do. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/29 "2016-09-30T16:17:55Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Never; I made a point of training myself not to. Mainly because it felt silly to me to swear by something I considered fictional, as if I were to start swearing by Rao or Azathoth. So how DO you swear? If you say “shit,” does that invariably mean “I see feces”? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/30 "2016-09-30T16:45:36Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > All the time because they are figures of speech that go beyond their original meeting. I even say “God bless you” after someone sneezes as a cultural idiom, but would never say that when the implication was that I was actually invoking the blessings of a god. +1 ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/31 "2016-09-30T17:02:15Z")
Do Christians use the word “Saturday”? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/32 "2016-09-30T17:50:04Z")
All the time. “God dammit,” “oh my god,” etc. I do try to say “thank goodness” instead of “thank god,” but habit is habit. > [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > I don’t swear to anything. I never quite understood all the “swearing on my wife’s right tit” that some people do. I have no idea how/why, but “I swear to god!” is an expression I use when significantly exasperated. I’ve noticed a tendency to say it when I am near the end of my rope with someone or something. It’s not even a conscious thing; it’s often out of my mouth before I even realize that I’d decided to speak. ---
**Author:** ![TwiSpark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TwiSpark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwiSpark)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/33 "2016-09-30T18:16:41Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Never; I made a point of training myself not to. Mainly because it felt silly to me to swear by something I considered fictional, as if I were to start swearing by Rao or Azathoth. I tried to train myself to say “praise be to Yevon!” at one point but never got into the habit… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/34 "2016-09-30T19:16:19Z")
Not voting, as I’m Catholic. But as I see it, an English Christian who exclaims “By Jove” isn’t worshipping Jupiter, he’s just using an old-fashioned expression. I don’t see why any atheist should think twice about saying “Goodbye” (which really means “God be with ye, after all”) or “Thank God.” ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/35 "2016-09-30T19:33:27Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > Thank God? Almost never. I grew up saying, “Thank goodness!” instead, although my family was Christian. > [@Misnomer](#): > > I do try to say “thank goodness” instead of “thank god,” but habit is habit. But “thank goodness” means “thank god.” > [@astorian](#): > > But as I see it, an English Christian who exclaims “By Jove” isn’t worshipping Jupiter, he’s just using an old-fashioned expression. > > I don’t see why any atheist should think twice about saying “Goodbye” (which really means “God be with ye, after all”) or “Thank God.” Exactly. Neither using nor avoiding such expressions says anything about someone’s actual beliefs, IME. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/36 "2016-09-30T19:38:01Z")
I voted “Other”, because I’m an agnostic, not an atheist (to my way of thinking, atheism is as much a form of faith as religions are), but I saw “God damn it” a lot. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/37 "2016-09-30T19:49:31Z")
I do sometimes employ “Goddammit!” but far more common is, “For fuck’s sake.” If I’m in polite company, then it’s, “Oh, my goodness!” or, “Honest to Pete.” Oh, and I am also a fan of, “Gad zooks!” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/38 "2016-09-30T21:01:42Z")
Yes… That doesn’t bother me so much, but what does bother me is that I use a lot of homophobic slang – usually “b…f…” – as an indication of intense dislike. I really dislike this, and need to stop. (Only in private, never aloud when anyone can hear.) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/39 "2016-09-30T21:57:50Z")
It’s deeply ingrained. “Jesus motherfucking Christ on a goddamned crutch I can’t believe you’d let your mother take our kid to church!” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274/40 "2016-09-30T22:04:25Z")
When I say “Holy Shit!” I’m not implying any divine attributes to fecal matter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-say-phrases-like-thank-god-or-swear-to-god-as-forms-of-exasperation/767274.md?page=3)