Warning for Magiver for one of the worse hijacking attempts I’ve seen in a while not from a troll. You want to start an argument or debate on belief systems, start a thread for it. Don’t try to derail another thread.
Your warnings are adding up, I strongly suggest you carefully avoid hijacking threads in the future. We’re pretty lax in In My Humble Opinion, but this is really blatant.
If a stranger wishes me a “blessed day”, “Happy Holidays”, “Merry Christmas/Happy Chanukah/etc” they’ll get the same response.
“Thank you. You too”.
Just seems civilized to me.
All of those could be simple generic greetings, of course.
Sounds reasonable. I hope that Christians who expect non-Christians to graciously acknowledge wishes of a “blessed day” or “Merry Christmas”, as a conventional equivalent of a secular pleasantry that shouldn’t bother anybody, will be similarly gracious and civilized when their Muslim co-workers and neighbors start saying to them “Alhamdulillah” (“Praise to God/Allah”) as a formulaic response when they sneeze, or share good news, etc.
After all, if it’s being oversensitive for this figure of speech to bother us, then surely it would be oversensitive for that figure of speech to bother them.
I agree!
For sure. They would indeed be oversensitive if they were bothered by that sort of speech.
I just say “enjoy your holiday” because most people are having a holiday of some sort, even if it’s just a couple days off work. If someone says Merry Christmas, I will happily say Merry Christmas in return, not the least because I actually celebrate Christmas, secularly.
FWIW, as a result of this thread, whenever my wife says “God bless you” after I sneeze, I reply “Hail Satan.”
Once again, she doesn’t understand what a riot I am. My comic genius is wasted around here.
I too really like “Hail Satan.”
Sneezes are rare enough I’ll not have a chance to use that any time soon. I hope my memory for all things Satanic is strong enough to carry the day when the opportunity arises.
I’m more of a “Goddess bless” kind of guy.
By Zeus! Do that again and Agamemnon will smite thee for certain!
I’ve trained my lovely wife not to automatically say “Bless you” when I sneeze, but she forgets sometimes. Since every time we drive by a construction sign that says STEEL PLATE IN ROAD she has to hear me say STEEL PLATE IN HEAD, I try to cut her some slack.
We’re getting closer and closer to “over reacting” and “hysterical” here.
Seriously, I don’t go home and brood about these people, I don’t gnashing my teeth, shred my garments, or clutch pearls. It’s an irritation. When I go home I’m just glad to be home. I might share the more colorful customer interactions with family, but it’s a passing thing.
I’ve worked customer service my whole working life, I’ve gotten lots of worse guff from customers than the blessed day thing. However, it’s an irritation. I’ve waited on many of these people for years, and suddenly in the middle of a christian national resurgance they wish me a “blessed day?” It’s also very intentional; it’s not have a “blessed day” sort of while they pack up their things, look at the donuts, wrangle their kids: it’s stop, look me in the eye, lean over the counter, and say it.
Y’all may think whatever you like about my assumptions, my mental health, whatever. I’m not over reacting, hysterical, a mind reader, etc. I can recognize intentional when I see it. But you apparently know my life, interactions, and circumstances better than I do. Speaking of “mind reading.”
You know it’s really bad when you set up a macro.
I just got wished a blessed day by the recorded message at our vet’s office. It rubbed my fur the wrong way. 
Today I learned that Dung Beetles have fur.
My insurance company rep just wished me a Merry Christmas. It was Christmas Eve. I washed him a merry Christmas, too.
I was a little surprised at the religious comment in a commercial setting. On the other hand, it was Christmas Eve. And i did have plans for Christmas.
31% of Americans who celebrate Christmas don’t consider themselves Christian. 81% of Americans who aren’t Christians celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a day-off holiday for many American businesses that aren’t remotely related to any religion. There are probably a lot of Americans think that Santa Claus is God and he sends people to heaven from his headquarters at the North Pole.
I live on an area with a moderately high Jewish population. Jews tend to be sensitive to cultural expressions of religion, as well as spiritual expressions. I know a non-trivial number of people who are mildly offended to be wished a Merry Christmas, and a couple who get pissy about it.
Retail establishments near me might have a sign that says Merry Christmas (probably near signs for other winter holidays) but the sales people won’t say “Merry Christmas” unless you say it to them, first.
The sales person i spoke with over the phone was in Texas, where, I’d guess, it’s more common for retail establishments to publicly flaunt Christmas. Anyway, he was helpful and pleasant, and i do celebrate Christmas, so i returned the wishes. But it struck me as unusual, for my experience.
Got a snarly one today from a 20something.
Boy I wanted to learn her a thang or two?
Alas, not talk-y today.
I just gave her a glare and moved on.