I am sitting here in the waiting area of the doctor’s office. The woman at the check-in desk just sneezed, and a guy sitting next to me yelled out, “God bless you!”
I don’t know why, but I find this annoying. I find it equally annoying when some says it to me when I sneeze.
Intellectually, I accept it as just a colloquial phrase with good intentions. But yeah, it kinda annoys me that such an odd custom exists in the first place… and that it seems to require a response from me.
You could move to Shanghai. Nobody says “God bless you” when you sneeze there.
Look, do you want us to stop your soul from escaping or what? I mean, how ungrateful can you be?:smack:
No. It’s a traditional human interaction with no religious meaning at all any more.
Once? No. But if I’ve got hay fever or someone’s wearing patchouli nearby and I’m sneezing a lot, I find it annoying for everyone in a 20 foot radius to call attention to it by saying “God bless you”. I never say it. I find the custom stupid.
No, it doesn’t bother me.
Only when i sneeze multiple times in short succession and Im given a “god bless you!” “god bless you!” “godless you!” That annoying.
Intellectually, it bothers me, as it is superstition based. No people, sneezing will not let the devil in me.
But for many people, it’s just a social courtesy with no meaning. Since you can’t tell a true believer from a mindless mouthing of a platitude, I just let it go.
How do you feel about “Gesundheit”? Equally annoying, or okay?
How many sneezes does it take before they call you an atheist?
Nope. I’m not religious and even I say “bless you” when somebody sneezes. I don’t very often hear the full form around here. It’s usually just those two words.
THHHRRREEEE.
I only do it at work and I feel kind of stupid saying “bless you” but I feel like I should say something (mostly because most of the people here do it). Anyone know of a humorous, or at least not so sappy, alternative?
On a scale fo 0 to 10? 0.
No.
I actually say “bless you” mid-lecture if one of my students sneezes while I’m speaking. I barely break my stride. My students find it impressive, I can only assume.
A little. After I’ve ignored you saying, “God bless you”, I (kinda) feel like an ass for ignoring you. That part annoys me 
Tempting.
I’m as strident an atheist as anyone but the religious part doesn’t bother me at all. Basically, when someone says, “God bless you”, what I hear is, “you sneezed.” It’s just not something I want to have pointed out every single time.
Gesundheit is different. Gesundheit is inherently funny and God bless you is not. Imagine this conversation:
Thudlow Boink: On which island, pray tell, is the city of Nagoya situated?
74westy: Honshu.
Thudlow Boink: God bless you.
How in the hell is that funny?
Meh, no, I don’t care with one exception; I have some serious allergies and it is nothing for me to sneeze 7+ times in a row. For pity’s sake, wait until I am done to bless me please! I drop the deity and say bless you when someone sneezes out of habit.
An excellent point.
When I was learning spanish, we were taught to say, “Salud!” which as far as I know is just a general expression of good health.
Me, I like to quote Madam Mim from the Sword in the Stone. “Sounds like someone’s sick. I do hope it’s serious, something dre-e-eadful!”