# Does it annoy you when someone says "God bless you!" after you sneeze? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322 "2017-03-16T17:09:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/21 "2017-03-16T18:59:59Z")
Rarely do I hear people say “God”, it’s usually just “Bless you” (which is also what I say, despite atheism, because yeah, social custom). ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/22 "2017-03-16T19:01:58Z")
Of course not. Someone is doing something they perceive as nice to me, how callous can I be to look down on them for that? ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/23 "2017-03-16T19:04:13Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > 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. “[You are soooo good looking!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeILe2dXaBE)” ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/24 "2017-03-16T19:04:55Z")
I usually just congratulate the person on the successful expulsion of their demon. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/25 "2017-03-16T19:05:42Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Nope. I’m not religious and even I say “bless you” when somebody sneezes. This is what I was going to say. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/26 "2017-03-16T19:14:38Z")
Not at all, it is fine. Multiple bless yous? Annoying, but that rarely is heard. I have hay fever and multiple sneezes happen from time to time. I say it when someone sneezes. If they don’t say Thank you I give them the evil eye. J/k. A coworker who is a devout Muslim, when she’d sneeze, I’d say Bless you. We are in a cube farm, so no eye contact then. After 3-4 times (spaced out, several days) I approached humbly and asked, Is that okay? She said it is perfectly fine. I am Christian and we have discussed religious differences, we are both interested in the other’s religion. For multiple sneezes I say it with the first sneeze. After more sneezes, I don’t say it. I figure their soul is now gone and they are beyond blessings. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/27 "2017-03-16T19:21:53Z")
> [@kaiwik](#): > > 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. My wife almost always sneezes in threes - achoo, aaachoo, AAHHH CHOOO! - so I have developed the habit of saying “GodblessyouGodblessyouGodblesyou!” as soon as I hear the first sneeze. One the rare occasion when she only sneezes twice, I say “You owe me a blessing”. Drives her batty, therefor I will never stop! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/28 "2017-03-16T19:33:55Z")
I also dislike that superstitious nonsense. Sneezing is not a religious experience. Neither is coughing or farting and no one blesses you if you fart. In fact, I’ve often heard people say “Damn!” when I fart. Am I going to hell? Furthermore, who are these people to go around blessing others? Do they have the proper religious training? Does the Pope know they’re blessing people without the authority to do so? Should I report them to the Vatican? What if there is no one around to bless you when you sneeze? Should you bless yourself? If no one blesses you are you condemned to hell? If someone you don’t like sneezes would you forgo the blessing? Would that be a sin? Is it against the law to bless someone in school? Separation of church and state you know. And what about dogs? They sneeze sometimes. Do they have souls that are trying to escape? Is a blessing in order? This is an important issue and should be addressed by our religious and political leaders . Or maybe we should let Cecil give us the straight dope on the subject. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/29 "2017-03-16T19:51:24Z")
No. I say “Bless you” myself and accept it as just a social nicety rather than superstition or religious belief. I tend to sneeze in batches of three so the only time it’s annoying is if someone acts obnoxious about it: “Bless you. BLESS YOU. OMG BLESS YOU!!!” – just say it the once and we’re cool. And if you can’t say it in a speaking voice, it doesn’t need to be said; no one needs to yell it down a hall or across a large room. But the simple act itself of saying “Bless you” doesn’t bother me at all. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/30 "2017-03-16T20:06:53Z")
I’m more annoyed when someone expects _me_ to say “bless you” when _they_ sneeze. Not going to do it. Because silly. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/31 "2017-03-16T21:07:36Z")
Atheist here and it doesn’t bother me at all. I take it as an expression of good feeling. I always say Gesundheit (and why is that humorous?) because that is what my mother always said to me. Actually, she had a sequence. First sneeze got “Gesundheit”, second one “zu wachsen [to grow]”, third was “zu leben [to live]” and the fourth was “zu stoppen sneezing”. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/32 "2017-03-16T21:44:45Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > … Gesundheit (and why is that humorous?) … Really, why? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/33 "2017-03-17T00:44:39Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 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. Ditto. Shouldn’t bother me at all, but it makes me cringe. Just a goddamn grouch, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/34 "2017-03-17T01:34:19Z")
Yes, it bugs me, but mostly coming from those devout Christians in my circle whom I know mean it sincerely. My blood pressure going up just thinking about it. God is not saving my soul just because you said that when I sneezed. He is not responsible for me finding that parking spot. He did not make the birds sing in the tree as we passed. Just stop it! Ahem. If this were a balanced madness, I might take it better, but it never is. God is never blamed when we have to park 3 blocks away, or when it starts pouring and we all forgot umbrellas, or whatever petty misfortune happens. Nope. He just stops my soul from leaving my body when I sneeze. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/35 "2017-03-17T01:43:51Z")
I once had a coworker who said “Hail Satan” when someone sneezed. I actually prefered that because it made me chuckle. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/36 "2017-03-17T02:08:36Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > And what about dogs? They sneeze sometimes. Do they have souls that are trying to escape? Is a blessing in order? My dog is a big sneezer and I usually say ‘God bless you’ to her. I know she’s not going to give me some kind of attitude about it. 🙂 Threads like this confirm in my mind my policy of basically ignoring people I don’t know (unless they address me first, obviously need help, etc) especially younger ones more likely to come up with stuff like this, having a problem if somebody says ‘God bless you’. Good grief. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/37 "2017-03-17T12:19:23Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > I also dislike that superstitious nonsense. Sneezing is not a religious experience. Neither is coughing or farting and no one blesses you if you fart. In fact, I’ve often heard people say “Damn!” when I fart. Am I going to hell? > > Furthermore, who are these people to go around blessing others? Do they have the proper religious training? Does the Pope know they’re blessing people without the authority to do so? Should I report them to the Vatican? > > What if there is no one around to bless you when you sneeze? Should you bless yourself? If no one blesses you are you condemned to hell? If someone you don’t like sneezes would you forgo the blessing? Would that be a sin? > > Is it against the law to bless someone in school? Separation of church and state you know. > > And what about dogs? They sneeze sometimes. Do they have souls that are trying to escape? Is a blessing in order? > > This is an important issue and should be addressed by our religious and political leaders . > > Or maybe we should let Cecil give us the straight dope on the subject. 😃 That, or you could read up on the [Optative Subjunctive.](https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-an-optative-mood-1691359) Live long and prosper. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/38 "2017-03-17T12:32:19Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > I also dislike that superstitious nonsense. Sneezing is not a religious experience. Neither is coughing or farting and no one blesses you if you fart. In fact, I’ve often heard people say “Damn!” when I fart. Am I going to hell? > > Furthermore, who are these people to go around blessing others? Do they have the proper religious training? Does the Pope know they’re blessing people without the authority to do so? Should I report them to the Vatican? > > What if there is no one around to bless you when you sneeze? Should you bless yourself? If no one blesses you are you condemned to hell? If someone you don’t like sneezes would you forgo the blessing? Would that be a sin? > > Is it against the law to bless someone in school? Separation of church and state you know. > > And what about dogs? They sneeze sometimes. Do they have souls that are trying to escape? Is a blessing in order? > > This is an important issue and should be addressed by our religious and political leaders . > > Or maybe we should let Cecil give us the straight dope on the subject. 😃 I say “Bless you” when my dog sneezes. She doesn’t object. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/39 "2017-03-17T12:41:04Z")
Nope. And I always say: “Bless you bless you bless you!” That way the sneezer knows they can sneeze at least two more times with out having to feel guilty after the first bless you. (I’m weird) ---
**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:** [March 17, 2017, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322/40 "2017-03-17T12:41:25Z")
If someone sneezes and I’m near them, I look at my clothes in disgust and say, “fer christs sakes, this is dry clean only”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-it-annoy-you-when-someone-says-god-bless-you-after-you-sneeze/782322.md?page=3)