And now time for Intense subject matter. This intense topic may upset some people with the intensity of the intenseness. Intense Viewer discression is advised.What do you say when someone sneezes? What do you say when someone blesses you?I say nothing when someone sneezes. If at all possible I continue on with the conversation. If not, in order to avoid the awkward silence, I will inquire about the sneezer’s health or if he wants allergy medicine / tissues. But I never bless.I also never thank anyone for blessing me. See above. After they know me a while, I tell them with a smile “don’t bless me — I’m an Atheist” (GRIN), and continue with conversation. I find it a handy way to get the news out.My wife gesundheits me, even though she doesn’t get it back. She says it’s reflex and she can’t stop, and gesundheit means “to your health” and is not religious. I deal with it.I’ve never been upset in any way at a person who blesses me, but it does grate on me a little when such blessings are given in quantity (winter).So let’s all chime in (theists too) and settle this once and for all.Achoo!
Gung hee fat choi, everyone.
DNA:
I’ve mentioned this before.
Everytime someone hits me up for change/donations, I always make a point of telling them I’m an atheist.
Case in point: a polite, toothless homeless lady hit me up for change on my way into Starbucks. On the way out, I gave her my change. She says, “God bless you, sir.” I said, “I’m an atheist, don’t believe in god.”
Pick your battles. Always good advice.
RA
An atheist giving money to a theist…
God does indeed work in mysterious ways, hmmm?
It would be interesting if anyone ever refused the money after learning the doner was an atheist.
OOps. Doner should be donor. What a boner!
karen:
God? God who?
“Oolon Colluphid’s trilogy of philosophical blockbusters Where God Went Wrong, Some More of God’s Greatest Mistakes and Who is this God Person Anyway?”
Would be funny if they threw the money back.
Wouldn’t be very polite, but I could respect that.
Exactly: God Who?
It would be ironic if they threw the money back. Bite off nose; spite face.
I just figured the mysterious ways catch-all would come in handy to get around any bad feelings about taking dough from a non-believer.
Off topic
Just looking at atheist merchandise at cafepress. Here’s a couple notable sayings for t-shirts/bumper stickers:
What schools need is a moment of Science.
If Jesus is the answer, I want a better question.
I had the first one about ‘Moment of Science’ on my car for a few months, then replaced it with:
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A Village in Texas has Lost its Idiot!
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Right now, on my car, I have two bumper stickers:
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A Village in Texas has Lost its Idiot!
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and
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Freedom is the Distance between Church and State
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Also, a smaller, about baseball-size circular sticker with a big “W” and a slash through it (as in NO W).
Also, two emblems: an Evolve fish emblem and a Darwin fish emblem.
I have a “God is just Pretend” bumper sticker too, but there’s no room left on my little Civic’s trunk to fit it.
I also have three T-shirts that I wear all the time. One has a big Evolve Fish and something about “Darwin Day, February 12″ on it; another has “Support Science, Not Superstition”; and the last shows the great discoveries of science and intelligent design in two side-by-side columns: the ID column in empty.
I got all of these from http://www.evolvefish.com , which has a large selection of T-shirts, bumper stickers, and so on.
I was just looking at evolvefish.com There is a link for opponents feedback. It is very entertaining, this is one of my favorites:
Date: 1 July 2003
I think your products and philosophies are: Evil and Satan’s work!
I will recommend you to: Every idiot ( = non christian) just to see that science generally is crap! The truth reads in the Holy Bible!
I will visit your Home Page again: Once every half year.
What can we do to improve?: Love Jesus!
Tell us whatever YOU want to: This is stupid! Evolution doesn’t exist, although the earth is round it doesn’t move! EVERYTHING MOVES AROUND THE EARTH! AND EVERY INTELLIGENT PERSON ( = CHRISTIAN) KNOWS THIS FOR A FACT! IT ALL READS IN THE BIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU BURN IN HELL!!!!!!!!
Publication: None.
Find Us: Search Engine (Google)
Other Sites: http://www.exposingsatanism.com
Listen to Audio: Never.
Philosophy: Christian Supremacist
From: John
Gender: Male
Age: 27
State: MN
God bless you.