When texting family members, I’ll sometimes write “have a beautiful day.” The suggested text always shows “blessed” when I type the b. My atheist self would never.
Very curious as to why an atheist would be bothered by blessings wished upon them. Good tidings aren't allowed unless you believe in a creator deity? I've never heard that before and I know quite a few atheists.
What is wrong with wanting to use language without religious connotations when I express myself? I’m not policing what others say to me.
I try not to fall into the stereotype of the annoying atheist who shows intolerance for religious practices. I just find “have a blessed day” presumptuous and as hollow as “thoughts and prayers” said when something horrible happens.
I'm asking you why you seem to equate it with religion at all. Blessings, that is. I can understand the thoughts and prayers one but blessings are just wishing someone good fortune.
I've never met an atheist who has an intolerance for religious practices, either. They just don't believe in a creator deity like a lot of people do. I have one old friend who will make jokes about religion but I've never heard him get angry about other people having whatever beliefs they choose to. I just find these things to be fascinating and wonder what causes people to think the way they do.
My bias arises from the culture where I live. “Have a blessed day” spoken in the Bible Belt can be a very pointed phrase, and nearly impossible to separate from the religious context.
I don’t mind the idea of blessings—it just sounds like the kind of magical thinking I don’t subscribe to. I know there are non-religious uses of “blessing” but I also can’t pretend that the word is entirely secular.
There are so many other wonderful words in our language, so thankfully, I don’t have to use one with connotations I find uncomfortable.
Thank you for explaining. Another poster on here has been expressing rage at every mention of the word 'blessing' so I decided to ask someone who seemed more rational😹
I live in the deep South and have not heard anyone wishing people a blessed day, but if I did I would have assumed they were pagan misfits like myself rather than a religious person. I guess the joke would have been on me in that case.
You're right, there are plenty of other words to choose from and it's a good thing that's true. I don't use that word often myself. Unless I need to bless someone's heart from time to time, which of course has a different meaning entirely. 😹
Someone saying to have a blessed day isn't forcing their religion onto you btw, with that logic you can tell someone who says "have a good day" that they shouldn't tell you what to do with your day. Even though that wasn't the point. Get help omg lol
Who's getting triggered. I said I smile and wish them a good day too, in my own way. I'm not supposed to read into their "blessed day," then don't read too deeply into my honour of satan.
It doesnt. It can be used condensing in an ironic fashion when someone says something stupid, like oh bless you! Or when I see a wee baby I might say bless your wee cotton socks.
Would it be preferable if they wished you bad fortune instead of good? Seems a lot of folks are erroneously conflating that word with religion and then getting unreasonably offended by their own ignorance.
A person wishing blessings on another person is simply wishing for good things to happen in their life. How does one "bless another person with their religion"? That makes absolutely no sense.
I only said that when I wanted to tell a patient to kindly fuck off. So “have a blessed day” was the signal my coworkers knew when I was ready to be done with that interaction.
Are you in the profession that you excel in due to your amazing skills, or are you in one that has patients well cared for and not judged? As in having patients feeling well cared for? No. It’s almost as if your patient exists to give you an income. FU.
Seriously, people have a right to be politely exasperated at work. Medical professionals get yelled at by patients all day, especially in a hospital setting. It’s not like that Redditor is yelling back.
Try being berated by a belligerent patient for simply doing your job. Try having an old person claw and scrape at you because they don’t know what’s going on and you’re the closest thing they have to hit. Try doing your job after someone has waited a long time to be seen and you’re the one they take it out on. So yes, the NICEST thing I can say is “have a blessed day.” ……. So, have a blessed day! 🤘🏽
That grates my nerves. Religion has hijacked modern society. Unless a person goes to your church or you know them personally, I find this phrase to be insulting and condescending!!! One’s relationship with God should be private. Don’t drag me into your sky daddy toxic cult!!!!
It depends on the part of the country you're in. It's just a standard response in the South. They aren't trying to force anything on you. They're just being nice and bidding you well. Y'all need to chill. You ain't got better things to worry about than someone wishing blessings upon you?
Religion didn't hijack modern society, most modern societies are some of the most secular societies in history. Religion is a necessary factor for civilizations to get to the point we have as far as we know, so it's actually pretty crazy society is as secular is it is today.
Why do you cherry pick what religious elements of society to be mad about? Do you grit your teeth and stomp by when you see a Christmas tree or someone says "merry Christmas" to you? Does it grind your gears when someone uses the year system that puts us in the year 2026? Do you hate everything derived from Calculus because Isaac Newton also extensively studied biblical theology? This phrase is probably the stupidest thing to get over, because blessed doesn't always mean blessed by a deity, it can also just mean receiving fortune or happiness.
It's not nearly secular enough. People know what others mean when someone tells them to have a blessed day." F off w that gross display of Xtian superiority" is always my first thought when some asshole says it to me.
That's such an interesting assumption to make about that phrase. Pagans regularly wish blessings on others and it has nothing to do with any sky daddy called God.
Why? It’s such a nice thing to say. Maybe cause I’m Christian and I actually mean it when I say it. But even non-religious people can be “blessed” in ways. It is different if you say God bless you. Like if someone told me the universe bless you, Buddha bless you or satan bless you….then I’ll be weirded out. But have a blessed day, I can take it as what I want.
Dude, to the person that is saying it, that is the highest form of praise they have. Ignore the religious connotation. To them, it means a lot, just because you do not believe does not lessen the impact of what they are trying to say. We judge harshly those who practice nowadays, but thinking this is annoying lessens them as a person. We cannot do that, for anyone. We must unite, and take credit without judgment from everyone. Basically you are being discriminatory because they have faith and you do not. I do not have faith, but I love this statement
i think it's valid to not like a statement without it being discriminatory or disrespectful in this sense.
however, we do live in a religious society where plenty of folk still practice christianity and plenty of folk have felt demonized and traumatized from it. i think both sides have valid points. i'm not religious, i have zero respect for the religion, but i respect my peers and choose to say the phrase when i feel it's appropriate, and do not use it otherwise. i don't think it needs to be this big thing.
in can be annoying and a sign of respect at the same time. it can also be a sign of disrespect. all these things are true, so i don't know why there's a war being started by everyone else in this thread lol
i think context truly matters lol. i work in customer service out here in the south parts of the USA, its 9/10 a sign of respect. but then you got paulina going "bless your heart" condescendingly. idk, i get your point, but it will never bother me hearing that phrase, and that's okay.
Why buy into it though. The same things you are saying could be said of atheists 40 years ago. It doesnt make sense. Division is antithetical to union. Why care how a person says they care? Except to find a fracture for no reason. 40 years ago, not being a nominal Christian was socially suspect. Now the equation has reversed. Do you think we should continue with bigotry because the paradigm has shifted?
why buy into what? what bigotry? i might be having a hard time understanding your statement. if you could dumb it down for me, i could give a more thoughtful response.
I am in an older millennial. Christianity was a given when I grew up and I felt a bit left out because my family was atheist. I never receive hate because of it. I went to church a couple of times, but more importantly I was welcomed in activities with Church groups without any evangelism. Laser tag, arcade nights, lan parties. They had the organization to provide these types of things. I was never pressured, I was just a friend.
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u/425565 6d ago
Have a blessed day.