Making religious comments without thinking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

[Anonymous]

example:

I'm Christian. A Muslim tells me inshaallah. I say yes God willing, or yeah. I don't say something rude or bigoted. I find it kind and respond with kindness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say I think OP is kind of trolling but I was at a bar the other night and was talking to a guy casually and kind of jokingly told him to give me his elevator pitch of who he was as a person and he kicked it off with 'I am a God fearing Christian' or something like that and I have to admit it took effort to keep the surprise off my face.

Of course there's nothing wrong with that, but it seemed like a very intense way to talk to a girl at a bar who was wearing black lipstick haha.

^ so did you guys hook up?

I'm married! I was there with a bach party for my cousin hahaha. It was a short conversation!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

I don't have a belief to express? Says who?

How about this: you keep your beliefs to yourself and we'll have no problem at all. But that's not what you want. You want yours to be the only acceptable ones. Sorry, no. At least not until you are successful in getting your theocracy to change the constitution.

So if you get to say your religious things, people with different beliefs get to say theirs. Like the fact that there is insufficient evidence for what you believe and it is likely untrue.

/ps when people sneeze I say "salut" and it always works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

I don't have a belief to express? Says who?

How about this: you keep your beliefs to yourself and we'll have no problem at all. But that's not what you want. You want yours to be the only acceptable ones. Sorry, no. At least not until you are successful in getting your theocracy to change the constitution.

So if you get to say your religious things, people with different beliefs get to say theirs. Like the fact that there is insufficient evidence for what you believe and it is likely untrue.

/ps when people sneeze I say "salut" and it always works.

NP. No one has asked you not to state your beliefs. This thread was started by a non-religious person telling religious people to stop speaking in religious terms. It's very much a thread trying to make Christian beliefs the only acceptable ones, not the other way around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

I don't have a belief to express? Says who?

How about this: you keep your beliefs to yourself and we'll have no problem at all. But that's not what you want. You want yours to be the only acceptable ones. Sorry, no. At least not until you are successful in getting your theocracy to change the constitution.

So if you get to say your religious things, people with different beliefs get to say theirs. Like the fact that there is insufficient evidence for what you believe and it is likely untrue.

/ps when people sneeze I say "salut" and it always works.

NP. No one has asked you not to state your beliefs. This thread was started by a non-religious person telling religious people to stop speaking in religious terms. It's very much a thread trying to make Christian beliefs the unacceptable ones, not the other way around.

Fixed my typo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

I don't have a belief to express? Says who?

How about this: you keep your beliefs to yourself and we'll have no problem at all. But that's not what you want. You want yours to be the only acceptable ones. Sorry, no. At least not until you are successful in getting your theocracy to change the constitution.

So if you get to say your religious things, people with different beliefs get to say theirs. Like the fact that there is insufficient evidence for what you believe and it is likely untrue.

/ps when people sneeze I say "salut" and it always works.

^ yeah, but you have to pick your battles in this life. I basically agree with you but have never seen it necessary to tell them to keep their religious comments to themselves. I agree with that pp above, most of it is innocent stuff that can be overlooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

I don't have a belief to express? Says who?

How about this: you keep your beliefs to yourself and we'll have no problem at all. But that's not what you want. You want yours to be the only acceptable ones. Sorry, no. At least not until you are successful in getting your theocracy to change the constitution.

So if you get to say your religious things, people with different beliefs get to say theirs. Like the fact that there is insufficient evidence for what you believe and it is likely untrue.

/ps when people sneeze I say "salut" and it always works.

Do you attempt to correct coworkers and bosses explaining how their religious practices offend you and are "untrue?" just curious how that works

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

Can't see where a non-religious person said it was obnoxious to make a religious remark in a secular setting. In fact - it was pointed out that even nonreligious people sometimes do it, unconsciously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:example:

I'm Christian. A Muslim tells me inshaallah. I say yes God willing, or yeah. I don't say something rude or bigoted. I find it kind and respond with kindness.

This. Inshallah means “god willing” and it’s a statement that people who believe in free will wouldn’t agree with. But why be a d!ck about it. They’re telling you something about themselves and that’s a nice thing.

Also, it’s odd to argue that atheists aren’t allowed to express their views when you guys do it all the time, sometimes very aggressively. Why would you ask Christians (agree with pp that this is about Christians—no criticism of people saying mazel tov) to stfu and leave out yourselves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

I don't have a belief to express? Says who?

How about this: you keep your beliefs to yourself and we'll have no problem at all. But that's not what you want. You want yours to be the only acceptable ones. Sorry, no. At least not until you are successful in getting your theocracy to change the constitution.

So if you get to say your religious things, people with different beliefs get to say theirs. Like the fact that there is insufficient evidence for what you believe and it is likely untrue.

/ps when people sneeze I say "salut" and it always works.

Do you attempt to correct coworkers and bosses explaining how their religious practices offend you and are "untrue?" just curious how that works

The point. You missed it. By a mile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though we live in a secular democracy, our world is more prone to religious thinking than it is to secular thinking. In real-life small talk and in comments on message boards like this one, people often put things in a religious context, sometimes without realizing or intending it. For people who want to be more sensitive about this when in a non-religious setting, here are some comments to avoid:

- “What church do you go to?”

- “I’ll pray for you.”

And a recent response on this forum to a former Southern Baptist who became an atheist:

- “This is why crap religions piss me off. You shouldn’t be denied a relationship with the eternal energy.”

(pp either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that atheists don’t believe in an eternal energy and thus don’t think in terms of being denied it.)

- “God bless you.”

(Even atheists will say “God bless you” after someone sneezes. It’s automatic! They don’t realize they’ve said it until it’s out. It’s not meant religiously even among religious people. It’s just our way of acknowledging a sneeze. Maybe we could get used to the European focus on health -- “Salud” or “Gesundheit.”)

Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people.

You don't get to tell me how to live with my faith.

How to handle it? Not be a bigot

OK so no one gets to tell you how to deal with your faith, but you get to tell others how to deal with theirs.

You get to make religious statements to non-religious people, but they don't get to say what they believe to you.

That sounds very Christian to me.

You don't have a belief to express. But yes, biting back if a Christian says God bless or Muslim says inshaallah or whatever is obnoxious. Just live your life without needing to be argumentative or nasty. Live and let live

I don't have a belief to express? Says who?

How about this: you keep your beliefs to yourself and we'll have no problem at all. But that's not what you want. You want yours to be the only acceptable ones. Sorry, no. At least not until you are successful in getting your theocracy to change the constitution.

So if you get to say your religious things, people with different beliefs get to say theirs. Like the fact that there is insufficient evidence for what you believe and it is likely untrue.

/ps when people sneeze I say "salut" and it always works.

Do you attempt to correct coworkers and bosses explaining how their religious practices offend you and are "untrue?" just curious how that works

The point. You missed it. By a mile.

DP. OP (you?) asked how to handle religious language and the atheist’s post in question is quite aggressive, so there’s that.

[Anonymous]

If you’re triggered by “Bless you” or even “God bless you” then you need to talk to a therapist or just not leave your home.

I agree it’s wrong to assume people go to church and that asking “what church do you attend” is wrong. But honestly how often does this actually happen? Did it happen once to OP five years ago?

The Southern Baptist comment was a one-off that OP blew out of proportion.

In short, OP must be a delicate flower. Combined with aggressively telling people of faith not to talk about their faith, there’s some irony here for sure.