Atheist responses to religious sayings

[Hollie Murphy]

Right so you know when someone sneezes your natural response would be "bless you" or when you're relieved about something you might say "thank god" or in the irish native language the word for hello is "dia dhuit" which means "god be with you" but as some people are atheists, for example me, everyone else in this group, I feel we should have different sayings I have come up with a few, instead of "bless you" I say "I hope you don't get the black plauge" because it started with a sneeze and instead of "thank god" I say "thank Darwin" because you know Darwin is awesome, I think we should come up with more and post them here so atheists can say something acurate to their beliefs!:)

[hannah McWade]

well obviously "oh my god" is now "French the llama"

[matylda-mai mccormack-sharp]

this is very true!

[Ali M]

Personally, I don't care if these sayings are used. I was raised christian, though, so I'm used to them. I say them too, out of habit. I love "thank Darwin" though. =) I might start using that.

[Kobble]

That's certainly dedicated Atheism xD Possibly a little extreme, though. I mean, if I'm in pain or shocked or something I'm going to say "Good God!" (if I'm not swearing ;D), and won't ever remember to say something Atheist. Sometimes I might say "Oh my Rowling" or "Oh my wizard god!" or use 'gods', plural, just because they're funny and references. Most people, Atheist or not, are not really trying to bless you when they say 'bless you'. *shrugs* It's kind of a small thing.

As once said by Terry Pratchett: "It takes a very special and strong-minded kind of atheist to jump up and down with their hand clasped under their other armpit and shout, 'Oh, random-fluctuations-in-the-space-time-continuum!' or 'Aaargh, primitive-and-outmoded-concept on a crutch!'"

That doesn't mean I don't think you should do it, if you want to. I'm just saying that I don't think it makes me less of an Atheist if I continue to use common phrases ^_^ But yes, the Irish for hello being 'Dia dhuit' has always sort of annoyed me, especially as they don't teach you any alternative phrase...

[Kobble]

Agreed. Merlin's pants is an amazing cuss :D As is French the Llama ;)

[Brandon Woods]

Haha, I have to use that next time xP.

[Hollie Murphy]

no, im not saying that its wrong or that it makes you any less of an atheist its just i thought it might be nice to use alternatives

[Ali M]

Springfest? Hell yes. Someone needs to make that a thing.

[Kobble]

OK, agreed. Springfest sounds brill xD

[Jean-Luc Batchelor]

No, it's Zombie Jesus Day =)

[Daniel]

Well, sorry people, but I won't stop calling it Easter and Christmas, although I might be using Zombie Jesus Day as a joke. The reasong why I won't stop calling it Easter and Christmas, is because it's part of the culture and traditions, and I don't want stuff like Christmas to be only about loads of lights and presents, but about Jesus' birthday, eventhough I don't believe in that guy.

There are many muslims in the Netherlands, and on the 5th of December there's some kind of national thing, which is all about presents, given by Saint Nicolas/Sinterklaas (Sinterklaas->Santa Claus.).

That guy, because he's Catholic, has a cross on his hat, and the (non-Muslim) city counsil-people-like stuff of Amsterdam scrapped the cross from the hat because it would be offending or something like that to the Muslim community. As far as I know the Muslims didn't ask for it. I don't think it should have been done, because it's DUtch tradition, and a part of Dutch culture, even if it's Catholic.

[Simon Benson]

Christmas is just a load of pagan, Celtic and Roman/Greek traditions rolled into a Christian blanket, none of it is really about Jesus, he wasn't even born on the 25th (assumptions are it might have been in spring). So essentially Christianity has taken the traditions of others and changed them. I think we should either be allowed (not obliged) to change all local traditions or none at all, or else we would go back to saturnalia trees and some funky Druid-Yule orgy...