Do you or should you use such phrases and words despite being Atheist? I'm not sure, but I am very guilty of using them anyways, mainly cause of the culture I grew up with in the US. A smidgen of me enjoys knowing that it is meaningless to me but pokes at the offending religion that is Christianity. I really should be a better person and just drop them from my vocabulary completely, yet I have the thought that it would just look like I am justifying or giving power to that religion over me. Your thoughts?
Tags:
Permalink Reply by Jason Schmidt on October 4, 2012 at 2:40pm I see nothing wrong with getting a bit of amusement at their expense compared to the acts committed by Christians to non believers over the centuries who cares if they are offended.
Permalink Reply by Jason Schmidt on October 4, 2012 at 5:42pm Next thing you know people will get angry for making fun of leprechauns or unicorns.
Dont you dare take Hobbit name in vain! lol
Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on October 4, 2012 at 6:10pm You are going too far, disrespecting hobbits. Some things ARE sacred.
Permalink Reply by Jason Schmidt on October 4, 2012 at 6:20pm I would be more likely to believe in the existence of short people with hairy feet than a bearded dude in the sky .
Hell if i want to see a short person with hairy toes I can call my ex wife.
Permalink Reply by michele ricketts on October 5, 2012 at 11:41pm Wow slow down on that one or you'll end up using the really rude ones......
I think it's no different from the sexually offensives ones. People who use them don't care but for sure someone will. Anything to prove the extent of objection......or even praise....!!
Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on October 7, 2012 at 1:07pm I'm a linguist by training, and I did a blog post on this subject. Basically, I'm OK with occasionally using "God" in expostulations ("goddamn it!"), though I've devolved much of the curse-work to his son, in many variations -- "Jesus!", "Jesus Christ!," "Jesus H. (or fucking) Christ!," etc. What I do avoid is anything that implies God's personhood or agency, e.g., "God willing," "God forbid."
I especially urge atheists not to call on God during sexual excitement and orgasm. Train yourself to replace it with the name of the person giving you the pleasure, because that's who deserves it, not God.
Permalink Reply by A. Noni Moose on October 16, 2012 at 9:59am I tend to see it differently. I don't think it conveys any confirmation that there is a god. To me it is no more than saying "Oh, Mickey Mouse!"..just words expressing frustration, etc. I guess we all use them because it has been ingrained in us. When I am extremely angry and am meaning to express it fully to the other party "GD" gets it across to them how I feel. Because, to them, that is the ultimate bad word..no way for them to guess what I mean. Sometimes it opens up another conversation, since they cannot believe someone would say those words. Then I get to explain to them that there is no god and that it really means nothing to blespheme his/her/its name. Which scares them even more. Haha.
Permalink Reply by booklover on October 16, 2012 at 10:16am I agree A. Noni, plus using that hard-G makes it feel more like swearing than a soft-letter KWIM? It just feels like getting your frustration out saying GODAMMIT!!! Doesn't mean a thing.
Permalink Reply by A. Noni Moose on October 16, 2012 at 10:29am I also tend to use "Jesus" alot..but, I use the spanish pronunciation. haha. Sometimes even add "Cristo" to it..
Permalink Reply by A. Noni Moose on October 16, 2012 at 10:18am Another one that annoysm e is people's insistence on say "GOD Bless you" when someone sneezes. I always heard it as "Bless you"..bit now everyone has to emphasize "GOD" in it. A few years ago I was flying for busisness..US Airways I believe...and one of the flight attendants said "bless you " when a passenger sneezed. He went on to those of us nearby that the company had let them all know that they were not to say "god bless you" anymore. Being all PC yano. I hate PC. I don't believe in god, but if you insist on saying it, it is not going to offend me. I am just going to roll my eyes and think you are trying too hard. I have noticed in my local grocery store that the cashiers have gone to saying "have a blessed day"..which I guess is okay because it is not really indicating that there is a god that has to bless me..just that it be lessed in some fashion. I generally chalk all of that up to ignorance. I am in the South so it is hard to get away from it.
Permalink Reply by Jenn Wiffen on October 26, 2012 at 12:04pm Sneezing and saying 'bless you' is kind of an off shoot of this, I still say bless you definitely wish to make the sneezer feel at ease for sneezing since they couldn't help it and it is like a kind of an acknowledgement that they aren't being rude. Humans are weird like this. Penn Jillette wrote in his book "God No!" that he taught his kids to say "That's funny!" every time someone sneezes. I don't think that's polite to do even though ....it is funny, it just comes off as rude.
'Christ on a crutch' is one of my favourite curse words to use thanks to my ex.
Debra Stevenson replied to John Hutcheson's discussion Everybody Draw Mohammad Day, Who's playing?
Susan Stanko replied to James M. Martin's discussion Breitbart Group Claims "New Evidence" Hitler Was Gay in the group LGBTQI Nexus / Gay Atheists
Loren Miller posted a status
Loren Miller replied to John Hutcheson's discussion Everybody Draw Mohammad Day, Who's playing?
Jack Lawrence posted a video
Debra Stevenson replied to John Hutcheson's discussion Everybody Draw Mohammad Day, Who's playing?
Debra Stevenson replied to John Hutcheson's discussion Everybody Draw Mohammad Day, Who's playing?
Loren Miller replied to John Hutcheson's discussion Everybody Draw Mohammad Day, Who's playing?
Loren Miller replied to John Hutcheson's discussion Everybody Draw Mohammad Day, Who's playing?
Debra Stevenson replied to John Hutcheson's discussion Everybody Draw Mohammad Day, Who's playing?
Tony Carroll replied to Joan Denoo's discussion Baloney Detection Kit, (Dr. Michael Shermer) in the group Skeptics© 2013 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Brother Richard.