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What to say when you don't want to invoke god!

We need to put together a dictionary of phrases that express our meanings without invoking god. My reason for doing this is that i don't want people to think I'm religious, so I don't want to say things like "Thank god!" or "I'll pray for you."

So I have a few, but PLEASE add your own -- maybe we can make a document or page about it. Mine are:

(Of Jewish origin) saying BCE (Before the Common Era) and CE (Common Era) instead of BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini = in the year of our Lord -- he ain't MY lord, that's for sure!)

Saying "I'll keep you in my thoughts" instead of "I'll pray for you" because I won't. Even the Quaker "I'll hold you in the light" is better than promising to pray for someone. When I hear that someone is gravely ill, I say "I hope for the best possible outcome" which doesn't specify what that outcome is -- sometimes it's recovery, but sometimes, it's the deliverance of that person from their suffering.

"For goodness' sake!" instead of "For god's sake"

"By all that is in me" instead of "By god!" Because all I have to offer is what is in me and what I have to give.

"I am grateful" rather than "I am blessed" because maybe it's only the uncaring universe that I have to be grateful to, but gratitude is a very human emotion.Even "Thanks to the luck", because luck is a human, but not a deistic concept.

"Gezundheit" (which means "Health!") or just "To your health" instead of "god bless you" when someone sneezes. Or be like the Japanese and say nothing at all -- a sneeze isn't very meaningful in these modern days!

I dunno -- I may think up more, but I'd be VERY interested to see what other people come up with -- I KNOW there are a lot of fertile minds out there! :-)

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Permalink Reply by Lindsey S. on July 25, 2011 at 4:18pm

I like using frack. In my opinion, its more fun and satisfying to shout than the real f-bomb is. I got all my friends using it too, except they have no idea where it comes from and it makes me giggle that they're all being geeks without even knowing :)

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Permalink Reply by Pirate Bard on July 25, 2011 at 4:45pm

This is pretty much the reason I like the word "Frell" it's a wonderful mixed-use word as it works as a substitute for the f-bomb and hell (it's from Farscape for those of you who are not total sci-fi geeks). I also know plenty of people who, as a substitute for goddamn will use "gorram" (GORE-ram) which comes from the brief but wonderfully good series Firefly.

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Permalink Reply by Zazzafrazz on July 25, 2011 at 5:08pm

Oh, I just LOVE Firefly and still mourn its premature passing. I haven't seen Farscape but will now, on your recommendation.

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Permalink Reply by alexa penzner on July 25, 2011 at 5:16pm

what the frell are you doing, name of that fat little, green, icky guy? !!!!! i didn't catch the word "gorram" - cool word :]

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Permalink Reply by Pirate Bard on July 26, 2011 at 5:05pm

The fat little green icky guy is Dominar Rygel XVI, and don't you forget it! lol!

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Permalink Reply by alexa penzner on July 26, 2011 at 7:49pm

LOL - thanks - rygel, right :]

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Permalink Reply by Lindsey S. on July 27, 2011 at 6:19pm

Yeah, I've used those two as well, but not as often. Shouting "frack!" is just more satisfying to me than the other two. But I do like to mix it up sometimes and use frell (which hasn't caught on yet in my circle of aquaintances, but I'm working on it).

And yeah, I want Joss to continue Firefly in comic book form like he's done with Buffy. I don't think the Serenity movie or comic mini-series' did justice to the original show.

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Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on September 14, 2011 at 12:58am

Fracking (hydraulic fracturing, associated with deep natural gas drilling) perhaps IS worthy of becoming an expletive!

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Permalink Reply by New Atheist on September 20, 2011 at 2:13pm

Seriously! Check out the film Gasland if you haven't seen it!

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Permalink Reply by Goz on July 25, 2011 at 8:15am

Oh for Pete's sake is one of my favorites.

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Permalink Reply by alexa penzner on July 25, 2011 at 9:01am

hi guys -

just to let you know, the Pete in for pete's sake is St. Peter at the pearly gates. another religious one - LOL.

": : : : : : How did the saying "For Pete's Sake" come from?
: : : : : Biblical origins. Think of St Peter. Think of the omnipresent medieval church and think of hitting your thumb with a hammer. You can't swear, else the local priests will have you up before the Bishop and the Lord alone knows what the outcome of that will be, so you exclaim, in appropriate tone of voice, "For Saint Peter's sake" and carry on erecting the shelves. This phrase was amended to "For Pete's Sake" in later, less religiously oppressive, times."