The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

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! :-)

6 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by G Smith on July 25, 2011 at 4:19pm

When someone sneezes, I say, "I hope you didn't catch a bug! Is there something going around?"
Instead of saying "I've been blessed.", I say "I've been fortunate".
Instead of saying "Holy Cow!" (or other things) I say "Wholly unbelievable!"
When someone says that they'll pray for me, I say "Oh, I'm an atheist, but go ahead if you'd like." This is either a conversation starter or ender. :P

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mistercliff on September 14, 2011 at 4:49am

I'll often replace one religious idea with one from a nonchristian religion often to comic effect. For example, instead of "God bless you" I'll say "Kokopelli the humpbacked fertility god bless you." (If they're Christian this makes them feel strange since they seemingly just made me violate the commandment against praying to other gods, which is tantamount to them sinning and their unnecessary guilt is humor to me.). Instead of "I'll pray for you" I sometimes say something like "I'll sacrifice a child for you, that's probably what God will demand for this." This often makes people uncomfortable or at least inquisitive and I've succesfully made a common phrase awkward to the point they won't use it around me anymore...or, more likely, hang out with me anymore.

Of course the above is just for off-hand remarks. If there's been a death in the family and someone says they'll pray for me I won't say anything like that and have even been known to say "that's considerate" or "maybe buy flowers for [surviving family member] instead." Since they're only saying they'll pray because they genuinely want to help and feel powerless to do so.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Patrick Moore on September 20, 2011 at 9:18am

Or in my daughter's terminolgy BC=before cable (cable? what's cable?), and AD= after digital (when our old stand-alone antenna t.v went kaput forever).

I regularly use "For goodness' sake!", myself-mainly for the secular sentiment it reflects, but also for the novelty value (nobody in this neck of the woods says stuff like that anymore).

For best wishes: "Mazel tov", "I wish you the best","You are in my thoughts (as opposed to prayers)" "My heart goes out to you" "Yia sou" (Gk.- "(To) Your health."), "Salud".

To express surprise or dispair: "My goodness!"

In parting: "Stay in touch!" reflects an actual course of action that would be advantageous for continuing a friendship as opposed to "Go with God/Via con Dios!" which simply makes no sense (isn't "going with God" tantamount to dying?). Or who can find fault with "Drive carefully!" (a REAL imperative if your looking to have a longer friendship.). "It was nice seeing you again.",etc.

I guess other than simple conventional catch-phrases, the best and most meaningful dialogue probably takes place before the parting sentiments.

Good idea to start using them more though. I have heard it said (I believe from either the Polish or Hungarians) that bad thoughts scamper past our feet un-noticed, everytime we open a door, and rumor is waiting to fly from our mouths, at the first careless utterrance of a falsehood.

Such also applies to religion, which seems to spread via the unintentional, invisible usage of supernatural concepts. And yet, try as we might to educate others, frequently we utter references to the Great Floating Lie (heaven) or the Sky-Ghost (Zeus/Dios).

Incidentally I caught a friend of mine off guard one night when we were talking about the fact that the ERA still, to this day awaits passage. "Heaven forbid!" he replied. "Yes, that seems to be the problem." I retorted-usually I never think that fast on my feet. Indeed it seems all "God" or "Heaven" seem to exist for is to forbid alot of things that don't hurt anyone.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Natalie A Sera on September 20, 2011 at 11:17am

Note about BC and AD (in their USUAL usages!) -- I use BCE (Before the Common Era) and CE (Common Era). That allows you to use customary dates without referring to Jesus, let alone god. Sorry, there's my Jewish heritage popping its ugly head up again, LOL!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Patrick Moore on September 20, 2011 at 8:50pm

Arrrgghhhhh! That Jewish heritage AGAIN!! Even the little guy who turns out my refrigerator light is named after a violinist whose mom named him Yehudi just to let the world know he was Jewish! Where does it end....??????!!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Natalie A Sera on September 20, 2011 at 11:39pm

I think we should ALL be Jewish, and then we can all go out and celebrate Tu B'shvat, the New Year of the Trees. That should keep everyone happy, except for those that don't know what a tree is. Just as good as celebrating St. Patrick's Day or Cinco de Mayo, when we're all Irish or Mexican!!! :-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Patrick Moore on September 21, 2011 at 8:54am

I'll second that! I'll gladly put aside my cultural amorphousness for awhile and try to experience the customs of others. I could probably learn a thing or two from that.

I think the human genetic sequence has an amazing story to tell as it has travelled the world and experienced so much and lives in every one of us. "Ethnicity" by whatever named it's called is just a way of expressing the little stops along the way of the greater journey of our species.

I'll gladly celebrate any festivity that plants a tree, honors the Earth or in some other way brings joy into our lives-genuine happiness and enjoyment are not wasted on any occasion and I'll vouch for any excuse to celebrate!

Let the good times roll!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by alexa penzner on September 23, 2011 at 2:02pm

p.s. why don't you join comparative religion 101. so far all we're talking about is paganism - i'm trying to get into some real good stuff and really compare how much is the same and different in beliefs. and i am not so erudite in my "verbalities" - we need someone who

like ya know uses big words :] anyway, please do give us your opinions and knowledge. love to hear from you. . .

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by alexa penzner on September 23, 2011 at 1:58pm

LOL umm - patrick - what little guy? i mean, do you see little elves and fairies everywhere? by the way, did your mom name you patrick just so we'd all know you were irish? OMg! you guys are everywhere! i cant get away from irish people !!!! :D my son is part irish - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! big kiss patrick!! mwah

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Patrick Moore on September 23, 2011 at 2:26pm

Muah right back atcha me lassie!

By the "little guy" in my fridge I was referring to the post-modern folk-fiction character "Yehudi" (the little guy in the fridge who turns off the light when you close the door). He takes his name after Yehudi Menhuin, the American born Russian Jewish violinist whose works have graced several nations since his birth in 1916 until his death in 1999. (He has been a citizen of the U.S., England and Switzerland).

As a radio talk show guest he was widely sought after and it became a common practice to anounce him as an upcoming guest, just to get folks to tune in to the show-however Menhuin, having not even been invited (or having been invited and declined) never showed up. Thus, it kind of became a running joke to refer to anyone or anything that was mysteriously absent (like the elf in the fridge) as "Yehudi".

And btw-sometimes I DO see little elves and faeries everywhere-lucky me! It's my reality, I'll invite who I want ta!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Patrick Moore on September 21, 2011 at 9:02am

Yes, actually when I belonged to the Temple of Set, we used the CE/BCE to refer to dates in "profane" (secular or non-temple) usage and AEon of Set date (starting with 1966 as the "Year I AE. S." which originally read A.S. or "Anno Satani" by the old Church of Satan reckoning).

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by alexa penzner on September 20, 2011 at 2:16pm

i LOVE Bleistiffspitzer!!!! i look up the spelling, but i think it's right. . .

"Good Night, Irene" was a song, like "K-K-Katy, Beautiful Katy, You're the only g-g-girl that i adore. . ."

they're from the 1890's or early 1900's.

us 'olde' people know that stuff :]

besides that, i just love saying goddamnit and jesus h. christ. it's so blasphemous. what? are we afraid of hurting someone's feelings? also, "bloody hell!"