To bless, or not to bless, that is the question.......

[75renegade]

I've yet to understand why, we, in this culture, feel this like, social NEED to say, "bless you", when a nearby companion's body forces out an embarassin' involuntary convulsion, which we call a sneeze.

In honor of my beloved, I'll try to refrain from my typical rantings, an' stick to the basis of her question, whose answer, is of interest to her, an' me as well.

SNAPSHOT: circa 1575-1620 Bubonic plague, typically marked by someone's sneeze.......thus, out of "religious" conviction/concern, for the 'assumed' victims plight, a reply of the wish of God's blessin' for the soon to be deceased, was conveyed.

SNAPSHOT: circa 1785-1826 Religious indecision/ social superstious predisposition begged our self-imposed "need" to beg God's blessin' upon those who'd sneeze, for nothin' more than the simple fact than that it was believed that those who sneezed, at the very moment of their body's involuntary contraction, unwillingly allowed demons to enter their bodies.

SNAPSHOT: circa 2003 people still say that shit for some unknown socially-acceptable reason.

Got any clue why you say it? Or why ya resent the "meaningless" sayings of those around, who obviously obligate yer response, for no particular reason, know to even them?

Ok, I went a couple a sentences beyond what the original intent of my beloved ever could've been........so sue me.....but what's yer opinion 'ere?

PS: those circas were nothin' more than hypothetically conjured dates, which sounded good to me at the time, however, contained threads of truth which cannot be refuted, although exact clarification may be substantiated........

 

[BlurOfSerenity]

i say, "blessoo", but only because it's polite and expected.
if it weren't expected, i'd be content to never say it again, in that situation.

 

[75renegade]

i say, "blessoo", but only because it's polite and expected.
if it weren't expected, i'd be content to never say it again, in that situation.

My point exactly Ash.

 

[outside looking in]

SNAPSHOT: circa 2003 people still say that shit for some unknown socially-acceptable reason.

People still go to church too.

Do you want a run down of explanation for all the stuff people do that are based on antiquated superstitions, or are we going to just stop at saying "bless you?"

 

[75renegade]

Re: Re: To bless, or not to bless, that is the question.......

SNAPSHOT: circa 2003 people still say that shit for some unknown socially-acceptable reason.

People still go to church too.

Do you want a run down of explanation for all the stuff people do that are based on antiquated superstitions, or are we going to just stop at saying "bless you?"

Actually, if ya 'ave somethin' to contribute to the topic, however related or unrelated I think ya need share, Out.

So, why don't ya list, for the class, yer "run down" of explanation for the stuff, people, in our society, do an' say, based on said, "antiquated" superstitions, then, feel free to share yer thesis, in 50 words, or less, as to why ya belive it is so.

 

[outside looking in]

Actually, I think "it's based on antiquated superstitions" would probably be an adequate explanation for most of the things on that imaginary list - including going to church. Is more explanation really needed?

Then point is, if we are going to question seemingly benign antiquated customs, shouldn't we question them all, benign or not, personal or not?

 

[MitchSchaft]

I wondered the same thing a while back. Couldn't figure out why I'd want to "bless" someone for sneezing so I quit saying it .

 

[75renegade]

Actually, I think "it's based on antiquated superstitions" would probably be an adequate explanation for most of the things on that imaginary list - including going to church. Is more explanation really needed?

Then point is, if we are going to question seemingly benign antiquated customs, shouldn't we question them all, benign or not, personal or not?

My guess is, yer a person who was taken to church/Sunday school, "religiously", perhaps by a grandparent, or well-meaning stranger, eventually, against yer will or desire, as you saw that the concept, obviously meant nothin' to yer parents, ya thus, later deemed it as "unfair", irrelavent, an' devoid of social meaning altogether.

Yet.........somehow, deep inside, ya hear this voice callin to ya, an' ya still feel a naggin' obligation to consider its "social" relevence to yer own life, somethin' ya haven't quite figured out yet.

Perhaps, its time to share some childhood memories of yer earthly father or yer relationship with yer mother, to date........

 

[outside looking in]

Your guess would be, quite simply, completely incorrect. My parents are both very religious, and I never went to Church when I didn't want to. I still attend various churches in my area, when I'm not traveling on the weekends. Long ago I sorted out where religion figured into my life; spiritually, socially, and intellectually. I see organized religion as playing a very critical social role... just not the one most religious people would like to admit. It's anything but unimportant or devoid of social meaning.

There's a lot to learn from religion... all religions, not just Christianity. The morals are in most cases spot on, and many societies would benefit from a greater percentage of the population actually accepting and abiding by those morals.

But if you think religions aren't based on antiquated superstitions, well... that's a discussion for another time perhaps. I'm going to bed.

 

[HeXp£Øi±]

My mom always told me that when you sneeze your soul temporarily leaves your body and the devil could capture it or something so you say bless you to protect someone from the devil. That's what her grandparents told her anyway.

 

[MitchSchaft]

lol, it's funny to think that there are people who actually believe that .

 

[chcr]

My mom always told me that when you sneeze your soul temporarily leaves your body and the devil could capture it or something so you say bless you to protect someone from the devil.

That's the story I always heard too. Hell, I say it and I've been an atheist for more than thirty years. I consider it polite, and don't see what it hurts.

Mitch, I know a woman who absolutely will not leave a building by any door other than the one she came in. It's bad luck.

 

[Luis G]

we say "salud" which means health, i believe the story behind it is that a long time ago people would die of a cold, and obviously sneezing is a synpthom (sp??) of it. Therefore people used to give you their best wishes (health).

 

[outside looking in]

symptom

 

[BlurOfSerenity]

luis, the same is with the German "gesundheit" i believe.

 

[Aunty Em]

I never say it... I don't feel the need.

 

[HeXp£Øi±]

it's funny to think that there are people who actually believe that

I don't think my mom really beleived it considering she's an athiest. I doubt my great grandparents did either considering the type of people they were. Swedish & Irish and given to all sorts of meaningless ritual. I think it's simply a friendly excuse to bless someone and nothing more.

 

[Luis G]

Preciselly Hex, i think is just a courtesy and no more.

 

[a13antichrist]

People say it because they learned that that's what you say. Same way you learned to say "Hello" rather than "suck my dick please".

I don't say it and I challenge people on it when they say it to me.

 

[chcr]

Same way you learned to say "Hello" rather than "suck my dick please".

Someone might say yes to the second one.

I was thinking about it while I was mindlessly typing away at work (as opposed to what I'm doing now) and I guess I say "bless you" not "god bless you." I really don't care enough to stop.