Does anyone else see the arrogance of this statement?
When some one says “God Bless You” does he not in essence perceive himself as an ambassador of God’s will? 
I don’t believe anybody knows with absolute certainty why the phrase, “God bless you,” is said to a person after sneezing. A few theories have to do with the belief that when a person sneezes, their heart stops temporarily and the, “God bless you,” is said so that they will have their heart start pumping again.
Another theory is that sneezing was one of the initial symptoms of the Bubonic Plague, or Black Death and that saying, “God bless you,” was intended to prevent the plague from developing.
One thing that I have noticed is that in particularly Religious communities, the full, “God bless you,” is most often used. By comparison, (and this is just my experience) a person with no particular Religious leaning, or a person that doesn’t live in a particularly Religious community will often simply say, “Bless you.”
I like, “Bless you,” in and of itself the word, “Bless,” does not necessarily have to have a Religious connotation (though it usually does) and can simply mean wishing good will upon.
In terms of, “God bless you,” I suppose you can take it the way you took it if you want it perceived in the worst possible light. Otherwise, I would take it to reflect a desire for God to bless the person, and not so much a command, or maybe even as a mini-prayer for the person, of sorts.
It’s a carry over with unknown origins from the plague (most widely accepted variation of the origin).
No one knew what caused the plague, by and large, so when you sneezed or coughed it was said in hopes that the person did not have the plague, nor would contract it.
As if to say, “May God have favor on you and not allow you to be cursed by the plague of suffering and death.”
As such, it is a positive remark, not intended to offend someone, but instead with them the best fate has to offer with no harm coming to them.
It is a Christian charm, back when Christian’s largely still believed in such, unlike many of the current western sects.
It is not to dissimilar from saying, “Shalom”.
It may not be your personal religious affiliation or practice, but it’s not intended to impose on them either.
“God bless you” seems to me to be the humblest of statements.
One who truly says “God bless you” doesn’t quite “perceive himself as an ambassador of God’s will”, but rather he believes all blessings come from God, believing this even as he carries out God’s will with his own flesh and blood.
One who truly says “God bless you” pays the price for God’s blessings - or for there to be blessings - with his own life, his own sweat and tears, and yet he says “God bless you”.
One who truly says “God bless you” does all the work and takes none of the credit. In fact they give all the credit to God, and as such are most humble.
When I say “God Bless you” to someone that sneezes, I mean in a reverent way. The only ambassadors of God I recognize are his angels. I suppose in a secular notion it would be the equivalent of saying “all good things and no harm come to you”.
What you put in quotes is exactly how I take, “Bless you,” when God is omitted, also.
When I hear someone tell me “God Bless you”, I take it as they are wishing good things for me through God.
I would say there is “innocence” or “ignorance” rather than “arrogance”.
But innocent ignorance can be perceived as arrogance, too.
This is similar to how Americans are perceived in abroad.
Although many American people don’t get it, trying to pay with American money, trying to speak with American language, thinking as if US is the world, and so on can be seen as “arrogant”. I think it’s probably more of juvenile egocentric innocence without bad intention.
In the mindset of Christians filled with Christian environment and Christian views, it’s not possible to imagine that wishing the blessing of their God can be perceived as “arrogant”, most probably. But charm, or casting spell, even without bad intention, can be considered as undesired/unwanted intervention or invasion.
Imagine if Satanists wished blessing of Satan (with burning hell fire and orgy of sodomy/SM/etc 
) to a Christian, will it be positively appreciated?
How about an Atheist wishing non-existing of any god to everyone, including fanatic monotheists?
Wishing the blessing of God for anyone isn’t totally respectful act. It’s similar to imposing one’s own view, to some degree. Nobody (or almost…) makes fuss about it because most people are moderate and understand that it’s just a habit or a simple act of good will. But I bet there are actually people who are offended by this innocent wish (although they may not say it).
There are a great many such sayings across the world that mean something along the lines of, “good fortune”.
Because the western culture has deep roots in Christianity, it’s form of this comes from that religion’s concept of the greater force capable of granting good fortune; God.
So the Satanist blessing wouldn’t be to burn in hell (most of them don’t even believe in Hell in the first place); it would be a fortune to your enjoyment of life, as Satanism concentrates on living life to it’s fullest and to full self fulfillment.
Atheism would probably just be something like, “Good luck”, or, “Have a good life”.
There are quite a number of people actually.
Search around for, “gazoontite”, and you’ll see many discussions about, “gesundheit”, and how people much rather prefer hearing this than, “God bless you”.
It’s mostly seen as an insult by this demographic because the perspective is that a religious position is being pressed on them when someone says the blessing.
Personally, I’m not sure how that works as if I walked around saying, “God bless you”, many times over, it won’t suddenly change me, or anyone I say it to, into a Christian.
In fact, there are three atheists at work that I’ve heard repeatedly say, “God bless you”.
Like you said Nah, it’s just engraned into the culture at this point as most people can’t think of any other comment after someone sneezes or coughs except, "God bless you, “gesundheit”, or, “excuse you”.
In all honestly, none of these comments truly make any sense for a common sneeze, or cough.
Personally, I think, “excuse you”, is more invasive than, “God bless you” (and personally I think, “God bless you”, is odd since I wasn’t aware that I need God’s blessing for a sneeze or cough) as it suggests that I need to be excused or pardoned for my expelling.
It’s as if to say, “You should asked to be excused”.
Which of course always begs my mind to ask, “…from what exactly?”
Gesundheit isn’t much better as it suggests that I could have poor health for no other reason than my nose or throat found some debris that it needed to expel.
shrug, however, it is as it is.
Personally, I think there are more invasive areas for such things than in regards to these.
God pops up in many places far more awkward.
For instance, apparently God is the overseer of our treasury department.
There is just an advertising sign at my local deli that says “God Bless You” right under "Fresh bread, meats, etc ". The phrase just struck me as out of place when I looked at it last time. I wasn’t thinking about sneezing.
Anyways, my issue: the person is stepping in and on behalf of some other (higher) authority. Instead of saying “I wish you…” you are saying “May God grant you…”. A person will feel “blessed” but the blessing was done on behalf of someone else. If I tell you “God bless you on your journey” (or whatever), who is blessing you? I am blessing you, but I say it on behalf of higher authority, so you end up feeling that God has blessed you through me. I agree, most likely it is just coming from ignorance and good will, but if you think about it, how can one step out and speak out on behalf of that to which one himself is a subject? There is an appearance of humility, right after an act of what I would call an arrogance. (you can substitute any other greater force, “fate”, “universe”, “nature”, “force”, etc.)
It’s not presented as such; not by the common person anyway.
It’s a wish…hopefully God will bless you; not, because I say, God will bless you.
I wasn’t assuming it was about sneeze situation.
I bet there are many kinds of Satanist. And I thought I presented more or less in the line with what Christians may think of them rather than what actual Satanists might be. 
Also I used them to show the simple innocent/ignorant wish can be perceived as arrogance, or annoying invasion. I mean, it can become irritating to have someone, some group trying to impose their bizarre God/spell/blessing/etc all the time.
Christians would understand if they live in a foreign country/planet with an odd religion that is pushy, converting one, by nature.
Yeah, you can find Christian messages pretty much everywhere. Actually, I get to see this very wish “God bless you”, everyday, because there is someone placing it above their front door in our neighborhood.
Personally, I don’t care much.
But it might be interesting to see how they would feel if we placed “May Satan keep you from doing good” over our door.
pfft
get a life
Did you see the new rule? 
I thought it was older than christianity…?
The spontaneous expelling of breath - pneuma - was equivocated to an expellation of part of a person’s shamanic spirit, a fragment of their ‘soul’ - a dangerous situation if any bad spirits are hanging around for a bite. The ‘bless you’ was a warding phrase to dispel evil.
Or something.
I dunno, I think I read that somewhere, but I might just be making it up.
The UN bill on religious slander?
He’s in the clear; he was not slandering the religious belief of anyone or belittling it.
He was voicing his opinion of the perspective in question as being over thought; suggesting that if this is what one’s mind wonders to, that they need more to do in their life than ponder cultural phrases and whether they present one as arrogant or not; or, in short, “get a life.”
The rules are:
* There will be no tolerances of slandering or belittlement of any persons beliefs; regardless of how ridiculous they may appear to your mind
* There will be no instigation to rise by posting blatant religious or theologically aggressive material
* There will be no slander of world religious leaders
* There will be no slandering of atheism
None of these are applied to the phrase, “Get a life”, in this context.
Just because something is blunt, does not mean that it slanders or belittles a given aspect of religion or a persons religious belief.
This could have been said in a multitudes of other ways, sure, but it wasn’t addressing any given religious belief, a leader of such, theologically aggressive, nor atheism.
Thank you for the concern though.
P.S.
In the future, if you could, try to keep concerns like this addressed in PM’s, or by using the report function to bring about the question:
You could send a PM, for example, to a user and a moderator addressing your concerns.
In this way, the thread, containing the post of interest, is not derailed into a question and clarification over rules and guidelines and the consistency of the topic is maintained.
Thank you,
TheStumps
That’s funny, I could write a whole essay on what exactly that would entail, especially in the context of an “American dream”.
Should I start with working 30 years to pay off a mortgage on a cardboard house?
i think for the most part, most people when they say those words have absolutely no conception of what they are saying. it is sort of like a “click” in the brain that responds to the stimulus of an ahchoo.
they have been “watered down” so much to mean nearly nothing - except of course for some people when they say the words, they really are trying to call down a blessing upon someone.
and pray tell what is wrong with that - better than calling down a curse upon one’s head - No?
when you really think about it, is there any more effectivness in a blessing toward someone than in a curse?
yes, the effectiveness is within the love that is sent - and perhaps within something that may be listening.