Unprofitable Servant wrote: Hey Frank, trust all is well. I used to refrain from the use of the phrase because I didn't believe that your soul left your body when you sneezed. However, the more I thought about it, I actually reverted back. (I know--I am such a heathen) The main reason being is that very few people know of it's origin and people we wondering why the guy who said he was a Christian would not invoke a blessing from God. Others may differ, but I started back using the phrase. We celebrate the resurrection of Christ daily as we walk in newness of life, if people are drawn to think about once a year and attend church, that is far better than other things that receive holidays that are celebrated in debauchery.
I'm doing better than I deserve Luke 17:10! Thanks for asking. I'm sure when you say "God bless you" to someone, you aren't doing it in a heathen sense. I wouldn't even ponder what a person meant when they said that. As you know my post was primarily to simply state that we are more culturally led than we might imagine. I remember when I did attend church, I would always skip the holidays because all the unsaved folks showed up and there was no parking places and few places to sit. You are correct!
This may sound a bit strange, but even in when I was a kid, throughout my darkest days, and then until now, I have always used great care to only use God's name when speaking of Biblically related topics, prayer, etc. Strange that I was the worst sort of sinner (still am, I guess, but much, much better), yet I held God's name with such high respect that I was careful never to use it in vain. I've never used the GD word, even during the most violent of rages, never said, "God, is it hot", "oh my God", etc...you get the point. I am going somewhere...when it comes using the phrase "God bless you", I've never in my life said it because I just thought it was ridiculous, for one...meaningless, but the main reason was, of course, because it has God's name within it. Anyway, I'm just posting this because I think it's very odd that I would spend my life being so very careful not to disrespect or offend God by using His name in vain, foolishly, etc, yet the rest of my life painted a very different story.
xCatholic, turn this into a pamphlet, Is A Catholic Christian An Oxymoron? (PDF), it is by an now famous ex-Catholic, and I'm almost certain it has been pamphletized in the past.
You fellows might want to use "gesundheit" it just means "good health."
Frank wrote: Rufus, this has nothing to do with the article or your response to it, but it does sort of touch on your response. Have you every researched the origin of the phrase, "God bless you" after someone sneezes? After I researched it, I sort of said to myself, I won't say that again, but then I find myself doing it sometimes anyway out of a force of habit. I think we would all be amazed at just how much we don't know about the origins of things. Anne, your comment was very good; thanks.
Hey Frank, trust all is well. I used to refrain from the use of the phrase because I didn't believe that your soul left your body when you sneezed. However, the more I thought about it, I actually reverted back. (I know--I am such a heathen) The main reason being is that very few people know of it's origin and people we wondering why the guy who said he was a Christian would not invoke a blessing from God. Others may differ, but I started back using the phrase. We celebrate the resurrection of Christ daily as we walk in newness of life, if people are drawn to think about once a year and attend church, that is far better than other things that receive holidays that are celebrated in debauchery.
xRomanCatholic wrote: As a former cradle catholic – I spent a lot of time after getting saved studying things I thought I knew. Early in my walk I saw a video from the Truth Project (I don’t know that I fully recommend it – but it did benefit me some) and the question was posed (paraphrasing) Are you sure what you believe is really real? I found myself applying that question to everything I believed and held as truth. It was a painful process at times – but ultimately liberating (truth sets you free right?)
I also was raised RC, but fortunately for me it was in the old days and everything was in Latin. But, I adhere to your thoughts completely. There is no doctrinal issue that I am aware of that I haven't subjected to questioning and then tried to work through what I believe and why I believe it. To say we believe something just because it is proper and orthodox doesn't fool God. Like He asked Peter; "but who do "you" say that I am"?
Frank wrote: I think we would all be amazed at just how much we don't know about the origins of things.
As a former cradle catholic – I spent a lot of time after getting saved studying things I thought I knew. Early in my walk I saw a video from the Truth Project (I don’t know that I fully recommend it – but it did benefit me some) and the question was posed (paraphrasing) Are you sure what you believe is really real? I found myself applying that question to everything I believed and held as truth. It was a painful process at times – but ultimately liberating (truth sets you free right?)
Rufus wrote: No surprise the BBC would use a pagan "holy day" to promote paganism.
Rufus, this has nothing to do with the article or your response to it, but it does sort of touch on your response.
Have you every researched the origin of the phrase, "God bless you" after someone sneezes? After I researched it, I sort of said to myself, I won't say that again, but then I find myself doing it sometimes anyway out of a force of habit. I think we would all be amazed at just how much we don't know about the origins of things.
Have you ever wondered how bad it must have been in Noah's time, for God to destroy His creation, "every thought of every man being only evil all the time" if THIS kind of idea is spoken so boldly in OUR time? I think we had all better hold on to our hats... "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Gal 6:7
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I wouldn't even ponder what a person meant when they said that. As you know my post was primarily to simply state that we are more culturally led than we might imagine. I remember when I did attend church, I would always skip the holidays because all the unsaved folks showed up and there was no parking places and few places to sit. You are correct!
I think we would all be amazed at just how much we don't know about the origins of things. 
ah, but wash your eyes out on this one, 
