As an athiest how often do you have a temptation to say things like "good

[JAbuchan08]

lord" or "good god" or "goddamnit" ... uh... I guess that's probably enough. Does anyone find it hard? Is it weird to be attached to the convention of using such words? I for one enjoy them. I feel they're kind of harmless and irreverant. Anyone else?

I'm not about to get flamed am I?

[evlbstrd]

1. I do it all the time.

I don't find it weird, either.
I grew up in a large, extended Irish Catholic family. They were normal parts of speech.

[Rick Myers]

17. Same here!

I do it all the time. I love the irony.

[evlbstrd]

26. I once drank whiskey in a bar in DC with a priest.

We had the same family name. I was still a young sailor, so he drank me under the table and out-swore me as well. That was a fun night.

[Zenlitened]

2. To me, it's all just leftover language. I have no trouble...

... with saying the sun "rises" and "sets," either, even though we all know it's a bit more complicated than that.

:)

[Tinksrival]

3. HHHAAAA HHHAAAA!!!!

I love your post!

I get so mad at myself for saying "Bless you" when someone sneezes!
It's so stupid when you think about it. But it just comes out!

[JAbuchan08]

7. Sometimes I say gehzundheit because I feel like I should say something

I've forgotten what it even means and I usually don't say anything. Apparently I only really take his name in vain as opposed to invoking his blessings.

[WhollyHeretic]

32. It means good health. That's what I usually use.

[Marr]

4. Why wouldn't you? I do it all the time.

It's just slang.

[noamnety]

5. The only time I ever think twice about it

is when I post on DU.

[politicat]

6. Frequently, though SF speak is slowly taking over that sector.

I find that I'm more likely to use gorram instead of goddam and frell instead of fresh hell or fucking hell and vack instead of fuck as time goes on.

But personally, I don't care and I'm strongly naturalistic in my worldview.

[JAbuchan08]

11. I'm not sure I know what SF speak is

n/t

[politicat]

18. SF speak - science fiction speak.

Stargate, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer all have individual TV friendly curses that were common in the context of the series. (Other sources, too, of course.)

Since most of my local peers are SF geeks, we tend to use the SF speak because it conveys meaning amongst ourselves.

[iamjoy]

19. FRACK!

:headbang:

[Zenlitened]

27. Somehow, tanstaafl* never caught on. Thank god. ;)

*There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

[Ksec]

8. I could give a god damn.

Kidding.

I am not an athiest as I believe in a higher power, just not sure who or where etc.

I try to avoid language that is inflammatory. It just feels fuckin right to me .

[NNadir]

9. All the time.

I frequently find myself saying "Lord knows..."

Actually I mean the opposite of what I'm actually saying, "Nobody knows..." :shrug:

[bonito]

10. No flame intention here

But if your not responsible for your own awareness, well it's just the natural thing to think. Peace

[Teaser]

12. Why does everyone on the internet

spell the word "athiest"?

[JAbuchan08]

13. Because we're collectively morons

as I can personally attest. I also pronounce subtle the way it is spelled.

[Orrex]

30. I believe that's "Morans." And "Hugh Morans," at that

In the past decade or so I've become rather anal about my spelling, perhaps because I'm daily faced with so much abominable spelling in work-emails and the like.

However, years ago I wrote almost an entire story for a fiction class based on the brilliant pun I'd discovered. "Theif," I reasoned, "is an amalgam of the if, so I'll have my theif call himself The If."

Brilliant! I'm a gosh dang genious! (sic)

[MisterP]

24. it's the ultimate form of "athy": athy, athier, athiest

[applegrove]

14. I'm agnostic & use that language all the time. I mean it as a phrase of

speech but clearly know and accept that I don't have all the answers to what started the whole amazing planetary system. It was something quite astounding. I find more in common with the religious (walking the walkers) than with the atheists at times. And by God - I mean - whatever it is.

[JAbuchan08]

20. Sometimes I think that the universe exists simply to reconcile

with itself, if that makes any sense at all, maybe the karmic is intertwined with the physical, but I shouldn't really speculate. I've kind of resolved to find my own place in the universe and leave the universe to governing itself.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. I find it hard at times but the language is ingrained in me. So yes

I use it but, oft times find it awkward, to say the least. It's a :dilemma:

[eallen]

16. All the time I say Wednesday and Thursday. Think Wodin or Thor mind?

Language is history. Our ancestors believed in gods, fairies, elves, magic, spells, and all sorts of other superstition. It is embedded in our language. Doesn't mean a thing beyond that.

:hippie:

[babylonsister]

21. I'm not even religious, but was conditioned for a small

amount of time to refrain from using 'the Lord's name in vain.' Even now, pushing 50, I still keep catching myself thinking 'don't use the Lord's name in vain.' Very weird; it's obviously ingrained in me, but I don't know why. I attended church very sporadically, and my parents never except for weddings and funerals.

[Zenlitened]

25. I notice that sort of thing when watching television.

People are being so careful not to say "oh my god," so they say "oh my gosh" instead. It sounds very awkward and contrived to my ear.

But I know from having worked in broadcast that there are plenty of god-police out there with the studio line on speed-dial, ready to phone in a "how DARE you take the lord's name in vain!!!" at every opportunity.

[iamjoy]

22. I've Said Jesus Christ

even though I'm Jewish.

Seriously, I'm agnostic now, but still say things like "Thank God" and "God Bless You" and "Oh, my God"

And sports teams praying for a win still ticks me off. Don't know why

[darkism]

23. They're just expressions. Don't mean a goddamn thing to me. n/t

[soleft]

28. Instead if thank god I say thank the Tripods

The Tripods was a sci fi mini series about = tripods that land on earth and people of course worship them as gods.

I wish there was another variation on sneezing other than gesundheit - usually go with bless you but that doesn't feel right

[JAbuchan08]

29. As to the variation on gesundheit

how 'bout "begone yea demons!"

[chaska]

31. And what does an atheist say, post-sneeze, when someone offers up the...

usual "bless you"?

[leftofthedial]

33. dozens of times a day

I also say "holy shit" alot, but don't really believe that shit is holy.

[caty]

34. As a Buddhist Humanist

I believe god is a force of good thoughts, deeds, and words. So.....yes, I say OMG sometimes, but don't think anything of it.