Are you offended by the phrase "good luck"?

[Orthodox6]

Since this is "Thread Land", not "Real Life", I can appreciate that nobody in this thread is prescriptive about the topic. Folks are just musing out loud (via font, that is) regarding their own, particular take on the question. Some of us sense a theological disjuncture, others don't. I enjoy hearing from the others.

 

Thank you! I swallow my tongue when someone lays into me about wishing them good luck. It is just a way of saying I wish the best for them. It is not a theological thing...at least that is how I've always seen it. I find it frustrating that I'm expected to understand and sympathize with everyone's view point--and change my own actions and words to fit how they see the world--from luck to theology to going green. Sigh. For a society that is suppose to be so blankety-blank tollerant, I certainly find very few who see it applying to themselves.

 

 

...

 

 

Jean

[KingM]

This seems like a funny thing to make a big deal about and of course most of the time people mean it about as seriously as they mean, "Break a leg!" when you're about to perform on stage. It's just a way of offering well wishes to someone who is about to embark on some endeavor.

 

But, if you want to try to change the English language, go for it, but, uhm, good luck, because you're going to need it. :001_smile:

[LMA]

We should just be gracious and say "thank you" to someone who wishes you well regardless of whether or not it offends your beliefs.

[unsinkable]

I have absolutely no problem with anyone wishing me anything positive. Whether it is Good Luck, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas, or Happy Father's Day (even though I am a girl). I look at the intention of the well wisher, and the fact that they acknowledge me in their beliefs.

 

I appreciate the fact that they wish me well, however they worded it doesn't matter to me. There is no way I would correct someone and tell them that I don't practice the same holidays or use the same 'words of faith' they do, and because of that I won't accept the positive thoughts and sentiments.

 

Unless it was a very close friend and/or part of a discussion that we were having, I would never take a happy wish, and turn it into anything other than that, and especially not turn it into a time to scold the well wisher.

 

You'll be getting my Festivus invitation in the mail come December.

[funschooler5]

You'll be getting my Festivus invitation in the mail come December.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

Does that include the annual airing of grievances and feats of strength?

[KarenNC]

As for saying "God Bless You" when someone sneezes...

I studied a little about superstitions in school. (I was in the CLUE program, something like APEX, and this was a mini-study that we did.) I found them fascinating, even if I am not really superstitious myself. I looked it up on wiki-pedia to refresh my memory, but this is what I remember learning:

 

"Another version says that people used to believe that your soul can be thrown from your body when you sneeze,[1] that sneezing otherwise opened your body to invasion by the Devil[3] or evil spirits,[2] or that sneezing was your body's effort to force out an invading evil spirit.[1] Thus, "bless you" or "God bless you" is used as a sort of shield against evil."

 

If you care to read more (it's interesting!), this is the page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bless_You

 

My father told us as children that we weren't allowed to say that to people because it was blasphemous to say that God would bless someone because they might not *really* be Christian (or "Christian-enough" one supposes) and God wouldn't bless non-Christians. He is not and has never been part of a Christian denomination that includes priests or any sort of episcopal structure---very much an uber-Calvinist.

 

Hmmm....now I'm going to have to pay attention and see if he actually says it to me or my family..........

Edited July 1, 2009 by KarenNC

[Desert Rat]

I think people are offended way to easily. It's annoying.

[Nakia]

I think people are offended way to easily. It's annoying.

 

:iagree:

[Orthodox6]

Goodness. I was raised Presbyterian, but never was taught anything like that ! Even then I understood that everybody is blessed and loved by God -- else He wouldn't have bothered to create them in the first place !

 

My father told us as children that we weren't allowed to say that to people because it was blasphemous to say that God would bless someone because they might not *really* be Christian (or "Christian-enough" one supposes) and God wouldn't bless non-Christians. He is not and has never been part of a Christian denomination that includes priests or any sort of episcopal structure---very much an uber-Calvinist.

 

Hmmm....now I'm going to have to pay attention and see if he actually says it to me or my family..........

[LaxMom]

I have absolutely no problem with anyone wishing me anything positive. Whether it is Good Luck, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas, or Happy Father's Day (even though I am a girl). I look at the intention of the well wisher, and the fact that they acknowledge me in their beliefs.

 

I appreciate the fact that they wish me well, however they worded it doesn't matter to me. There is no way I would correct someone and tell them that I don't practice the same holidays or use the same 'words of faith' they do, and because of that I won't accept the positive thoughts and sentiments.

 

Unless it was a very close friend and/or part of a discussion that we were having, I would never take a happy wish, and turn it into anything other than that, and especially not turn it into a time to scold the well wisher.

 

Yes, I find it annoying when the annual rants about "Happy Holidays" come out around the, you know, winter HOLIDAYS. I find it terribly ungracious to nitpick well wishes from perfect strangers, like grocery store cashiers, not to mention airing your grievance in the newspaper or on television.

 

I never considered the possibility of "good luck" offending, much in the same way I have never considered being offended by someone telling me that they will be praying for me. (Unless either is offered in a snide manner, obviously)

[kalanamak]

It makes me cringe because years ago, my Japanese teacher told me that us westerners relied on luck while the Japanese worked hard. That comment really stuck with me.

 

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

Have you been to Japan? Dropping your comb on the street to get rid of your bad luck, getting a china figure of a cat cleaning its ear for good luck, tying the "bad fortunes" you get at temple to a tree to leave them behind. What a luck-focused society!

 

My folks lived there a year in the 50's as part of a cultural exchange to promote understanding after the war, and my mother said "all the blessing we got, and we still nearly sank in a typhoon on the way home."

[Dirtroad]

Not offended b/c it is so common & means no ill. It is just a well wish statement.

 

However, as a Reformed Christian, I believe everything falls under the plan of God & nothing is accidental or by LUCK. So, I look at it as an inappropriate use of the words!;) In regards to this view, we try to not use it and teach the kids to not use it. If God is in control... no such thing as luck!

 

Happy Holidays falls into another can of worms. It was never offensive but wasn't used often... until so many anti-Christian groups began to make it a point to insist or pressure businesses and organizations to STOP using Merry Christmas... b/c it was so exclusive and insist on Happy Holidays. Then.... HH became a hot issue & many began to insist on keeping Merry Christmas (a cultural norm). Season's Greetings is another hot button issue that my grandparents used to not like. It was looked upon as the anti-Christmas theme many years back. My DH still doesn't like it.

 

I don't toss a card that is so kindly sent to me just because it has HH or SG (or make an issue of it with the dear friend/relation).... but I do not send them (on purpose) to anyone. I always use Merry Christmas & try to even avoid Santa.... keeping focus on the relegious component of the celebration. Most folks don't think about it.. .it is just a pretty card or well wish.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Dirtroad

[kalanamak]

:iagree:

 

Just run it through the mind as "I wish you well".

 

I asked my sister how she coped with people who rattled on and on about God (we are both non-believers). She said, wisely I think: I just hear the word "good" after the first dozen or so.

[KarenNC]

Goodness. I was raised Presbyterian, but never was taught anything like that ! Even then I understood that everybody is blessed and loved by God -- else He wouldn't have bothered to create them in the first place !

 

Understood......he tends to take the theology a *lot* farther than the denomination ever does (hence the "uber-Calvinist;)). At about the same time we were not allowed to play anything but certain kinds of Christian music in the car or on the stereo because the speakers were dedicated to God, and it was strongly suggested that only really acceptable reading material other than school assignments was sermons, preferably by Charles Spurgeon oddly enough.

[Desert Rat]

Brilliant, Kalanamak! I'll have to remember that one!

[chiguirre]

I don't toss a card that is so kindly sent to me just because it has HH or SG (or make an issue of it with the dear friend/relation).... but I do not send them (on purpose) to anyone. I always use Merry Christmas & try to even avoid Santa.... keeping focus on the relegious component of the celebration. Most folks don't think about it.. .it is just a pretty card or well wish.

 

Do you send cards to anyone who you know is not a Christian? How do you deal with Jewish or Muslim friends who would prefer not to receive a card with a nativity scene?

 

I never really thought about the whole Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays thing until I went to a university where the largest religious group was Judaism. It would have been quite rude to go around wishing people Merry Christmas or Happy Easter. It was much safer to stick with Happy Holidays. After all, I didn't want to offend someone with a greeting, KWIM?

[Mommyof4ks]

I grew up saying good luck, so I still slip when I mean to say best wishes or something similar. As far as being offended myself, no. I am not easily offended though. I do have several friends that are easily offended and it is like walking on eggshells around them, yikes. Most people don't set out to offend me daily, so I usually give people the benefit of the doubt.

[Renai]

No. But, saying "bless you" after someone sneezes gets on my nerves. In a light-hearted kind of way.

[Catwoman]

No. But, saying "bless you" after someone sneezes gets on my nerves. In a light-hearted kind of way.

 

Wow, I never thought anyone would take "bless you" as anything but a kind comment (whether it was said in a solemn or lighthearted way.) That is so interesting to me, because I do that all the time, and I never, ever meant it in anything but a nice way. I really hope I've never offended anyone, as it certainly wasn't my intention.

 

Honestly, if I'm in a store and someone sneezes, I'm always a little surprised if no one says, "bless you," "God bless you," or, "Gesundheit." It's such a common thing to do, and I think people mean it in a good way.

 

Thanks for sharing that, Renai. :001_smile:

 

Cat

[Catwoman]

I agree.....I say it all the time and NEVER in my wildest dreams knew people felt offended....wow....I am shocked.

 

I'm amazed, too! I can't imagine anyone wishing someone good luck and meaning something offensive, so I would think that the best thing for people to do is to just accept the comment in the spirit in which it was intended and let it go at that.

 

Honestly, if someone told me I'd offended them when I wished them good luck, I would probably be offended by that, unless they explained why in an awfully nice way. ;)

 

Cat

[Renai]

My father told us as children that we weren't allowed to say that to people because it was blasphemous to say that God would bless someone because they might not *really* be Christian (or "Christian-enough" one supposes) and God wouldn't bless non-Christians. He is not and has never been part of a Christian denomination that includes priests or any sort of episcopal structure---very much an uber-Calvinist.

 

Hmmm....now I'm going to have to pay attention and see if he actually says it to me or my family..........

 

 

I kind of came to a similar conclusion on my own as a teen and stopped saying it. But mostly, I just thought that most people don't have the power to bless me anyway. It has nothing to do with blessing me really, it is just a habit people say without thinking.

[Renai]

Wow, I never thought anyone would take "bless you" as anything but a kind comment (whether it was said in a solemn or lighthearted way.) That is so interesting to me, because I do that all the time, and I never, ever meant it in anything but a nice way. I really hope I've never offended anyone, as it certainly wasn't my intention.

 

Honestly, if I'm in a store and someone sneezes, I'm always a little surprised if no one says, "bless you," "God bless you," or, "Gesundheit." It's such a common thing to do, and I think people mean it in a good way.

 

Thanks for sharing that, Renai. :001_smile:

 

Cat

 

 

Well, when I was a teen, I came to the conclusion that most people really didn't have the power to bless me, and were only saying it as habit. Then, I moved here, where there are a lot of Wiccan and other religions, and "bless you" took on a whole 'nuther meaning.

 

It really doesn't bother me a whole lot, I just don't say it, and don't answer if someone says it to me (I can't really thank them for a blessing I may not have received). Well, ok, if my next door neighbor says it and it's obvious I heard, I'll say thank you.

 

And, I'm really not all that uptight about it either. I'm not offended, I just don't participate. It takes a whole lot to offend me (even way more than a Wiccan blessing me- yes I'm picking on Wiccan, I had a Wiccan friend and I used to watch her daughter when our children were younger).

 

ETA: Oh, I will say "salud" sometimes, as that is basically a wish for someone's good health, and not a blessing.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Renai
Added info

[Tree House Academy]

LOL - I am in the "not offended and would have never, in a million years, thought to worry if it offended someone else" category.

[OnTheBrink]

We should just be gracious and say "thank you" to someone who wishes you well regardless of whether or not it offends your beliefs.

 

And, if something as innocuous as a "Good luck" or "Bless you!" is offensive, then maybe the offended one should get over themselves. (sorry, that's my "I've driven for 8 hours today and I'm tired" response. My less-cranky response would be for them to memorize, I Cor 13:4-5. My uber-less-cranky self would say I need to work on memorizing that, too.)

[FlockOfSillies]

How funny! I thought it had to do with the fact that you stopped breathing momentarily to sneeze. "Hope you don't die! Don't forget to breathe!" LOL.

[Pamela H in Texas]

and God wouldn't bless non-Christians.

 

Hmmmm....

 

Do non-Christians not enjoy sunrises and sunsets? Do they not get a kick out of the antics of animals and children? Do they not get awed about the complexities of science? Do they not appreciate their health? Do they not "get" hard work and the ability to do it as well as the benefits of it?

 

This is all a silly line of questioning of course. Of course, non-christians have all these things. In fact, the scriptures say that they can get to know God from his creations. It also says that they benefit from having the qualities of God, that those who don't follow God still get a LOT right because God put it in them to do so.

 

Anyway, it is absolutely nutty to think that non-Christians aren't blessed by God. And they also have all the opportunity to accept God's greatest blessing, the value of the ransom sacrifice of His only begotten son. But the blessing is already there! And then people who have died have the blessing of a resurrection where the truth about God will be laid out on the table. They can then accept it and have eternal life or choose not to accept it. But again, the blessing is there for the taking!

 

EVERY person has incredible blessings all day every single day. The sad part is that so very few people enjoy them to the degree they could (and should).

Edited July 2, 2009 by 2J5M9K
grammar

[KarenNC]

Oh, and just in case folks don't realize it (I know my dad did not as he included it in the interdict on "blessing"), "gesundheit" simply means "health" *not* "God bless you", so maybe you can be safe saying that?;)

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gesundheit

 

Maybe instead of "Bless you" one could expand it out to be "may your deity or deities of choice (if any) bless you if you so desire". That might cover the bases:D. Or just stick to "gesundheit".

Edited July 2, 2009 by KarenNC

[KarenNC]

Anyway, it is absolutely nutty to think that non-Christians aren't blessed by God.

 

IIRC it had something to do with Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 about what Christians bind on earth will be bound in heaven and for some reason if you were to say "bless you" when someone sneezes you might be inadvertently be placing God under some obligation to do something He didn't want or plan to do.....hence the blasphemous part--assuming to know better than God about who is worthy to be blessed. It's been a few decades since we had that conversation so I may be imperfect in my memory of it. Agreed that his theology is rather non-standard ;).

 

At any rate, as I said, since my family and I are non-Christians, now that I've remembered this I'm going to have to keep my eyes open to see if he has changed and is willing to "bless" us now;).

[ereks mom]

root as "Lucifer" (Satan/The Devil). I have no idea if this is true.

[RhondaM.]

I have a habit of wishing people good luck when I hope things work well for them. I had a friend recently that requested I not say that to her anymore. We are moderate to conservative Christians and don't really believe in luck. I guess what I really mean is best wishes. I have never really thought about it and don't want to offend anyone. Does anyone else have a problem with this and if so why?

 

:001_smile:

 

I sort of hesitate to say it to some people, depending on the circumstances. To others I freely say it. I see it as a figure of speach. And no, I never get offended when anyone says it to me. But then, I'm not easily offended.

 

I did get out my Bible, Strong's Concordance, Merium Webster online Dictionary and The New College Latin and English Dictionary to help me look into this...because I was curious...here os what i found:

 

Merium Webster:

luck: 1. a. A force that brings good fortune or adversity. b. the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual. 2. favoring chance

 

The New College Latin & English Dictionary:

fortuna: chance, luck, fate, fortune, good luck, .....

 

I Sam. 6:9 And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

 

(Strong's Concordance for this verse is 4745 in the Hebrew section: something met with, i.e. an accident or fortune: - something befallen, befalleth, chance, event)

 

Eccl. 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.

 

(Strong's Concordance for this verse is 6294 in the Hebrew section: impact (casual): - chance, occurrent.)

 

Luke 10:31 And by chance there came down a certain priest....

 

(Strong's Concordance for this verse is 4795 in the Greek section: concurrence, i.e., accident: - chance.)

 

After looking at all of this I don't see saying I hope I have good luck today being any different than I hope my chances are good today. Though I'd rather say I hope God blesses this.

 

RhondaM.

[KarenNC]

root as "Lucifer" (Satan/The Devil). I have no idea if this is true.

 

Then you will want to avoid saying "translucent", "lucid", etc as "Lucifer" comes from "luc, lux" light + "ferous" and means "light bearer" http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Lucifer

 

Lu·ci·fer

Etymology:

Middle English, the morning star, a fallen rebel archangel, the Devil, from Old English, from Latin, the morning star, from lucifer light-bearing, from luc-, lux light + -fer -ferous — more at light

 

light

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English lēoht; akin to Old High German lioht light, Latin luc-, lux light, lucēre to shine, Greek leukos white

 

"luck" on the other hand, should be fine as it is from German and a different root altogether

luck

Etymology:

Middle English lucke, from Middle Dutch luc; akin to Middle High German gelücke luck

Date: 15th century

 

There seems to be a certain strand of Christian preacher who is very fond of making (rather spurious, obviously) connections between things based on surface coincidences of arrangement of letters, etc and claiming causation without bothering to have any evidence to back it up. Basically, the etymological information in any decent dictionary is your friend in such situations as you try to determine whether the claims are indeed accurate.

[kah]

Then you will want to avoid saying "translucent", "lucid", etc as "Lucifer" comes from "luc, lux" light + "ferous" and means "light bearer" http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Lucifer

 

Lu·ci·fer

Etymology:

Middle English, the morning star, a fallen rebel archangel, the Devil, from Old English, from Latin, the morning star, from lucifer light-bearing, from luc-, lux light + -fer -ferous — more at light

 

light

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English lēoht; akin to Old High German lioht light, Latin luc-, lux light, lucēre to shine, Greek leukos white

 

"luck" on the other hand, should be fine as it is from German and a different root altogether

luck

Etymology:

Middle English lucke, from Middle Dutch luc; akin to Middle High German gelücke luck

Date: 15th century

 

There seems to be a certain strand of Christian preacher who is very fond of making (rather spurious, obviously) connections between things based on surface coincidences of arrangement of letters, etc and claiming causation without bothering to have any evidence to back it up. Basically, the etymological information in any decent dictionary is your friend in such situations as you try to determine whether the claims are indeed accurate.

 

Thank you for elucidating this. ;) (Sorry- I couldn't resist.)

[KingM]

IIRC it had something to do with Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 about what Christians bind on earth will be bound in heaven and for some reason if you were to say "bless you" when someone sneezes you might be inadvertently be placing God under some obligation to do something He didn't want or plan to do.....hence the blasphemous part--assuming to know better than God about who is worthy to be blessed.

 

Does this mean you wouldn't bless your food before eating it because it places God under obligation?

 

Also, it seems that there's an implicit subjunctive in that phrase. "[May God] bless you [if it be His will]." Far from being blasphemous, I would say that a sincere and religious "Bless you," would be a pious proclamation.

 

Not that most of us mean that when we say it. It's a polite acknowledgment of someone else's sneeze and an indication that the speaker is in sympathy and not condemning the sneezer for the act.

[RhondaM.]

Does this mean you wouldn't bless your food before eating it because it places God under obligation?

 

Also, it seems that there's an implicit subjunctive in that phrase. "[May God] bless you [if it be His will]." Far from being blasphemous, I would say that a sincere and religious "Bless you," would be a pious proclamation.

 

Not that most of us mean that when we say it. It's a polite acknowledgment of someone else's sneeze and an indication that the speaker is in sympathy and not condemning the sneezer for the act.

 

:iagree:

 

RhondaM.

[KarenNC]

Does this mean you wouldn't bless your food before eating it because it places God under obligation?

 

Also, it seems that there's an implicit subjunctive in that phrase. "[May God] bless you [if it be His will]." Far from being blasphemous, I would say that a sincere and religious "Bless you," would be a pious proclamation.

 

Not that most of us mean that when we say it. It's a polite acknowledgment of someone else's sneeze and an indication that the speaker is in sympathy and not condemning the sneezer for the act.

 

To reiterate: this was something my father believed (may still do so, don't know as religious discussions between us are not usually terribly productive)---not me. I thought it was out there at the time (I was a teen) and still do, along with many of his other beliefs about religion. It was simply an example of yet another unusual explanation for not saying "bless you", as others were giving examples.

 

I don't think he had a moral dilemma in blessing food, since food was not seen to be sentient and capable of acting in a way that would mean it would not be blessed. But yes, I do think he believes that by blessing food he is conferring some special something from God on it, somehow making it healthier or more nutritious than food that had not been so blessed prior to consumption. I know that he would "claim" various and sundry other inanimate objects as blessed for God.

 

Personally, I'm perfectly fine with "bless you" being merely a social convention. I'm perfectly fine with it meaning the same as "gesundheit"---a wish for health. I'm also perfectly fine with the person meaning "God bless you", which I am perfectly fine with putting through my filters so I hear it as as "May the Gods bless you" (more appropriate for my religion ;)). As long as it doesn't turn into a "bless her heart"..........;)

 

Seems a tempest in a teapot to me (and yes, I mean "tea" in the "little leaves off of a plant" sense:D).

Edited July 2, 2009 by KarenNC

[KingM]

KarenNC,

 

Yes, I was just commenting on that line of thinking, not saying it applied to you. I didn't clarify that very well.

[Catwoman]

I'm not offended, I just don't participate.

 

Thanks, Renai -- I understand now. I'm the same way about a lot of things, too! :001_smile:

 

Cat

[Orthodox6]

Along similar lines for me. . . I either say "na zdrove !" (Russian version of "gesundheit", can be translated as "To [your] health !".) or "yia sou !" (This is what Greeks say. It is an all-purpose utterance for "Hello !" , "Good-bye !" , following a sneeze , and other miscellaneous circumstances.)

 

 

Oh, and just in case folks don't realize it (I know my dad did not as he included it in the interdict on "blessing"), "gesundheit" simply means "health" *not* "God bless you", so maybe you can be safe saying that?

[nlmullen]

I try to avoid saying "good luck" since I too don't believe in luck. Sometimes I say "good luck" just because it sounds right. I try to say "All the Best" in emails instead of "good luck" which sounds good too. Or I wish you the best if I'm talking to some one. I think it takes a real effort to do this because good luck is so commonly used.:001_huh:

[KingM]

I try to say "All the Best" in emails instead of "good luck" which sounds good too. Or I wish you the best if I'm talking to some one. I think it takes a real effort to do this because good luck is so commonly used.:001_huh:

 

All the best...what? Isn't the word that's cut off from the end of this phrase "luck?"

[skaterbabs]

Honestly, I think getting one's knickers in a twist over a simple phrase is silly. "Good luck" is simply meant to express that the speaker desire for the recipient a successful outcome on whatever happens to be happening.

 

Do I believe in luck, no, there's no such thing as luck, just as there is no such thing as coincidence. God knows all.

 

However, to allow oneself to be offended by an expressed desire for a positive event simply because the vernacular is not one you would use, I find that very shallow.

[Sherri in MI]

Not offended at all! I strongly believe in God's Providence, however the phrase "good luck" does not offend me at all. I am puzzled that someone would be offended and say something to you! That seems very nit picky and ungracious to me. In casual conversation we need to look at the intent and not correct others.

 

If a Christian was a missionary, they would have to get used to a lot of offensive things in the other culture for the sake of sharing the gospel. You would try to learn about the culture and be as accepting as possible for the sake of graciousness and friendliness. You would certainly use things as a springboard for conversation, but you would not nitpik. You would need to choose wisely what were the really important issues to discuss or attempt to change.

 

Why can't we do the same thing here? I think it only makes us look critical, petty, and ungracious and detracts from the gospel when we make a big deal in public about such minor things. Especially since the person saying it just meant "best wishes". It's fine to teach your family differently, but must we always be (over) correcting others?

 

This sure is an interesting thread though!:001_smile:

 

Blessings,

Sherri

[Sherri in MI]

Conservative Christian here - I say, "Good luck" all the time. It's semantics to take it apart if you ask me. It means the same as "best wishes", "Blessings" etc. I don't believe in luck either. But this is just a common phrase with a meaning bigger then the meaning of each individual word. Like "Break a Leg" certainly isn't literal. Everybody KNOWS what it means and what is mean by saying it. What on earth is "luck" anyway? If you ask me, saying, "Good Luck!" is just a nice way to wish someone a best outcome in what ever they are doing.

 

:iagree:

[Sherri in MI]

I don't find it offensive and I say it to people sometimes. I like what a good friend says: Luck is Living Under Christ's Kindness.

 

I like that! That's sweet. :001_smile:

[Sherri in MI]

I never considered this phrase to be possibly offensive :confused:

I am happy to have someone wish me luck, although I'm not really sure if I believe in "luck" or not. It does bother me, though, when people say "good luck" in a sarcastic way, as if they don't believe that you will really succeed (in whatever it is that you're trying to do)...

 

As for saying "God Bless You" when someone sneezes...

I studied a little about superstitions in school. (I was in the CLUE program, something like APEX, and this was a mini-study that we did.) I found them fascinating, even if I am not really superstitious myself. I looked it up on wiki-pedia to refresh my memory, but this is what I remember learning:

 

"Another version says that people used to believe that your soul can be thrown from your body when you sneeze,[1] that sneezing otherwise opened your body to invasion by the Devil[3] or evil spirits,[2] or that sneezing was your body's effort to force out an invading evil spirit.[1] Thus, "bless you" or "God bless you" is used as a sort of shield against evil."

 

If you care to read more (it's interesting!), this is the page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bless_You

 

 

That is interesting! I'm familiar with this background of the phrase "God bless you" and even grew up in a church that thought it was wrong to say it because of this reason! To me, it's just a harmless cultural practice with good intentions. Do you realize how much we would have to avoid if we applied that criteria to everything in our culture consistently? Yikes!

[Sherri in MI]

This seems like a funny thing to make a big deal about and of course most of the time people mean it about as seriously as they mean, "Break a leg!" when you're about to perform on stage. It's just a way of offering well wishes to someone who is about to embark on some endeavor.

 

But, if you want to try to change the English language, go for it, but, uhm, good luck, because you're going to need it. :001_smile:

 

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Sherri in MI]

We should just be gracious and say "thank you" to someone who wishes you well regardless of whether or not it offends your beliefs.

 

:iagree:

 

That's what I was trying to say, only you said it better and in fewer words!

[Sherri in MI]

Maybe instead of "Bless you" one could expand it out to be "may your deity or deities of choice (if any) bless you if you so desire". That might cover the bases:D. Or just stick to "gesundheit".

 

 

:lol: Karen, I love your expanded "blessing"!

[KidsHappen]

:confused: See this is why I want to be a hermit, no fear of saying the wrond thing to the wrog person. I am always perplexed when people ask for prayers on this board and then put (CC). I never know if they only want prayers from Christians, or they think that non-Chirstians would want to hear and care about the plight, or if they think that only Christians pray. Same with Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and so on. You never can tell what will upset someone so I never intiated these greating but just follow kind. Sooner or later thogh, no one will be intiating coversations and then where would we be,

[asta]

:confused: See this is why I want to be a hermit, no fear of saying the wrond thing to the wrog person. I am always perplexed when people ask for prayers on this board and then put (CC). I never know if they only want prayers from Christians, or they think that non-Chirstians would want to hear and care about the plight, or if they think that only Christians pray. Same with Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and so on. You never can tell what will upset someone so I never intiated these greating but just follow kind. Sooner or later thogh, no one will be intiating coversations and then where would we be,

 

Yep.

 

And whatever you do, don't mention packets of fruity drinks that must be mixed with one cup of sugar.

:auto:

 

 

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