How do Spanish-speaking atheists feel about the traditional Spanish departing phrase?

The same idea is present in the Italian “addio” and the French “adieu.” While I have not met knowingly met rabid atheists of either sort, I never picked up on anybody deliberately avoiding the phrase. In Italian, at least, “ciao” is more popular anyway.
My guess is that, to them, it’s just another word.

It’s just a word. It’s no big deal.

You know what’s funny? Sometimes when someone says goodbye, I’ll say “To God.” They always look at me funny.

And “goodbye,” in English derives, ultimately, from the phrase “God be with you” It’s fairly common in a number a languages. I doubt many English speaking atheists have a problem saying goodbye, at least not anymore than anyone has trouble saying goodbye.

Ok, so I do believe in God and I say the word Adios. Honestly I never really think about the meaning when I say it. When I want to say just good bye in spanish than I say Adios. When I really mean to say good bye with Gods blessing, then I say Dios te bendiga. I think most people really don’t think about it otherwise.

I don’t know anybody who cares.

Vaya con dios is another traditional parting phrase I don’t think anyone gives any thought to. It’s like “God bless you” after a sneeze or “God damn it!” Now more a part of everyday language like brand names Kleenex or Band-Aid than referring to an actual product or deity.

I agree with the others – I don’t think it’s a big deal. I’m an atheist, and I say “Oh my god”, “Good lord!” and “Goddammit” all the time. It just comes out. I like @Blueroses’ suggestion that it’s just a part of everyday language.

Well…. atheists are not part of any organized group… so you can’t say if they in general feel comfortable or not with that word.

But in my point of view, I believe that a real atheist will have no problem with the word, being an atheist, is simply being devoid of the belief in God.

A real atheist will have no problem going to church and praying, even if not just for the fun of doing it.

As an atheist I feel that people feel, believe that we “hate” god/s. So I’m guessing your question comes from that believe, because only by “hating” on a god we would froth out of our mouths when we hear the word adios. At least in my case I could care less, I don’t even think about it. But then again I haven’t been invited to the atheists secret meetings. Or have I? dunn dunn dunn.

The French, having produced Balzac, have it covered. If you’re planning to simply say “good-bye, ” you use “au revoir,” which means “until I see you again,” or ”`å bientôt.” That translates into, “later, baby.”

“Adieu” is a final farewell. I sail off into the sunset, I climb into the tumbrel on the way to the guilloutine, I lie in my hospital bed dying of a wasting disease, or I am about to enter a monastery.

The other romance languages have similar expressions, including the “good morning’s,” good afternoon’s,” and good evening’s.”

“Hasta pronto.” “Hasta luego.”
“Ciao.”
”Å la prochaine,”

Atheist living in Spain here, I would argue to start with that adios does not mean “to god”, I would say “a dios” does mean “to god” but that “adios” just means “bye”. Perhaps the origin of the word has something to do with gods but I would argue that it meaning “to god” would not even occur to any of my Spanish friends.

Personally I dont use adios, I use “nos vemos” meaning “we’ll see each other”, but that is nothing to do with any gods, it’s just my style.

Having said that, I have no problem using the word god or gods in any language, I just dont see why anything like that should bother anyone ever.

I never say “oh my god” in English, I don’t seem to use any god related terms except for one, that being “me cago en dios” meaning “I shit on god”, something that I use when things are not going well, however it is 50–50 if I use it, some times I’ll say I shit on god, other times I’ll say I shit in the milk “me cago en la leche”.

EDIT:

I’m sure “adios” originally meant “to god”, because we also have “vaya con dios” meaning “go with god” as another form of saying bye, but in it’s modern usage, I don’t think anyone would say “adios” has anything to do with gods, just like no one would say “ventana” has anything to do with “viento” or “ventilar” (the wind/ventilate).

@poisonedantidote or “me cago en la ostia”, my uncle is from Donostia and becuase his wife is very persignada made him say “me cago en diez” instead of “dios”. You can tell he tries very hard not to piss her off.

I live in Spain and I am without any religion… I say “adios” or here “adeu” in catalan… does mean nothing to me… just a word… the Italians are right… “ciao” would be in that meaning a better option… ;)

My apologies for asking this question. I have heard atheists be vocal about other language idioms involving some sort of religious affiliation so I assumed, apparently incorrectly, that it would be a more broad thing.

Jesus, @KatawaGrey, for God’s sake, there’s no need to apologize for asking this question! :-)

@KatawaGrey I think that it’s just a certain obnoxious breed of atheist that does that. You know, the same kind as the ones pushing to evict Christmas from the public sphere?.

Some might say that not paying particular attention to the origin or real meaning of a phrase such as “Adios” might be considered ignorant or apathetic…

Personally, I don’t know… and I don’t care.

In Argentinean Spanish probably if not the most secular Spanish speaking country people most often use “Chau” deriving from Italian “Ciao” or simply something like “nos vemos” -French for “On se voit”

It’s just another word. It has religious roots, but that doesn’t mean people think of it in such a way. “Adios” is just “bye,” but “a Dios” would actually be “to God.” As a Linguist, I appreciate the roots of the word, and I think, given the very catholic history of Spain, that it’s appropriate. However, just as American atheists don’t mind using “oh my god” or “goddammit,” Spanish atheists don’t pay any heed to the roots of the word “adios.” The word has simply evolved enough that it’s no longer an issue