What's a good way to reply when someone says "Have a blessed day"?

If you don’t believe, you won’t have/get a ‘blessed day’ anyway.
They are friendly, even wishing you the best (from their point of view), so I would just say thank you, out loud, (for nothing (because it has no meaning to you), silently).

@elbanditoroso – I’d just thank them and maybe give them a slap on the ass.
why waste time getting mad about someone’s good will wish for you?

They don’t mean anything by it to insult you, it’s like anyone else saying have a good day.

I’d say ‘Thank you, and to you as well’.

Just a reminder @elbanditoroso, that many of us Christians don’t have much contact with Atheists and tend to think the worst. It may be a good to think of a response that honors the intent of their well wishes while also letting them know non-believers aren’t all horrible people.

I hate to bring up a Christian parable, but it’s applicable, especially in these divided times. It says something like, ‘What if you’re the ONLY example of Christianity someone ever meets? Leave a good impression.’

When I first came here to fluther, I had no idea that some Atheists were kind, were Pro Life, etc…because that was not my personal experience.

Say “thanks, you too”, and move on. Believe me, there is no agenda attached to that casual phrase in the circumstances you describe.

Would you reply “Have a damned day” to a small, 70 year old lady who was working retail or a counter job?

By definition a “blessing” is a thing conducive to happiness or welfare, so I always thank the blessor for their kind wish. The only time a blessing really becomes religious is when a priest offers it or a religious follower expresses their blessing on behalf of their religious faith. Even then it still embodies the definition of an expression of a desire for someone to have happiness or wellness or hopefully no more sneezes and worthy of a kind acknowledgement.

Pretty touchy in my opinion.

Somebody wishes you well, it seems to me you would say – thanks you too.

Save your annoyance for the guy who says – fuck you.

@josie Then kick his ass :)

I had the same experience as @KNOWITALL, except that when I first got here, just about ALL of my experiences of interacting with atheists were quite negative. I remember thinking, “What a bunch of vicious people! Maybe it’s just Fluther!

This reminds me of a greeting a friend had on her cell phone. I don’t remember if she said blessed or great, but it works either way. So, for those of you who are determined to be grumpy,

“Have a blessed (or great) day, unless of course you have other plans!”

Have a damn fine day! :D

I would suggest that you translate their expression into your own frame of reference.

It seems to me that usually, whether someone is Christian or Pagan or whatever, “have a blessed day” translates to religion-neutral as “may you have a great day.”

“What ev…”

or

“Eat me.”

“Hail Satan!”

I’d smile & wink coz that’s how I roll.

A stranger wishing you good fortune!? How terribly fucking rude of them! ~

I just respond with a ”....yeah, thanks.”

May the force be with you.

I get this a lot! I just say thank you, I hope you have a great day.

Even though I’m atheist, it doesn’t really bother me when people say they’ll pray for me or bless me or whatever because I believe they have good intentions and that’s all that matters.

What DOES bother me are those crazies who hand out jesus cards at random places like gas stations and stores and tell you to come to their church because you need saved and the lord loves you don’t stray from him etc. Damn, I’m just trying to buy some toothpaste at Target…

I also hate when religious groups come to my door at the crack of dawn to “recruit” me. This makes me furious. The last thing I want on a peaceful day off is a cult like religious man in a suit ringing my door bell getting my dogs all riled up and disturbing my time to sleep in.

End of rant.

You could say “Allahu-akbar.” (God is great.) Or “Hastamalak,” which is part of the name of a disciple of Adi Shankara, the Advaita philosopher.

I, personally, wouldn’t say anything. I’d just give a nod in their general direction and roll my eyes in my mind. I would find it mildly annoying, but not give it another thought after that.

Would it be terribly gauche to reply “Have a damned day.”? After all, if the can push their blessings on me, don’t I have the right to respond in kind? LOL!! Go for it. Video of their faces please!

Oh oh! I know! Say “Matthew 6:5” at them!

To all atheists who are offended at whatever religious comment comes your way:

Since nobody can tell if you’re atheist by just looking at you, from now on, please wear a sign saying, “I’m an atheist, and don’t tell me to have a blessed day, or Merry Christmas (or whatever)! That should warn off some of them anyway.

No atheists here were offended. Annoyed perhaps (if that’s OK with you) but not offended.

None of us care if someone says “Merry Christmas,” either. We’ll say it back.

However, what I DO find annoying is when some rando person at Walmart screams “MERRY CHRISTMAS” upon check out, like some sort of challenge. But no one freaking cares.. Can’t they get that through their heads? This idea that someone is offended by “Merry Christmas” is strictly a Facebook fantasy.

@snowberry It kind of annoys me when I go thru Popeyes and they say it, because these kids are not all theists and obviously they are being forced to say it as a condition of their employment. That bothers me.

@Dutchess_III A small part of me agrees it’s a bit ‘showy’, although i do think some do it on a regular basis with everyone with sincerity.
Personally, I don’t say those kinds of things to people because I’m so used to keeping religion out of my professional and political life.
Don’t get me wrong, if someone approached me after a political gig and asked me to lead them to Christ, I’d be 100% down, but otherwise it doesn’t come up much for me.

That’s good.
BTW I say “Merry Christmas” all through December. It doesn’t have any real religious meaning for me.

There is a scene in Sully where they’re checking into a hotel after the crash. This ditzy, giggly, silly girl gets all giddy on Sully and squeaks “Have a blessed day!”

When I first came to Fluther, some people made a point of being offended, annoyed, or whatever anytime someone said Merry Christmas to them for any reason. Edited

Oh & gawd forbid if you say xmas

It’s still a Facebook invention @snowberry. Yeah, some people brought it into the real world. Hence the people who scream “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” and glare around wildly.

@ucme That’s taking “Christ” out of Christmas. And it IS His birthday after all.

@Dutchess_III
”You could say “Allahu-akbar.””
And then throw your backpack at them.

@KNOWITALL I say ”christ” every year when I open yet another pair of socks from Auntie Meg.

No, it isn’t, actually @KNOWITALL. ”In the Greek alphabet, X is the symbol for the letter ‘chi.’ Chi (or X) is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ.” Source.
But I never really cared for it

@Dutchess_III Yes, trust me, I’ve heard that a million times…lol, but to Christians, it’s a different mind-set, as you know.

I was a Christian when I first heard it. I accepted it. Never used it, but I didn’t view it as a lazy insult any longer.

Merry Christmas to all in advance

How dare you??!!
Wait….Merry Christmas to you too @josie.

You could simply say ”Thank you…right back at you”. Then think to yourself “your blessings NOT required”. That way they feel good about blessing you & having said blessing returned & you get to negate their blessing with your mental rebuke. What do you receive when you damn them??? You’d just be upsetting someone who was trying to be polite to you…they have NO way of knowing your beliefs. To the believers there is NOTHING better than being blessed & they just want to share their good fortune!!!

Maybe you’d p0refer to hear Fuck off prick. Have a horrid day

Just say thank you, or you too or just smile and walk away and try to have a nice rest of the day.

I would just look at them funny and not say anything.

Someone just wished what they see as a good thing for you. How you respond to that tells the world more about you than them.