We were told to "Have a Blessed Day" at Walmart today...

[bicentennial_baby]

Fundie cashiers...Watch out people... :crazy:

Fwiw, we were just there to get batteries :)

[MadMaddie]

1. Yea..that bothers me....

I have no problem with people and their personal convictions when they do it on their own time or if I invited them into that type of conversation...

[realisticphish]

2. meh

it's just have a nice day, really. I wouldn't call that FUNDIE, per se. But whatever :shrug:

[sniffa]

4. um, but it is fundie

even more specificaLLy, it's fundie code.

if you hear someone utter that phrase to you, they're tipping you off. it's Like a secret handshake.

[realisticphish]

7. maybe some places

and, it seems unnecessary (Have a nice day would work just fine). So, maybe you're right; fuck knows I'm not in the club :D

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

3. Hmmmmm......

If you would like, you can borrow the opposite meaning that's used here in the mountains, i.e. "The blessed thing fell off the car while I was trying to four-wheel through Wal-Mart's parking lot!" They use it a lot here as a substitute for "damn" or the f-bomb :P

[Chan790]

5. They get pissed...

if you tell them that you find their blessing to be offensive. At least the really-fundie cashier I had last week did.

[peacefreak]

6. If that happens to me,

I think I'll reply "Merry Meet". See if they get the code for that!:D

[Shine]

60. heh, good one.

:thumbsup:

[realisticphish]

8. I can't believe

I forgot about this quote, from a blog I read

"You ever notice that when Christians say, 'Have a blessed day' they really mean 'go fuck yourself with an iron rod?'" -- Rockstar Ryan

[ghostsofgiants]

15. You know, now that you mention it...

I've never noticed that at all.

[realisticphish]

34. yeah, i know

I'm a christian, don't worry; It was in context of an intelligent design/evolution debate. It just seemed apropos

[sbj405]

9. I work in a gov bldg and get that every day from the guard.

I'm still working on an appropriate response.

[femmocrat]

10. What does that even mean?

(You) have a blessed day. It sounds like a command, like you can will yourself to have a blessed day. Aren't blessings meant to be good things that come to you unexpectedly?

"Fundie talk" is lost on me.

[ghostsofgiants]

14. It means that they hope you have a blessed day.

It's just another way of saying "Have a nice day."

There's not much to read into it.

[datasuspect]

33. there is much to read into it

if you thrive on agendas and identity politics.

i'm more of a live and let live type, though

[ghostsofgiants]

45. Anyone who thrives on agendas and identity politics to the point that they're offended at that...

Really need to get a life.

[Bucky]

85. The appropriate response to "Have a blessed day" is "Fuck you, Adolf!"

People who actually say that mean well. I have no idea why anyone would really question such a thing.

[Mad_Dem_X]

103. I agree

If somebody says that to me, I just say, "Thanks," and move along. :shrug:

[zanne]

40. I'd just reply...

"You have a nice day, too".

[Lars39]

16. Or that they themselves are holy enough to confer a 'blessed day'

on you, whether you want one or not.

[I Have A Dream]

39. No, it's expressing a hope that the person receives a blessing.

I sometimes say that, and I'm very spiritual and not at all religious. I certainly don't think that I can confer anything by myself.

Maybe it's code for some, but it's not for everyone who says it. When I say it, it just means that I hope that people have good things that they desire happen in their lives.

By the way, I say this only when I think someone would want this in his/her life.

[Scooter24]

11. Over Christmas, it seemed that

the greeters were going out of their way to tell people "Merry Christmas!" I know it was the season, but it felt very forced.

[Arugula Latte]

61. I want to go into a WalMart just to tell them "Hail Satan" if they say that to me. nt

[Kat45]

12. Not necessarilly fundies.

There are people who are quite religious who are not fundies, and they're just wishing you a good day. I have a friend who is very spiritual--but not a church-goer--who is working as a cashier now and often says things like that to customers. It's his way of wishing them a good day, in a way he considers meaningful. He's not trying to convert anyone or offend anyone. Many sincere people with these beliefs wouldn't even think it would offend anyone; they'd be shocked if someone told them that.

Although, if it was in Walmart, they might well have been fundies--and that's what you get for shopping in Walmart. :rofl: :hi:

[Skittles]

18. I wish people could keep their religious beliefs private

I don't want to hear it

[gbate]

42. You don't want to be wished a blessed day? I don't think wishing someone a blessed day

could exactly be called evangelizing.

[Skittles]

72. I find it condescending

like they've got to let you know they are Christian and that has no place in the workplace - NONE whatsoever

[Bucky]

88. Also if someone says "Bless you" after I sneeze, I know they're real assholes.

[Skittles]

93. I don't care for that either

but I let it go

[Digit]

98. Interesting old custom ingrained in our culture, nothing more

http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/blessyou.asp

"We look to what has been recorded about this practice of blessing a sneezer for any clues to the reasons that prompted its origin. Once again, we are disappointed; although the practice is old enough for mention of it to surface in ancient writings (the earliest from 77 A.D., the generation right after Christ), no one apparently deemed it noteworthy enough to explain why anyone would think to do this. By the time anyone thought to question the reason for the custom, blessing people when they sneeze had already been deeply ingrained in our evolving culture for century upon century. At this point, although folks were quick to assert various reasons for these oaths (talking through one's hat is not new; even folks from centuries ago were fond of engaging in this practice), no one could honestly be said to know the definitive answer, no matter how authoritatively he stated his position. Certainly none of the later scribes who saw fit to pass along their explanations of the practice could point to anything from the time of the custom's origin that would explain it."

[gbate]

90. I deal with that everyday and I'm not offended. If someone wants to

tell me about their church, pass out pamphlets, or suggest reading material, then that's different.
Code or not, like I said before, the word "blessed" really does not suggest any religion.

[Chan790]

82. Well, probably not.

My personal definition of blessed is: touched by a higher spiritual power.

I can see how that would be offensive to atheists, non-deists (there is a difference between not believing in God and not having a religion.), and possibly Unitarians.

[gbate]

91. Here's the definition.

bless·ed /ˈblɛsɪd; esp. for 3, 7 blɛst/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective 1. consecrated; sacred; holy; sanctified: the Blessed Sacrament.
2. worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship: the Blessed Trinity.
3. divinely or supremely favored; fortunate: to be blessed with a strong, healthy body; blessed with an ability to find friends.
4. blissfully happy or contented.
5. Roman Catholic Church. beatified.
6. bringing happiness and thankfulness: the blessed assurance of a steady income.
7. Informal. damned: I'm blessed if I know.
8. Informal. (used as an intensifier): every blessed cent

[ghostsofgiants]

13. At least they didn't ask what you were doing at a given point in time.

[Generic Brad]

17. Here's how you should have responded:

"Burn in hell". That's non-fundy code for "burn in hell".

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[petronius]

22. I'm with you on that...

If some wants to express a hope that things go well for me for the rest of the day, I'm not going to kick and scream about it...

[ghostsofgiants]

23. Yeah, really.

I'm an atheist, but it really bothers me that people can be so uptight and rude over something like that.

[Mad_Dem_X]

104. That's how I see it

There are so many other, more important things to get upset about than that.

[PassingFair]

74. "Asshole Atheist" here.

Wasn't going to post here, but since you invoked me.

Thanks!

:hi:

[wildhorses]

20. i have heard said by the wiccans, too

:hide:

[Shine]

62. Yup, we say "Blessed Be"

:hi:

[mentalsolstice]

21. Here's a southern take on it

It is a very common sign-off here in the deep south for the African-American population. And that's where most of your democratic voters come from down here..., not fundie at all, but just sayin'

[Common Sense Party]

24. And if it bothers anyone so much you can always give the

Southern response:

"Well, bless your heart!"

Which DOESN'T really mean "bless your heart."

It means, "You poor, stupid, miserable S.O.B."

[mentalsolstice]

26. However...

"Well, bless your heart!" is a white WASPish response here in the south, and mostly used against other whites (usually a republican southern lady against a democratic gal)...so it's actually a racist response to "Have a blessed day." I'm caucasian, and have lived in the deep south for two decades+. I'm just saying that when I hear "Have a blessed day", I appreciate the cultural diversity of where I'm from. 'Cause down here, it's a cultural thing...and you don't get anything better than being exposed to ways that are different from your own.

And btw, I haven't ever heard anyone say "Well, bless your heart" when someone says "Have a blessed day" down here. Surprisingly, we all co-exist better than you would expect down here in the boondocks.

[bridgit]

38. eh, consider just giving up, Hon, some of these guys don't want, need...

or would even know 'a blessed day' if it bit them on the ass :rofl:

[Common Sense Party]

50. "bless your heart" isn't racist. At all.

[BlackVelvet04]

53. Around here

it's usually said at the end of a verbal trashing of someone. Ex: "Mary is dumber than a box of rocks....Bless her heart."

[youthere]

75. I'm from Iowa and we say "Bless your heart" all the time...

and it means "aren't you sweet?" OR "you are so thoughtful!"

[sniffa]

28. as some have pointed out here

that it means, "have a nice day"...

aside from the fact that that's obvious, it shouLd aLso be noted that that's aLso code.

see you there, here, or up there.

[Common Sense Party]

25. Respond: "Well, bless your heart."

If they've been in the South they'll catch the condescension.

[cwydro]

31. excellent response

Southerners will understand that;)

[Poiuyt]

54. I always thought it was a nice thing to say

I take it I was wrong?

PS - I'm a Northerner

[qnr]

27. I just tell them to FOAD, just like I do to the people that tell me to have a nice day. n/t

[ghostsofgiants]

44. People must love you.

[qnr]

57. That's pretty much the point. n/t

[ghostsofgiants]

81. So you like to alienate anyone who shows any kind of friendliness to you?

:thumbsup:

[qnr]

83. Not really. But I don't considerer reciting a trite phrase by rote to be showing friendliness n/t

[ghostsofgiants]

84. So that warrants a "fuck off and die"?

[qnr]

87. It's certainly more personal and heartfelt n/t

[gbate]

49. What is FOAD?

[Cadfael]

51. FOAD=

fuck off and die

[GoneOffShore]

29. It always rubs me the wrong way,

But I don't call anyone on it.

As others have said before, "Have a blessed day!" just seems a little too KoolAidy. It may not mean more than, Have a good day, but it smacks of false piety. I think that's why it pushes so many peoples buttons.

[DainBramaged]

30. Fuck Walfarts and the fundie aliens that work for them

[datasuspect]

32. i don't agree with wal mart in any sense

but the image that cartoon conveys sickens me.

i would never think of lashing out at poverty-wage earning wal-mart employees for the practices of their employer.

in many, many parts of this country, wal-mart is practically one of very few employers.

i live in an area kinda like that. you either work at the petrochemical plants (which, if you were hired 20 years ago, pays well) where you get paid $12/hour or you work retail which pays $6 or $7.

it seems like the majority of people here "strike out on their own" and do varying shoddy degrees of "subcontractor" construction work off the books and still live hand to mouth, but at least they don't have to punch a clock.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

35. One question.. What the hell were you doing in Walmart?

[gravity]

36. They were just trying to be nice

Don't take it too seriously

[ghostsofgiants]

46. You're relatively new here...

You'll learn soon enough that anything remotely Christian is worthy of hatred and contempt from any rational human being. </sarcasm>

[Arugula Latte]

63. Yeah, well, the rest of us live in a world where anything remotely non-Christian

is worthy of hatred and contempt in our every day life ... So I guess now you can see how those of us who are non-believers feel.

[ghostsofgiants]

70. I am a non-believer.

I'm also capable of separating the individual from the group. An individual saying "Have a blessed day" is significantly different from Christians as a group pushing it down your throat. If the person had been proselytizing or whatever, then yeah, that's a problem, but individual motivations can vary, and something tells me if someone says "have a blessed day" their motivations aren't that sinister.

[TommyO]

79. "have a blessed day" *IS* shoving it down our throats

I don't need a sales clerk at any store, whether it be Walmart, the convenience store, or any other establishment saying anything remotely religious as a greeting or parting gesture. Have a great day, have a nice day, thank you for shopping STORE_NAME, those are fine. There's no need to bring anything smacking of their personal faith into a transaction between me and their store.

If this had happened to me, I would have immediately gone to the customer service desk to explain the situation, letting them know that if it *EVER* happened to me again, I would never shop at their store again.

[ghostsofgiants]

80. How is it smacking of their personal faith?

You don't even KNOW their personal faith. It's just the way they prefer to say their greeting. Perhaps it's influenced by their faith (it probably is) perhaps it's not, but it hardly smacks of anything but friendliness, to me. I really don't understand this touchiness about something so benign. They're not saying "BELIEVE IN JESUS OR GO TO HELL, SINNER!" no matter how many paranoid atheists like to interpret that as their actual message.

[gravity]

86. Are you serious?

You are acting no different than the people you hate.

[ghostsofgiants]

97. Again, you're new here...

You'll get used to this crap after a while.

[TommyO]

99. Who said that I hate them?

I just don't want them proselytizing me during the transaction between their store and me.

[ghostsofgiants]

116. It's not proselytizing.

Main Entry: pros·e·ly·tize
Pronunciation: 'prä-s(&-)l&-"tIz
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -tized; -tiz·ing
intransitive verb
1 : to induce someone to convert to one's faith
2 : to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause

"Have a blessed day" is not trying to convert you to Christianity. If they really intend to do that wwith "Have a blessed day," they've picks a really shitty method.

[TommyO]

117. Whatever you call it, it has no place in a public venue

where you have people of many faiths, or no faith, doing business.

[Connonym]

64. payback is a bitch

Nothing personal mind you but ask yourself how you'd feel if money said "In Allah we trust". How about if we decided that Zeus's birthday should be a national holiday. Christianity is forced down the throat of every American and a lot of us are sick as hell of just having to deal with it without complaint.

[ghostsofgiants]

71. It wouldn't bother me.

Certain actions of Christian groups, trying to ban gay marriage or ban abortion, those things bother me. Those are the things that should be focused on. Getting pissy over "Have a blessed day" or "In God we trust" is really just ridiculous to me.

Just because I'm an atheist doesn't mean I have to be an uptight, rude asshole. But I dunno, maybe that's just me.

[MissMillie]

100. I'm w/ you.

If someone says something out of a desire to be nice, then I try to take it that way.

[hellbound-liberal]

37. Yet another reason I am glad to say that I don't support Wal-mart by shopping there

In fact I haven't shopped there since I found out that I, as a taxpayer, was subsidizing their poverty level wages and lack of affordable health care. I realize there may be many reasons that otherwise progressive-thinking people would patronize such an establishment but I avoid them like the plague.

[gbate]

41. So what? Blessings are not the sole property of fundies. Be glad the cashier was friendly.

[seaglass]

47. Yeah. I pretty much say bless you anytime someone sneezes

and I'm somewhere on the scale between agnostic and atheist.

The first time I heard "have a blessed day" was about a month ago, one of my co-workers has it on her voicemail. I just thought it was an odd expression that I had never heard before. MY SIL is born again and she never says that.

[Frank Cannon]

43. I smile back and say, "Ah, yes, merry meet and blessed be!"

Nodding and winking in recognition.

Then I imagine them going home, Googling what I said, and having their heads blow up when they realize they were just mistaken for being witches.

[youthere]

76. ..

:spray:

[hellbound-liberal]

48. How about pointing at the ceiling and saying "I hope SHE heard you!

That should shake them up!

[BlackVelvet04]

52. It's a lot better than

kiss my ass or drop dead....wouldn't you agree? ;-)

I find it mildly annoying but it could worse.

[Midlodemocrat]

55. OMFG!!! You went to Wal-Mart??????

:rofl:



(oh, please, don't let bi_baby check my cool new grill thread)


:rofl:

[ScreamingMeemie]

59. ...

:spray:

[yy4me]

56. I knew this headline would tick me off. If I am ever in our local

Walmart and hear that message, the manager will be forced to have a little conversation with me.

[gmoney]

58. "oh, we will now that we have batteries for the sex toys..."

"Thank you and come again!" ;)

[ComerPerro]

65. lol, so just say "you too".

[Mad_Dem_X]

107. But...but...

It's FUNDIE CODE! Don't you know that??????? OMG!!!!! Why aren't you outraged??????










:sarcasm:

[Shine]

66. I would have said: "Thank you and Blessed be to you, as well"

It's all good, in other words. :D

We're all in this together so who cares if they're fundies, or wiccans, or atheists, or whatever??

Bottom line, the words were said to you with good intent. That counts for something, in my book.

:hi:

[I Have A Dream]

77. I agree, Shine.

:hi:

[Rob H.]

67. Just say, "If Cthulhu wills it, it will be so."

:evilgrin:

[SPKrazy]

68. Well They Could Have Said

praise his holy name and give me your money!

:crazy:


:hi:

[HEyHEY]

69. Why didn't you go to "Mom and pop's Battery shop"?

[951-Riverside]

73. Leave the Walmart greeters/cashiers alone!

They're just trying to make a living.

You probably wouldn't mind if that same Walmart employee said "Assalamu alaikum"

[deucemagnet]

78. Here's my usual response:

Cashier: "Have a blessed day!"

Me (out loud): "Uh, thanks."

Me (in my head): "Asshole."

Hey, if you want to play it safe, go with "Have a nice day". If you want to be a rebel and inject some religion into it (Christian or otherwise), expect some people to think negatively of you. Hey, it's the price of pushing the envelope, God Warrior.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

89. I just say, "You too," and leave.

I don't care what people believe and I don't understand how four little words could freak you out that much. Most of the people who say it mean well. It's not like they're telling you to go fuck yourself. I don't know. It just doesn't bother me.
I think I'm more bothered that it bothers people. :shrug:
Duckie

[Mad_Dem_X]

108. Exactly

I cannot understand why people get so damn upset over this.

[philosophie_en_rose]

92. "No thank you. I don't believe in religion."

I think it's intensely inappropriate to bless anyone in a store. I do not subscribe to anyone's religion by virtue of setting foot in a Wal-Mart (or, in my case, a Target).

On the other hand, I don't think it's worth lingering over someone's condescending asshat comments. Have a "blessed" day is as annoying as Bette Midler's "From a Distance," except I don't have to wait for Bette to return my credit card while she warbles about a god stalking us. Nevertheless, I don't think I'd go to the manager.

I'd just say. "No thank you. I don't believe in religion." If the clerk raises a fuss at that point, then I might go to the manager. Otherwise, I'd just take my stuff and leave.

[Pushed To The Left]

94. That doesn't bother me at all. I have a friend I went to UOP with who says that

and he is a registered Democrat and a very open-minded person. Not all religious people are fundamentalist or right-wing!

[bicentennial_baby]

95. Y'all are too funny!

A lil observation of something that happened to us, and whew! Almost 100 posts! :rofl:

[ghostsofgiants]

96. Give them an opportunity to bash Christians, and they're all over it...

Give me an opportunity to express my disdain for the people who bash Christians for the wrong reasons, and I'm all over it, haha.

[bicentennial_baby]

102. Hehe...

I just thought it was funny, since I'm in MA, and that's not something you hear very often at all...But of course this being DU, I've drawn out the religion haters, the anti-religion haters, the Walmart haters, and the Walmart lovers! Ha!

:rofl:

[skygazer]

105. There are Walmart lovers on DU?

Who knew? :shrug:

[bicentennial_baby]

106. Well, lovers of their employees, I guess

:shrug:

[Evoman]

101. I posted this elsewhere.

Person 1: Have a blessed day.

Person 2: Um...okay...you too.

Person 1: Hmmm...that was a bit awkward. I wonder if I said something wrong..

*That night, Person 1 goes to DU and realizes that some people see that saying "have a blessed day" as a religious impostion.*

Person 1: Hmmmmm...maybe I should start saying "have a nice day". That way, I don't make anybody feel uncomfortable....

*next day*

Person 1: Have a nice day!

Person 2: Thank you...you too!

[jobycom]

109. A sincere, heartfelt parting. Seems sweet to me.

I usually just smile and say "You, too," and walk away with a warm feeling that the cashier actually bothered to notice me as a person, rather than handing me the receipt while continuing to flirt with the off-duty stocker loitering about, whose conversation I interrupted with my rude attempt to patronize their establishment.

But that's just me. I don't shoot people for their religious beliefs, and hope they don't grab a pitchfork over mine.

[slj0101]

110. That's what you get for shopping at Wal-Mart.

You can get batteries anywhere.

Oh, and it all depends on the context. I've had people tell me that, and it can be most sincere depending on the delivery.

[bicentennial_baby]

111. I know I can batteries everywhere, but

we were in need of a somewhat large quantity, and our pockets do not run so deep, my friend....Ya dig?

:hi:

[slj0101]

112. I don't even want to know.

:evilgrin:

[bicentennial_baby]

113. Hahahaha! No!

Well, not entirely... :evilgrin:

[AngryOldDem]

114. I don't get why this is so offensive

Take it in the spirit in which it is intended. In the grand scheme of things there is a lot more to get riled up about.

I find it curious that in all the threads discussing this, it's never been pointed out that "goodbye" is a shortened form of "God be with you." Religious references -- vague or not -- have been, are, and always will be part of the vernacular.

I hear "Have a blessed day," or "I'm blessed" from many of the homeless with whom I work. I'm not particularly religious myself, but whenever I hear that it always brings me up short. Kind of a reality check as I wonder if I could see the "blessings" in an otherwise frightening and miserable existence, which puts my life into sometimes-very-much-needed perspective.

But seriously, I don't think I'd call out the checker at Wal-mart over something like this. I'd feel differently, though, if they put a tract in my bag or something that was definitely proselytizing.

[Initech]

115. So will O'Reilly say there's a culture war going on in America's Wal-Marts?

Hey, we gotta keep him trying, AND he's gotta have something to do between Easter and Thanksgiving, right?

[bigwillq]

118. I usually say 'you too' or

'thank you'

That doesn't bother me as long as they were being nice.

[hippiechick]

119. I HATE that shit.

:puke: Keep the Jesus-zombies out of my day-to-day life, please. :spank: