I didn't ask you if you *wanted* a blessed day, I merely wished that you would have one!

[Bucky]

Geeze Louise, I didn't know wishing you well would stick a bug up your butt. It's just a figure of speech, slightly less stale than the cliche "Have a nice day," but slightly less banal than "See ya." If offering good tidings to you, the most basic form of human communication, is that offensive, allow me to suggest relocating to a hermitage of some sort, a retreat where you'll never be offended by the insufferable salutations of your fellow humans beings.

[RagAss]

1. I agree....never bothered me and I'm a stone atheist....n/t

[But....]

2. Uh,,,,

'sorry'...?:shrug:

[Bucky]

7. Actually, I never use the phrase "Blessed Day", but someone else started a thread...

...bitching about how offensive that phrase was. I offer this only as a silly rejoinder.

[walldude]

19. Those kinds of statements make me embarassed

to be a liberal... and a member of DU.

Crap like that plays right into the hands of the far right loonies.

[But....]

25. Oh...

that I can agree with-seen many a person fly off the handle over something that was never mean to hurt or insult them.O8)

[Mz Pip]

3. Wishing someone well

shouldn't entail endless political correctness. It's just a phrase. Lighten up!

If the worst thing that happens in a day is having someone wish you a "blessed day" then you are probably having a pretty good day.

I agree, this is hardly something worth being offended about.

[Shardik]

I'll disagree.

I've never had a rejoinder like the "blessed day" meme from a Hindi, Jew or Muslim. It is an inherently Christian meme which as a non-Christian, offends me at their assumption that I share their beliefs.

[Zhade]

37. That's EXACTLY what it is -- an assumption that their beliefs are true and we share them.

NT!

[SidneyCarton]

51. So much like the Fundamentalists you decry, everything is a referendum on your beliefs

For the love of (Insert euphemism for bronze age sky deity here), this is still a non-issue, the person who determines what kind of day you have is you. Have a day, if it is blessed, boring or shitty is your business.

[Zhade]

76. You haven't met the people I've met.

If you had, you'd understand.

[MrCoffee]

99. WIN

:thumbsup:

[Marnieworld]

79. yep

I wouldn't say it ever offended me. Offense is when someone says, "Have a blessed day, fat ass." But I usually just stare or stammer because it's usually from someone I barely know, like a customer service rep on the phone, and it is just an unexpected injection of religion into a very secular situation. If I say "thank you" that is dishonest because it means nonsense to me, no one is blessing my day or anyone else's. If I say "you too" well that's insincere. The reason why it's annoying is that it paints me into a corner. I either have to pretend to be a believer or I have to somehow imply that I'm not in a situation where I'd rather keep that private and not debate the check out girl over the meaning of life and our soul's destination.

I agree with other posters that it is a Christian phrase and if you aren't Christian it's a dare to admit it. Assuming everyone is Christian is self-centered and rude.

[timtom]

50. Permit me to jump in at this point

(but not necessarily in direct response to your post).

Recently, someone on DU suffered a shattering event in his life and everyone expressed condolences and hopes that that person would survive the hardship and pain.

There was a plethora of "you are in my prayers" type of responses and none of them was ever judged to be inappropriate. The intention was clearly of condolence and hope for strength and comfort.

Have a blessed day is of similar intent.

[Shardik]

62. Good point.

I have been guilty of saying the same thing when I felt it may lend comfort to the individual. Ususually I just say that they are in my thoughts and I hope for their peace.

I feel much better when I say the latter.

[moriah]

90. As a Pagan, I often use the word "bless" or "blessed"....

... usually my signature line is "Blessings, Moriah"

I don't use the full "Blessed be" usually unless it's directly to a Pagan who will understand what I'm talking about, but most people seem to think I'm just an oddly polite person.

(And I've had many people think I was a Fundie because there is a Mt. Moriah -- but I've used this moniker since I was about 14.)

[ecstatic]

4. What should someone say when someone else sneezes?

Damn you!

[Mz Pip]

8. How about

"Cover your mouth, you asshole!!!"

That should work...

[ecstatic]

20. lol. That might not work out so well in Atlanta

but the thought is funny. :)

[Bucky]

11. I suggest saying "You deserved that sneeze!"

This is your punishment for not eating all your veggies when you were 11, ya punk!

[Lars39]

18. Shazaam

Scat

[Autumn Colors]

21. In other countries, people mostly say nothing....

... and I've even heard the person who sneezed say the equivalent of "excuse me".

I generally say nothing when someone sneezes.

EDIT: "Gesundheit" works just as well ... wishes someone good health with no make believe friend involved in the wording.

[Zhade]

40. Gesundheit is my word -- literally, "good health".

Removes all the superstition while hoping the sneezer feels better.

[Eurobabe]

94. Go Fuck Yourself. n/t

[Hassin Bin Sober]

103. For me, the sneeze IS the "ga-fuck-yerself" n/t

[Captain Hilts]

5. Accept any blessings anybody offers you. These days you can't be too sure...

Christian
Buddhist
Trek
Whatever, accept 'em all.

[panader0]

6. That's a good one to start using:

Insufferable salutations!

[H2O Man]

9. The word

"blessed" originates from the same Old English word that also translates as "bliss." It simply means "extreme happiness." It certainly can involve a religious state of mind, but is not restricted to that alone.

[Orrex]

12. I'm willing to bet that anyone who uses the phrase "blessed day" in this century

isn't revisiting a thousand-year-old definition of the word and is instead using a standard (though admittedly non-denominational) religious term.

If such a person is indeed invoking Old Enlish, then I'll reply "Pardon me, but I have to shit and piss," since both of those words were acceptable, common English prior to that business in 1066...

[H2O Man]

23. Perhaps it is not

used that way in your circle. I can state, in all honesty, that the word has been used in that manner in a number of situations that I've been in. I'd take the time to explain in greater detail, but I know that you are heading to the rest room.

(On edit: Have a good day, and a better tomorrow.)

[Orrex]

64. Now that I'm back...

I took the liberty of checking www.dictionary.com for a bit of etymology. Granted, that site is hardly the ultimate authority, but it seems a reasonable starting point. It didn't have an etymology specific to blessed, but here's here's what it had to offer re: bless.

Word History: The verb bless comes from Old English bldsian, blēdsian, blētsian, "to bless, wish happiness, consecrate." Although the Old English verb has no cognates in any other Germanic language, it can be shown to derive from the Germanic noun *blōdan, "blood." Bldsian therefore literally means "to consecrate with blood, sprinkle with blood." The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, the early Germanic migrants to Britain, used bldsian for their pagan sacrifices. After they converted to Christianity, bldsian acquired new meanings as a result of its use in translations of the Latin Bible, but it kept its pagan Germanic senses as well.

So it looks as if we're both right. But I maintain that you'd be hard-pressed to find someone at random who didn't attribute at least a default religious connotation to the word.

[H2O Man]

65. I never meet

random people, so I wouldn't speculate on that. I can only say about those people I do know.

I wish you the best in the days and weeks between now and Obama taking office.

[Orrex]

66. What about after that, hmm?

Just to one-up you, I'm going to wish you a swell time in the days and weeks and months after he takes office.

So there.


And, really, you should meet more random people. Mix things up a little.

[H2O Man]

69. I refuse.

Either alphabetical order (any phone book can provide the necessary pattern), or I insist that they line up and count off by "one's." Random people might be rigid, and I just can't risk that. I'm not sure how I might react.

On a more serious note, I think that we will both find 2009 to be a much better year than the past eight.

[Orrex]

72. Seriously

I have real trouble imagining a year worse than the past eight, so I suspect that you're correct!



Fun exchange, by the way. Thanks! :pals:

[Hassin Bin Sober]

105. That makes about as much sense as O'Lielly claiming Nativity Scenes are....

.......celebrations of the "Philosopher Jesus'" birth and not necessarily a religious symbol.

Don't piss on my shoes and tell me it's raining (that's aimed at O'Lielly).

Nativity scenes, ten commandments in the schools and now, to a lesser extent, "blessed day" are all part of the evangelical nit wits' desire to spread "the good news."

It doesn't bother me THAT much. I used to have an assistant who INSISTED on placing the "good news" in her voice mail greeting - I made her take it off.........

The more I hear people twist, turn and do back-flips to deny it's a religious greeting the more it makes me want to tell them to pound sand when I hear it.

[Orrex]

10. Doesn't bother this atheist, except...

I was a little put off when coworkers, fully aware of my non-belief, insisted on telling me how God had blessed my wife and me with the birth of our healthy children, and stuff like that. I respect that their views include some sort of fellow named God; I'd like them to extend me the same respect and recognize that I do not share their belief.

I mean, when Joan announced that she was pregnant, I didn't say "Congratulations on a successful conception subsequent to fornication in this rudderless universe of ours." I said "Congratulations" and left it at that, respecting that her views differ from mine.


Incidentally, when someone tells me "God bless you" after a sneeze or whatever, I usually reply "every little bit helps."

[Shiver]

15. Funny...

That's EXACTLY what I said when my cousin was pregnant...

She replied with, "The odds of conception were favourable based upon my current rate of fornication in conjunction with the timing of my menstrual cycle."

:shrug:

[foxfeet]

45. And are you both Coneheads?

:P

[Shiver]

80. Nope

Just very strange... :P

[iris27]

46. delete

read a little strangely the way the threads/subthreads fell.

[Book Lover]

13. Or...

you could recognize that you gave offense albeit unintended and apologize. Just a thought.

[DevonRex]

30. Or...

You could ignore the rude person who rejected your offering of goodwill.

[ColbertWatcher]

33. Or ...

... people can keep their rudeness to themselves.

Why do Christians need to shove their religion into everyone else's daily lives?

Is it because their faith is so fragile that they must reiterate it every chance they get?

[DevonRex]

39. Funny, but I regard saying have a blessed day as pagan, since that

is my personal bent. It comes from blessed be.

[ColbertWatcher]

55. Sorry, but I've only been given a drive-by "blessing" from Christians. n/t

[DevonRex]

56. Well, now you know better. nt

[ColbertWatcher]

58. I doubt they will "know better" much less behave better either. n/t

[Orrex]

67. I've known only a few dozen pagans, which I admit is a small sample-size

But not one of them ever offered an offhand "have a blessed day" in the smarmy, cloying way that can really set some people off, including me.

Those pagans sometimes say it, yes, but it doesn't come off as a deliberate, carefully chosen affectation, the way it does when spoken by the churchier-than-thou crowd.

[DevonRex]

68. That's because it's not meant that way. So you got the right drift.

To me it's much more close to wishing bliss, which is where the word bless comes from. At most, it's the equivalent of hoping everything works well together for you in nature. You know that kind of day when you get up early, feel great, enjoy the rain or sunshine? That's it. Harmony.

[Marrah_G]

84. You got it !

Blessed be.

[Marrah_G]

86. Dupe

[Marrah_G]

82. The meaning is different

Along with the pronounciation. "Blessed be" doesn't mean the same as "Be Blessed".

Probably the most common phrase that we use in the Craft is "Blessed Be." This phrase is possibly the major common denominator in all of the different Craft traditions.

It is something that is a unifying principle within Witchcraft and although it is the most often articulated saying we have, it seems to me to be the least understood one I know of.

When we say "Blessed Be, " all too often it is simply new jargon, or a substitute for "Hi, " "How are you?" or "Good Bye." Yet, these two words comprise one of the most powerful and sophisticated sentences in the English language.

"Blessed Be" is an ultimate Zen phrase, "Blessed be that which is"; "All that is, is blessed". We are recognizing a truth that all is inherently blessed. We are reminded that in the present moment, everything is perfect. There is nothing that needs to be changed, and nothing that needs to be improved.

In this moment, everything is sacred. Being at one with the sacred now is a blessed state indeed, and saying "blessed be" from that point of view is a potent statement of recognition of the perfection of this moment. There is no future to obsess about, and no past to regret.
http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usca&c=words&id=12301

[Zhade]

44. Yes. It comes from deep insecurity.

Somewhere they know they DON'T know that what they believe is true, and they're scared to admit they might be completely wrong to believe at all.

As a former attempted xian (the nonsense never took root), I speak from experience. The irony? Once you realize there's no evidence to support and thus no reason to believe in any gods, the fear goes away.

[bdamomma]

92. good point.

when people say have a blessed day, I just say Thank you, but I roll my eyes after. Too much religion can make people stupid, a saying that I heard which seems to hold true.

[LanternWaste]

95. I think we all shove out beliefs...

I think we all shove out beliefs, whether secular or not, down people's throats. From political canvassers showing up at my front door to tell me their perception of The Truth, to band groupies telling me that Band X or Y is The Best Band in the World, to posters on DU telling me that Proposition 1066 or H.R. 1334 is The Only Way.

[mondo joe]

101. But we don't always pretend it's an act of love or kindness. If you want to wish someone

well, sincerely, you'll find a way to do it that the recipient welcomes.

[LanternWaste]

102. I'm not in a position to judge whether a greeting is sincere or not.

"But we don't always pretend it's an act of love or kindness."

You're right... instead we pretend that shoving our beliefs down other people's throats are simply extensions of our intelligence.

[mondo joe]

104. If one is pushing one's agenda, they ought to at least be honest about it.

That's my opinion.

[LanternWaste]

106. it's rather tough to infer whether an individual is being sincere...

My opinion is that it's rather tough to infer whether an individual is being sincere or disingenuous from a greeting alone.

But then again, I'm not a very smart person-- I'm sure there are many people who believe that they themselves can deduce honesty, sincerity, and agenda from a mere greeting...

[mondo joe]

107. It's true, one can't tell simply from a greeting. But when the recipient

of the "greeting" or "wish" explains why it is unwelcome, and that goes disrespected, I think we can be clear that there's something other than simply well-wishing at play.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. But, what if I was enjoying a "reality-based" day instead? n/t

[DevonRex]

29. After a brief stint as a good day you can turn it back into reality based at any time. nt

[ColbertWatcher]

34. You don't get it do you?

Christians are the masters of the slippery slope.

What is it about the separation of church and state do they not understand?

[DevonRex]

38. Oh I do get it. However, someone's wishing that you have a blessed

day does not make you believe in god all of the sudden.

Similarly, when my Mormon relatives do their little service at the grave of one of my non-Mormon relatives, the dearly departed doesn't become Mormon.

A person of faith can wish you well, pray for you and even baptize you in absentia, without it having the slightest effect on your own beliefs or life.

What it can do is let you know that they want good things for you. It's like a smile or a hug or a birthday card.

As for separation of church and state, I'm a HUGE proponent of it.

Now, since the OP had nothing to do with the separation of church and state, it's quite possible, even probable, that you were being facetious. And in that case :)

[ColbertWatcher]

57. Suddenly nothing.

I just don't need to hear it, just as much as no one needs to say it.

Why can't Christians accept that there are other people in the world?

[DevonRex]

63. Ah, I do know how you feel. Unfortunately I was reared as a fundie.

I am horrified by my fundie family's beliefs, which I consider to be anathema to what Jesus actually taught.

That's how I turned from their religion and found my own path.

Mostly it helps if you can accept well wishes from others, knowing that they are speaking from their own experience of life, whether it be Christian or pagan or any other belief system. And sometimes it's just meaningless parroting of common phrases, like saying bless you when someone sneezes. No need to go deeper than that or to torture yourself over it. And sometimes you can even feel a little sorry for people, like my fundie relatives, who seem to not understand how to be good and kind to others.

[ColbertWatcher]

70. I do not consider it "well wishes" when someone tries to shove their beliefs into everything.

I am sorry that the Christian addiction was forced on you and I'm (somewhat) happy that you've replaced it with one of your own choosing.

"... knowing that they are speaking from their own experience of life ..."

There used to be a time when people believed it was okay to call grown men boy too.

If I ever heard anyone using that word to address an adult African American man today I would give them the same look as I would give someone whose "beliefs" somehow take their free will away.

I understand habit, I understand conditioning, but I also understand that people will continue to engage in rude behavior around other people, if those people don't call them on it.

As an individual, I do what I can to correct people who make the mistake of ignoring the existence of other people.

And yes, I do feel sorry for them, but I also have hope that even if they cling to their addiction, they can begin to accept that not everyone else is.

Oh, one more thing, I don't gently correct them in front of others or even immediately, but I do make sure they understand that not everyone believes as they do.

[DevonRex]

71. Good that you handle it in a positive way. :)

[ColbertWatcher]

74. I know. I try to come to my behavior through reality not superstition. n/t

[LanternWaste]

96. I think that statement applies to 95% of all conversations.

"I just don't need to hear it, just as much as no one needs to say it."

I think that statement applies to 95% of all conversations--regardless of topic.

[mondo joe]

98. The simple fact is if you really wanted to wish someone well, you'd do it in a way that person

would find welcoming.

The idea that you'll wish something on someone that they may not want and then pretend that it's meant benevolently is just stupid.

[Zhade]

47. I find living in reality, even if unpleasant, far better than living in fantasyland.

I consider it a good day when I don't have to deal with superstitious nonsense.

[ColbertWatcher]

59. My sentiments exactly. n/t

[hootinholler]

16. .

:popcorn:

-Hoot

[ColbertWatcher]

35. LOL! n/t

[youthere]

85. I could not have said it better myself.

[zbdent]

17. Hey, I'm sorry for snapping ... I had a bad day, horrendous PMS

and I'M A GUY!!!

[Bucky]

22. You may joke, but men really do suffer from PMS

Maybe not directly. But believe me, we do suffer when it occurs!

[zbdent]

27. I know they do ... in some cases, it's called a "gunshot wound" ...

now, in all seriousness, I actually remind my wife sometimes when she might be heading toward a PMS attack ... there are many Fridays when I remind her that it might be coming on, and she should arm herself (so to speak) in preparation ...

[LaurenG]

24. Yeah -From now on we all have to be rude to those who are wishing us well

in whatever way they decide to say it. That's it! From now on it's unacceptable to say a nice word about anything, period, no if ands or buts!

:sarcasm:

[KoKo]

61. Obviously you are "in tune" with the OP...is he the Original "Rude Pundit?"

I think not but do think he's trying to "tell us something..." but what? :shrug:

[DevonRex]

26. What they should REALLY fear is all the wishes for a blessed day that they

don't KNOW about. How many people have said it silently instead of out loud? OMG it's a conspiracy!!!!!

[tularetom]

28. Well thank you. By the way do you mind if I fart?

[emilyg]

31. Never bothered me.

People want to be nice - I'll take it.

[Overseas]

32. I wouldn't say anything except thanks, but that greeting creeps me out.

"Have a blessed day !" Well I'm sorry but some Christians have told me I am not blessed. If I don't accept Jesus as my personal savior I'll be damned to hell and they'll be taken up to heaven. So they are telling me to have something that others have told me I'm not qualified to receive. That makes it complicated.

The blessed day greetings remind me of those horrible intolerant people so I cringe. They also remind me of the Blesséd Elite -- those people who know Jesus has chosen them to guide us. Cringe Cringe Cringe.

Does the Arab salutation-- Salaam Alekum. Alekum a salaam-- bug me? It means peace be with you. Like Shalom, I guess.

I don't mind people wishing me peace. There's no in-group out-group with that. The Blessed vs The Damned.

If you said "Peace," with your parting wave, I'd feel better than if you said "Have a Blessed Day!"

But I wouldn't complain to you. I'd just feel you were rather odd. The "peace" well-wisher would also be unusual but in a more poetic way.

[Zhade]

36. No, it's not a mere well-wishing. It's a religion-tainted one.

It's an assertion that there is a god that cares to bless your day. It's just another form of pimping unproven gods as forces in our lives that the receiver is challenged to accept as true.

[DevonRex]

42. It comes from the word bliss. See the post up thread.

[Zhade]

48. Those who use it, at least in my experience, don't mean it that way.

It's a christian phrase to them -- an implicit challenge to nonbelief.

[SidneyCarton]

52. Tainted? As in unclean?

Bit of a loaded term, don't you think? It invites the argument that such things need to be "cleansed."

[DevonRex]

54. That's rather horrifying, isn't it?

[Zhade]

77. I'm not a person who finds religion to be a positive thing.

I prefer secularism. People are free to believe whatever nonsense they wish, even to express it -- I am likewise free to consider such beliefs a negative force in society. But it's not like I want to kill them for buying into mythology.

[SidneyCarton]

78. Fair enough.

I share your sentiments, anyone can believe whatever fool thing they want to, so long as they don't try to foist it on me.

As far as your viewing religion as a negative thing, as a student of history, I can understand your point of view. In truth I don't find atheism all that threatening. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, your non-belief neither picks my pocket nor breaks my arm. That said I realize that zealots are all too happy to do exactly that to non-believers, so I respect your preference for secularism, I too think it safer.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

91. I thought it was his leg. Live and learn n/t

[DonEBrook]

41. Simple logic says only a deity can "bless" someone. Since there are no deities,

the expression is meaningless and arrogant. Fuck a bunch of idiots who think they can act in loco parentis for some imaginary supernatural asshole.

[SidneyCarton]

53. Try posting sober, it helps with both the logic and the language.

[Crunchy Frog]

43. Getting offended is one of the great American pastimes..

God forbid that anyone should be denied its pleasure. Bless away!

[DevonRex]

49. It seems to be so. I wonder, what do they do when someone blesses

them after a sneeze? Do loud arguments ensue? Or do they just go on their way?

[KoKo]

60. GACK...GAG...but a KICK for HUH?

What ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? :shrug:

[Generic Other]

73. If every repug you knew wore a flag pin for the past 8 years

and then repeated in smarmy auto-pilot fashion "God Bless America and Bush" at you every time you went anywhere in public, the don't-be-so-sensitive crowd might understand how revolting the coded language sounds to some of us. This is what it sounds like to me.

What I find funny is that people who when confronted with evidence that others would prefer they keep their blessings to themselves, persist on acting like they are innocent parties being unfairly targeted for their natural desire to advertise their faith. To spread the GOOD NEWS. You sound like the construction workers who can't see why anyone would be offended when they whistle and shout "hey baby" when women walk by. Certainly the construction guys mean no harm. They are sharing their outpouring of emotion. Who could possibly take it the wrong way?

[onenote]

75. so when the elderly african american woman who works at the lunch room says it

should I get all up in her face about it?

I'd say that 90 percent of the time I've heard the phrase its been from an older African American. Its never bothered me in the slightest. They're offering me what they believe is the highest form of well wishing they know. Rather than being insulted, I'm happy to accept their wishes.

[stuntcat]

81. I'm an atheist and I laugh at it

The clerk at my PetCo says it every time she's done ringing me up. Her voice goes up when she says it.. she seems to feel real strong about that part of our shared check-out experience }(

[raccoon]

83. Didn't you get the memo? "Have a nice day," also means,

"Fuck you and the horse you rode in on."

Seriously, I don't care for "have a blessed day," either.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

93. Since it was originally paired with that smiley face

"have a nice day" could also be taken to be a tacit endorsement of WallyWorld, the Sacred Temple Shrine of Consumerism.

[Bluenorthwest]

87. It is not the text, but the subtext that counts

All of the 'happy farwells' be they blessings or wishes for a nice day are merely containers for the emotional intent of the speaker. So a person can say 'have a blessed day' to mean 'go straight to hell' or 'have a nice day' to mean 'I hope you get hit by a bus'. In fact, I'd say that all such greetings are used as often to mean the opposite as to express the surface meaning of the words. Have an argument with a counter person they say 'you have a nice day, sir', like it is the curse of the seventh son. Blessed day is the same thing. Sometimes it is a nice thing, other times it is a curse wrapped up in velvet.

[ChickMagic]

88. This happened to me about 10 minutes ago

I'm in the elevator with a very sweet co-worker. She said, "I was just thinking about you and God brought you to me." Not wanting to offend, I said, "Well, something did." Then I got the "have a blessed day" thing. Now, I know she means well with all her heart.

However, the random person that I don't know, or people who know I'm an atheist, saying, "Have a blessed day" is insulting to me. I'm going to rip off my better half and say, "May Odin bless you with many goats."

[Vickers]

89. Have a satanic day!

:hi:

[mondo joe]

97. I wouldn't make a fuss, but I find such religious sentiments rude and intrusive, and

really quite thoughtless of the person being wished upon.

[Stuckinthebush]

100. It is a silly sentiment, but doesn't bother me

I assume that the person giving the "blessed day" silliness isn't much of a critical thinker. It's cool.

[pipi_k]

108. A couple of people have stated it, and I will too

I can't say I'm particularly offended if/when someone wishes me a "blessed day", but it does cause me to think of that person as being rather presumptuous.

Since I'm not a scholar of religion, I took some time to search for the meanings or origins of the phrase...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessing


http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/gems_of_language/


So it's a wish for God to bestow his favor upon the one being "blessed".

And in the second instance, the person writing about the phrase states that to use it in any instance other than within a church setting is inappropriate, especially if one is not sure of the beliefs of the person one is wishing a "blessed day" to.

Whether it's an email or verbal wish...

It's not offensive, but it IS presumptuous.



Sort of like walking up to a woman with a large belly and asking her when the baby is due, and she says she isn't pregnant. The statement itself isn't offensive, but it is presumptuous.



See, and here is the really disturbing thing...

lots of people are stating that the phrase "Have a blessed day" has religious connotations and could be seen as being presumptuous, but instead of giving the matter some serious consideration, those who use it try to make the non willing recipient the bad guy.


Anyway, like I said...I don't get all offended or anything, but really...people who say it to me shouldn't be surprised if I secretly think they're presumptuous boors.