Anybody else annoyed by "Bless you"?

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This exactly ^_^

I don't care strongly either way. It's polite tradition, and I go with it, I guess. I usually say it even to strangers, and usually they say "thank you", or nod, or something positive. I say "thank you" when someone say it for me. Sometimes I don't necessarily have to see the person who sneezed; I just politely say "Bless you" if I hear a sneeze nearby.

Charles

It aggravates me to the ends and depths of my soul. Same as when people use any occasion to push religion down your throat. Eats me alive.

It's harmless enough. I don't mind if people say it or not...I don't even see it as a religious thing, just as something people do out of habit.

There are far worse/more annoying things people can say.

i am indifferent, just as long as they don't say it as "blesshyoo." That makes me want to tear the tongue out of their mouth

If you ever play Dungeons and Dragons or some type of online game with cleric/priest classes who have a spell called "bless" you should say this. I think it would be a hoot. I'm actually stealing this idea because it made me laugh.

There are three reasons to say it that I can think of from legend.
One your sole is trying to escape saying bless you shoves it back in.
Two the sneeze is a sign of sickness and every one knows sickness is caused by demons, so saying it drives them out.
Three one of the fay folk want to marry an unwed women and if they make you sneeze thrice with out some one saying bless you they can take your as their wife.

However most people who use it have no idea of its roots or that it even is religious.

^This

I'm neutral. It's a good way to get extra points or just get teachers to like you more when you do it in language classes. Also in some languages, such as German, it means other things, which are neutral, such as "Gesundheit" which is like wishing someone good health.

It doesn't bother me at all, and it never has, regardless of religion. I've always understood that it's just a common courtesy, nothing more, nothing less. I've also heard that the reason for it is because your heart stops when you sneeze.

I find it silly and don't say it myself. I do recoil at the word "bless". I find the whole superstition repugnant, that some supernatural force "blesses" some while apparently "cursing" others (the poor of the third world, maybe?)

I prefer gesundheit (innocuous - "to your health") or better yet, no response at all. Or you could do as Penn Jillette teaches he kids to do - say "that's funny!" Because, well, sneezes are actually pretty funny, harmless occurrences.

Honestly I never thought about it as a religious reference. It originated in Germany, as "Gesundheit", which translates to "Be healthy". It uses the word God, but that's nowadays a generic word which I see as defined "powers beyond ours", or something like that. I'm far from a religious fanatic; in fact I'm declared agnostic.

I'd just as easily say "I hope you don't catch a cold", because that's my mindset when I say "God bless you" to a sneezer.

Charles

My sentiments exactly.