I'm curious to know if some of you can't help themselves saying " Thank God" or Oh my God", even though you're atheist or agnostic ? Just an hour ago I was sure I lost my presto card ( bus card in Toronto). I was panicking... Looking everywhere. When I finally found it I said " Thanks God !!" But immediately I thought God has nothing to do with that. Or anything ! Lol
just like saying any other common words...just because you say oh shit doesn't mean you did...
If I happen to say "Thank god" I don't necessarily mean a specific god. Maybe I mean Thor or Zeus or Amon-Ra. Just the same as when you say "Holy shit" you don't mean one specific shit that is holier than all other shits.
But, what about something in us, that is more than our consciousness? A psychic part, I could easily call that a ‘god part’ of my own nature. Because, often times I have things happen that I could never have experienced before and could not have a memory of! We can thank our ‘higher self!’
As with everything else, religion has co-opted and dominates even our language.
I catch myself using religious terms but I try to avoid that. I don't want to promote religious myths. I try to say instead, "Thanks goodness" or thank you Zeus".
I use figures of speech and colloquialisms all the time. But I've never actually ate a horse, hit any hay, and still don't believe in deities.
If I am not allowed to say it when I was religious, no one is going to stop me now.
I also say "I'll be back," even though I don't believe in the Terminator. They are just part of our shared language.
Because "Thank science" or "Oh, my reality" just don't have the same ring. I do it too, fully aware of the irony.
Edited to Add -- You are from Quebec, I see. I instantly thought of this.
O Canada!
It only takes a few months of conscious practice to substitute the words of your choice for various occasions. Thank goodness! Jeepers Creepers! Oh my! Even terms already in the category of myth or fantasy, such as thank your lucky stars, Gad Zooks! and so on.
I like the hat idea.
If I sneeze,and someone blesses me, I ask that they save their blessings for the children raped by catholic priests. Shocking yes, but it makes them think.
Use the phrase, "Great Maker". . .
Photo for illustrative purposes only.
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A while back, I visited India. I don't know how I managed to lose my entry card in 20 minutes, but I managed to. The only words that came to mind were along the lines of Sacred bovine dung! And Sexual intercourse! And *What a current act of intercourse I must be!
I say things like that all the time. It's just a universal cultural conditioning, nothing to worry about. If I have a chance to think about such things, I'll say things like "Gad Zooks," "by Jove," "by Godfrey" (picked that up from Edmund Morris, "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" in 1979!), or my favorite, "heavens to Murgatroyd!"
Most people say "god bless you" when you sneeze. This dates back to Mycenaean times when they believed that the psyche (soul) left the body upon sneezing and Hades would be invoked to reunite psyche and body. I always say "Gesundheit" (German for "health).
IMHO, they are just saying out of habit.
There are myriad of other common sayings that have came from other meanings, most we don't even know where they came from.
I've seen some literature on the origins of many sayings, but honestly none come to mind at the moment, although I might just look that up again.
So, I really don't put much weight to hearing, or saying them.