Does saying "Bless you" after someone sneezes in school violate the separation of church and state?

jasonsluck13

it shouldn't be a violation... if people actually knew why people say it.. there's actually two beliefs.. one is that during the epic black plague, an early sympton of the disease was sneezing.. so, when someone sneezed, people said "God bless you".. as in, they knew you had the plague and you were about to die... the other belief is that it came from an even earlier time when demons and superstition were more prevelant.. when someone sneezed, people once thought that left an opening for demons to possess the individual... so, when someone said "God bless you" they believed that it prevented demons to enter the body.. a shield, so to speak...

my point is, MANY of the things we do or say has religious backstories.. so, what are we going to do? research everything that is commonplace in today's society and make sure it wasn't derived from a religion?? that's ridiculous, isn't it?? people just need to chill out on the whole, "my rights have been violated" garbage.. unless it's blatant.. like, if the school mandated that you HAVE to say "God bless you".. that's what the amendment in the constitution is protecting us from.. forceful religious participation with government support...

Charles B

No. As the first poster posted, the constitution does not say there should be a seperation of church and state. Now, in real life, some idiot somewhere I'm sure thinks saying "bless you" is the worst thing on the planet.

Super Tuesday

Amendment 1

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

anzers

No.

That is called being courteous.

Pelagius

"Use that towel on your head, you voluntary slave!" is a response to sneezing moslems.

NicK Fury

Say "God bless you" all you want. If someone is offended by it, that's their problem. They are way to sensitive and need to get over themselves.

And no, it doesn't violate the separation of Church and State, even if a teacher says it.

The doctrine of separation of church and state does nothing to limit an individual's rights to exercise their religion. You can pray, hold prayer meetings, meet with a religious club, or say "Bless you." But the government, in the form of the school, cannot impose any of these things. They cannot require prayer, or religious songs, or mandatory religious services, all of which public schools used to do.

I still heart fugin

Uhhh...no

It must be so hard for a christian in a all christian government? You must feel like a minority lol

Use common sence

Benjamin Gladstone

To violate the First Amendment, it has to be a government action. A person saying "bless you" does not implicate the First Amendment unless the government is making people say that or he/she is using government resources to say bless you (like the school letting you get on the loudspeaker and saying bless you to all of the students).

miatalise12560

please......don' t you guys have better things to debate ? We worry so much about being politically correct we lose a part of our humanity.

lily

no it doesn't.

ducky

No.

so..nothing "bizarre" about that !

so sneeze away and be ready to give and receive those blessings

can you give a real example of something in the Sate of California that's bizarre And unconstitutional ?

of course NOT

Yahoo Answer Angel

People also have their panties in a bunch about "In God We Trust" and The Constitution being on school walls.

I think this is the US...you should be able to say "bless you" and only receive an eye roll and dirty look.

ohio.is.for.lovers.

"Bless you"? That's not even the same as "God bless you." That's ridiculous!

King Nando!

no i say it and I am an athiest. But if you say God Bless You then you are..

bogidu

bless you? I don't see any religious mention anywhere in those two words. If you're really concerned you could tell someone 'you have my blessing' just to freak them out?

Early Cuyler

That's ridicules, even for California.

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