"God bless you" - what does this really mean?

[Chris OConnor]

When believers utter the words "God bless you" do they genuinely believe God will be influenced and will take some sort of action?

[DWill]

When believers utter the words "God bless you" do they genuinely believe God will be influenced and will take some sort of action?

Obama usually says, "May God bless America." Other times, when a speaker says just, "God bless America" or "God bless you," the "may" is understood. So it doesn't seem that the person is claiming any sort of power to influence God. It's just a pious expression that signifies strong approval of the country or person--something like, "For as good a person (or country) as you already are, you deserve to be especially favored."

[LanDroid]

People say this after a sneeze. IIRC the reason is you briefly lose control during a sneeze which allows an instant for The Devil to enter. So by saying "bless you" or "God bless you" immediately after, they're protecting you from Beelzebub!

I just learned that in Japan when you sneeze it's because someone is talking about you, kinda like burning ears in this country.

[Cattleman]

Try phrasing it this way. "May the prime cause of everything be beneficient to you."

[Chris OConnor]

I wasn't really thinking about how people say "God bless you" when someone sneezes. I'm referring to the general "bless you" or "may God bless you" sort of statement.

[Michael Barry]

It's inevitable that I would reply to this one, Chris. In Genesis, God blesses everything he has made on Earth up to the 6th 'day' and then rests. Those on Earth ever since, who pompously think that they are a spokesperson for God (ha ha), feel that they have the authority to bless someone in God's name (ha ha). They're all in for the shock of their lives, because in my book I clearly point out from my observation of Genesis, that God only blesses the mortal; the life on Earth that will live and die. One of the key facts in my book is pointing out that Adam and Eve were created (or evolved) after the 7th day, and God does not bless them at all... because they were not mortal, they were everlasting. In short, God only blessed the mortal; all life on Earth up to the Neanderthal. God will not bless a human being, because a human being is everlasting, not mortal.

[Michael Barry]

If you say to me, "God bless you, Michael", you are voicing my condemnation to everlasting death; mortality. The complete opposite to your implied intention. This is how stupid indoctrination is. In my book, if you ask God to bless England, or America, or anything else, you're asking God to end it.

[Murmur]

When believers utter the words "God bless you" do they genuinely believe God will be influenced and will take some sort of action?

I'm sure that some people believe that their god will actually perform some action of blessing the target of their "god bless you" statement.

[geo]

For most people, "God bless you" is meant only as an expression of sympathy and means nothing more than they wish you well or that they are sorry for your loss. Some people say "gesundheit" in the same way without really thinking about what the word means. Though with "God bless you" there's a presumed shared belief in God that an atheist might find offputting. But hell sometimes I say Goddammit when I stub my toe, and I'm certainly not cursing a god I don't believe. As such, "God bless you" or "God have mercy" are merely idiomatic expressions that are still in common use. Here are some others that actually come from the Bible:

The Blind Leading the Blind

By the Skin of Your Teeth

Can a Leopard Change his spots?

Cast the First Stone

Drop in a Bucket

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Eye for Eye, Tooth for tooth

[Michael Barry]

Is there anyone on this site who can tell us something we don't know, rather than just regurgitating the bleeding obvious?