This reminds me of a thread a few months back about atheists saying "god bless you" when someone sneezes. Logic doesn't really play a part in the moment to moment decision making process that precedes the decision to say "oh my god" when something startling or unexpected happens. 

As an example - I'm sure you've heard the expression: "those guys are making money hand over fist!" Yes? There is nothing "logical" about that expression. It originated in, I believe, Roman times when money - coins of rare metal - were stamped and pressed using a specific process that literally was "hand over fist". It has evolved and simply become an expression of modern times that infers a rate of financial growth or accumulation. 

Similarly - in my opinion - "oh my god" has largely become 'meaningless' insofar as the originally intent of the saying was... and has become an expression in Judeo-Christian societies that means "what the deuce!?". :P  

Yes, it's okay for an atheist to say, "oh my god".

Is it okay for a Christian to pull a trigger?

LL&P

Spock

Somehow or other I cannot believe that God would be so petty as to worry about such.

Shalom

Mate

Lots of atheists say it. It's just something we grew up saying like, "Holy Crow!" or something. I did catch myself out years ago though, and started conciously making an effort to say, "Oh my gods!" "The gods only know..." and "By the gods!"

"Strewth!" is a good one. Ya don't hear that one much anymore... It comes from "God's truth". Gadzeuks! Jeepers Creepers! Jimminy Crickets! and on another note: What a load of Codswallop! Codswallop: great word.
 

First off Rob Atheism is not a religion.

I would suggest that Oh My god is a term commonly used in speech and really has nothing to do with belief for most people. 

If you prefer I will use Holy F__K in the future, instead?

Well if it's "my" god, then what difference does it make? "My" god is not Yahweh; "my" god is undefined. Thus "on my god" seems wholly appropriate as a substitute for what must be an otherwise undefinable expression.

I don't think it's right for anyone to take the Lord's name in vain, and I believe if they don't repent, they will have to answer big-time for having done so on Judgement day.

Jae - I was thinking along those lines too mostly.  None of us, Christian or not, are supposed to 'take the Lord's name in vain',

so frankly if one is worried about such things, its not ok.  But we mostly all do it anyway.

I work on "gosh" or "HOLY TOLEDO" mostly.  :)

On the off chance that any of the nonsense you regurgitate here is true, I'll have a lot more to answer for than using His name in vain.

I try not to use this type of phrase even though it is now just an expression depending on the context it is used I must admit I would prefer to use O My god! that What the F....!

Absolutely it's OK, at least for the promiscuous ones.  It saves a lot of trouble if one inadvertently calls out the wrong name at that moment of *ahem* celebration.

You want a serious answer - it is a word.  We who believe give it meaning.  Those who don't are free to treat it as any other word.  To say otherwise would be a pretty severe abuse of freedom of speech.

Yes. Thankyou RevMatt.

in a way, it's promising if an atheist says O my god. It shows he or she is weakening.

However, we should speak out against those who invoke the names deity, but then hide them. That's dishonest. So let's stamp out...

gee, gee whiz, crikey, coo blimey (god blind me), gosh, golly. jeepers,

And let's get more people saying O my God!

Graeme

Why would a person ask the question in the first place?  Who are you to judge anything an atheist says as long as it does not affect you?

God, you're a tool.

a am , Just not for your agenda

duh

Nothing worthwhile to add to the discussion so why not throw in an ad hominem abusive attack. Nice touch.

No, it's not.

As pointed out above, expressions are rarely 'logical' and it's just like saying "Oh, Fuck" (now that the Rev has spelt out this innocuous combination of well-meaning and innocent letters without being banned or smited - sounds better than smitten).

But I also wanted to note that neither Christians nor atheists say this all the time (or everytime), so your latter point is a red herring, it seems.  Bottom line:  Of course it's 'OK' now that we have those silly blasphemy laws off the books - who'd have an issue with it?  'God'?

Good'un, Rev :-)...  And I'll note that the way some Christian women call out (I'm unqualified to make similar note on Christian men), it's like it's not a montheistic religion or they received their sex ed from The Department of Redundancy Department.

OMFG! ROTFLMAO!!!  Way unclear on the concept!  Just astounding!!

LOL...  Like we give a rat's patootie about 'Judgement Day'.  And I think you should consider what happens if some other religion is the 'real' religion and what that'd mean - big-time - to you (Do ya give a rat's hinterteil? ... Of course not - that'd be silly, eh?)

I wonder about what taking the Lord's name in vain means. Surely it does not mean merely using the name. Surely it means that you must not use it for no reason at all, or when you don't mean it. So to say God damn you - is taking it in vain because you presumably don't really mean it.

It  seems to me that to get all hypersensitive of somebody saying o my God is to go from religion to religiosity.

graeme

You always seem to write with such a poisoned pen. I'm not worried about other religions being the real one. I know I've found salvation in Christ. Peace to you.

Huge Face/Palm, here!  This from a person who writes that I should be concerned about his 'God' when he's not concerned about others' 'Gods' (when you stop going on that I've gotta worry about yours, I'll stop going on that you've gotta worry about theirs - or perhaps this is a first glimmer that you're just starting to grasp how tedious it can get?).   And I'm not worried about your religion being the real one.  I know I don't need 'salvation'.  That is, look at your own ('poisoned'?) pen, which invariabley casts the first ink and I therefore follow suit. 

And I don't think I've ever said that I think something you do is not right (making what you do 'wrong'?), but you're most comfortable saying that to me.  Now, does this make any sense to you, or should I try further. 

And if you think it's OK for you to suggest that I should be worried about your 'God' or what I do isn't 'right' but not for the same things be told to you for the same 'reasons', why, please?  And Peace back.

Hi robynanya,

Yes, it's perfectly o.k., in my opinion, for atheists and Christians alike to use this as a form of expression.  That said, I didn't say it around my very Lutheran gramma because it hurt her. 

I would be much more concerned about using words to intentionally humiliate, embarrass, turn people against each other, etc.  

This is just common sense to me, and if God doesn't have more common sense than me, well.....godhelpus. 

OMG of course it's ok.

It's become a general expression of disbelief or shock in English, so anyone is welcome to use it, I'd say. To me, taking the Lord's name in vain comes more into play when you say things like "God damn you", since you're effectively cursing the person and calling on God to agree with a judgement you've passed on someone. Of course, I think "f... you" has kind of replaced "God damn you" in the vocabulary anyhow.

Mendalla

interesting to hear teeanagers carrying on animated conversations in which all nouns, adjectives verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, subjects and predicates are f......

OMG at least conveys a meaning I can grasp.

Well i'm a buddhist and i say it, i said it while i was a christian and i said it after i was a christian and didn't know what i was. To me it's the same as saying "tabarnac" or "calice" in french, you don't need to be a catholic to use those french swears or beleive in the religion to use them, and why should you'r god care about the words that come from my mouth (after all, when some1 sais "oh my god" or anything with "god" in it i'd bet s/he sais  "stix and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me" )

Roby, to your question, I see at leats 2 different aspects :

1.Your friend atheist is inconsequent with his opinion about God, either with God or without God.Either believer or atheist.And if is a really atheist, he shoudnt use anymore ,,Oh my God,, or ,,God bless you,,.

2.In the deepest corner of his soul, he is feeling about God but even a good friend sometimes dont give you a change to talk with you and bring back on the right way.

Please read Acts 8/26 to 40.

What I want to know is why wasn't it included in the Christian Bible whenever Jesus, after having banged his thumb with his hammer, going "Eff Me!" :3

(I think that the whole notion of 'is it right or wrong' that you ask, the responsibility for it belongs with the Believer and no one else. The right or wrongness of it is decided upon by the Believer, based on her understanding of what she has been taught and has experienced, and I think a fair amount of 'responsibility-abrogation' happens whenever a Believer goes 'It's in the Bible, so it is True' or 'G_d says it is True', so in effect, they give up what they always have, Choice)

And graeme, aboot your noticing of teenagers and their words...I spent a summer as an assistant geologist on top of a mountain. Some of my co-workers were hard rock miners. And from them I learned that the Eff word wasn't just a noun, but could be put in anywhere. When I came home, my parents were shocked by my new-found "ability".

Just a Self-writing poem,

Inannawhimsey

And we laugh at our Muslim brothers and sisters when they get angry when their God is depicted in cartoons. We as Christians generally are not concerned about how others depict our God. We would do well to become angry once in awhile

Troy, as I recall, it was not Allah who was depicted in cartoon but rather the prophet Muhammad.

And is Muhammed not their Jesus?

No he is not (to the best of my knowledge). Jesus is the "son of god" while Muhammed was a prophet, he'd be more like my Buddha than your Jesus (if that makes sense) I think (I may be wrong).

you are rt muslims belive that both jesus and muhammed are prophets of god.like moses and the rest .as for athests that say omg i usally say you dont now what you belive so youve mistaken ITS MY GOD NOT YOURS!

Spice, they DO know what they believe, saying "og my god" is a part od our culture and not a part of religion. I say it without beleiving in a god but I know what I beleive. Saying a non christian (or any other god worshiper) can't say "oh my god" is like saying a virgin can't say "f**k".

they can say f word because  eventually they will get there  but to say omg when you have no intent of getting to know him why not say oh my goodness thats the first one i learnt so i kinda feel like its hipocitical unless you belive in something

I think that NOT beleiving in any sort of "god" makes me use "oh my god" more. "Why is that?" you may ask, well, don't worry, I'll tell ya. There is no added punishment for me according to you, and even if there was, why would I care? If I'm already going to "hell" because I don't beleive in an allmighty, all powerfull bearded/robed man (acording to old art) would using his (her? both? neither?) name "in vein" really get me any sort of added punishment? Would he add more pain for using his name?

ok visnu is a goodess too rt every religion belives the heaven hold mystical powers since ancient grece,maybe ...... the god of thunder might were robes but no one should mess with them

Mine doesn't have any heaven (well I don't count Nirvana as a sort of heaven, but then, it could be argued that Buddhism is not a religion but rather a philosophy) and might I ask why you bring Vishnu (a Hindu goddes) and Zeus (Greek god of the sky with lightning being a part of how he rolls) into this?

Sorry, guys - this and the next post brings in stuff I cannot delete.

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“Human beings must be known to be loved; but Divine beings must be loved to be known.” – Blaise Pascal

A request to delete these flawed posts went out this morning - Tuesday, Aug 17 at 8:07 AM MDT.

It sounds sadly like your 'God' needs mortals such as yourselves to 'protect' him, her or it.  Why would that be?  (It wouldn't, it seems to me, if God was real).  And Spice, it's a mere expression most of us picked up from (arguably) 'blasphemous' Christians - but we're hyocrits?  Funny.

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“Human beings must be known to be loved; but Divine beings must be loved to be known.” – Blaise Pascal

I often say "gesundheit" ven someone shneezes.

I am not German.

I don't think Martin Luthor turns in his grave each time I do it. Though if he did, I might carry ground pepper with me....

I never quite understood why some people become very angry if you say "God damn it", "Oh my god!", etc etc.. I am guilty of saying them all and I'm not Christian. I find it much more sensible than saying F***. I even know people who have been upset with me for not spelling 'god' with a capital letter in reference to him (also without a capital letter). It is not disrespect. I simply don't believe any god's name would be god... that seems silly, don't you think? Either way;

"What's in a name, that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet".  (I so hope I quoted that correctly). So why shouldn't I be able to call the Christian god by any name that I wish, as long as he meant the same to me (assuming I'm Christian)? I realize I'm making the most ridiculous argument ever, but I have this feeling that no god would call himself God... perhaps he would prefer to be called something else. We just can't tell. My point is, there's really no reason to get so worked up about others 'saying the lord's name in vain'. If you don't want to use the word god in that way - don't, but that same name (God) may mean absolutely nothing to me. My god's name could be Ernest. Now no one else speak ill of that name!

What you Ernestians don't realise is I have free speach! I am no an Ernistian by any means but I say "Ernest damn it!" or "oh my Ernest" all the time. You people need to calm down!

 I was counting down til someone mentioned that, Witch. Hahaha.