Bah-Bah-Bless you: Living in the Believers' World

I had a friend recently ask me if I would be offended if someone told me 'May God bless you," as a farewell. He asked this on his Facebook wall, and to his chagrin, none of the people who responded had a problem with it. Upon reading the discussion, everyone who responded was religious to some extent. No one had an issue, and neither do I, to tell the truth. Here's what I posted as a comment:

I don't have a problem if it is said to me, and I am a proud Atheist. But I can see how someone might have a problem with how ingrained religion is in our society. As an atheist, I could get all PC and say how dare you infringe on my rights, but who am I to get pissed at someone saying something they have probably saying their whole life? I see 'God Bless you' and 'Hail Satan' on the same level, personally. I know they have totally different connotations, but if you look at both in their own context, they are the same thing. imagine how you would feel if you said God Bless you and I said Hail Satan back? I know this is not necessarily how bad xxxxxx feels, but it might get you close sympathizing.

I am not normally the type of atheist who starts discussions with believers, but I will state my opinion if it is warranted. I know I am not going to change anyone's mind and I have made issues worse a couple of times by pursuing discussions. I have friends who are believers and I respect that and they respect my lack of belief and it is usually left at that. I don't usually get uppity or confrontational when people get holy on me. That is not to say that I do not have a distinct opinion on believers.

I believe that there is a certain amount of weakness that is required to have a belief in any go. To say that people have been believing in God or gods for centuries  is not really a valid reason. That is akin to saying, 'well, Billy jumped off the bridge, so I did too." I know that many believers (if not the majority) have been indoctrinated at birth. I myself was baptized christian. So I cannot necessarily hold it against them if they had no say in the matter. That is why, as I said earlier, I have little problem with them saying blessings or whatever. That's all they know.

There's a reason Jesus likens his followers to sheep.