First off, I find it odd that we still seem to subconciously believe that sneezing is a means to expell evil spirits. How else do you account for the habit most Americans have of saying "god bless you" when someone nearby sneezes?
Surely we don't think all sneezing is a sign of ill health. It should be obvious to us that some sneezes are nothing more than an automatic response by the body to foreign matter in our nasal passages.
Here's another almost insignificant occasion when being a non-believer makes one appear callous or unaware.
In honesty, atheists cannot say "god bless you". We can say "gesundheit", a common wish for good health in the U.S. since the beginning of the 20th century. This at least makes us appear less insensitive than saying nothing at all.
But to the person who thinks logically and honestly, there's no more reason to say anything after a sneeze than there is to make a comment when someone coughs or uses the restroom. The only reason we feel a need to wish a sneezer well is if we believe that a sneeze is a sign of poor health or evil spirits, neither of which is true.
So what's a non-believer to do? Say nothing and appear insensitive or rude, or say something even though we know it's useless and incorrect?
There are many moments in life when a non-believer is put in an uncomfortable social situation. You've been invited to a baptism or church wedding. Do you go? Do you abstain and risk creating hard feelings among others? Do you go but refuse to participate, thus risking creating an "incident"?
Living in a predominately religious society, the non-believer is challenged on a daily basis to find the means to live according to their own beliefs while not overly offending those who embrace theism. Our goal is not to be offensive but to be honest about our attitudes. We strive to live without offending others, but others often take offense where none was intended.
So if you sneeze near me, don't be offended if I don't wish you good health or god's blessing. I just don't feel either of those things are necessary. You most likely aren't ill, and I cannot offer the blessings of my imaginary invisible friend. I don't have one.
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