Katherine Timpf of National Review Online highlights an example of librarians contributing to college campus silliness.

According to an “Anti-Oppression Library Guide” written by a group of librarians at Simmons College in Boston, “saying ‘God bless you’ after someone sneezes” is a microaggression against Muslim people.

“Islamomisic Microaggressions are commonplace verbal or behavioral indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicates [sic] hostile, derogatory, or negative slights in relation to the beliefs and religious practices of Muslims,” the guide explains. “They are structurally based and invoke oppressive systems of religious/Chrisitan [sic] hierarchy.” …

… According to the guide, “saying ‘God bless you’ after someone sneezes conveys one’s perception that everyone is Christian or believes in God,” which is offensive because it “convey[s] people’s presumption that their religion is the standard.”

This is ridiculous for so many reasons that I don’t even know where to start. First of all, the phrase “God bless you” makes absolutely no specific reference to Christianity, let alone any kind of slight against the Islamic faith in particular. It’s not an assault on Islam; it doesn’t even mention Islam.
Comments

If anything, “God bless you” could perhaps be said to be offensive to people who don’t believe in a God of any kind, but honestly I don’t think that’s true, either. Why? Because I don’t think it assumes anything; it’s just a phrase. I don’t think people actually think about it; it’s just something that we grow up hearing and so start saying ourselves. It’s really more of a reflex than a declaration of faith.