Have a Blessed Day at Taco Bell

[beth]

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Taco Bell

I'm leaving work, and decide to stop at the new Taco Bell on Martin Luther King JR Drive, and 421. I pull up to the menu and order. The lady reads back my order and then states "have a blessed day." I'm sorry what did you say? Okay. This is the south, and people are religious here. Sure you can say she was just saying blessed, as in not meaning a God, but I doubt that was the case. Besides whose blessing me? The Taco Bell lady? Is this really needed? Do I really need to seek out the comfort that some middle-aged high-school drop out, who wishes good tidings upon my day?

So I pull up to window 1, where obviously the lady takes my money and advises me to once again, have a blessed day.

I pull up to window 2, where a big black woman (not the same one) advises me to pull forward and they will bring it out to me, oh and then she said "have a blessed day." Its at this point I'm under the assumption that Taco Bell has taken southern hospitality to a new level.

Eventually a guy comes running out of the building with my food. He hands me the bags, and yells "have a blessed day" This time I give him the WTF face, but he doesn't notice as he runs back in to Taco Bell.

I'm sitting there staring at my receipt and then at my tacos. The order is completely wrong. So I go back into Taco Bell and advise them of such. Eventually they get around to fixing it, and I start to walk out. This is when the fourth person- the Manager yells "Ma'am."

I stop and cringe.

"Have a blessed day."

[Sebeq]

"Have a blessed day is a strictly African American and mostly southern tag line added to the end of any conversation. There are different takes on the use if this phrase in the work place. Some see it as nothing more than a reflex such as saying "Bless You" after someone sneezes. Other's feel that any type of spirituality at work infringes on their right to be non-religious. Below are examples of legal stuff involving the saying. Personally it doesn't bother me - I need all the blessings I can get! What non-religious people need to do is come up with a similiar saying they can put on their answering machines and the like. Maybe - "I'm not in right now, leave a message and there is no God" Freedom of religion baby, to practice or sit on the bench - no one has the right to take away either option and yet the non-religious are constantly trying to stop spiritualists from practicing. Like wise Jehovahs keep knocking on my door to save me. I don't like either - why can't we all just get along?

[size=9]An office worker sought an injunction because her employer failed to accommodate her religious practice of ending some conversations with: "Have a blessed day." The Seventh Circuit found that use of the phrase is not a requirement of her religion and held that the employer did not have to satisfy an employee's every desire.

or

A woman has filed a federal complaint against her employer after she was ordered to stop saying "have a blessed day" at work.

Liz Anderson, an office coordinator at USF Logistics in Indianapolis, lodged a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, saying it was the only way to protect her religious freedom.

"You never know when the Lord is going to call on you to be His servant, to be a tool, to be a vessel," Anderson said.

"I'm just trying to stay focused on the original situation, and that is that I want to be able to say, `Have a blessed day,' without the threat of being fired."

Anderson has been an employee of the Chicago-based shipping and warehouse firm for more than three years. She was named office employee of the year in Indianapolis last year and said she's been telling people to have blessed days since she started working there.

But in June, she was ordered to stop.

"This was a religious practice of hers based on her Christianity," said her attorney, Kevin Betz. "That makes it a religious practice for which the employer must accommodate so long as to do so is not an undue hardship to the business."

All calls to USF Logistics regarding the matter were directed to the company's president and chief executive officer, Doug Christensen. He was out of the country on business and did not return several messages that were left for him about Anderson's case, according to the Associated Press.

Anderson said that she hopes her legal efforts can set a precedent for others who share her religious views.

"I love my job," she said. "But I love my God more."

[caramichele]

"Have a blessed day is a strictly African American..."

No it's not. I'm white and I say it all the time, and so do my friends, both black and white.

It's nice to hear that Taco Bell has employees who are blessing their customers. That blesses me.

And PS, a blessing is a blessing, not a curse. If you don't share the same faith as the person who said it to you, it's not going to infect you or force a religion on you. I mean, wow.

"Infringing on your right to be non-religious?" Are you kidding me? That makes me sigh (deeply) and roll my eyes (in a most exaggerated fashion.) People choose the silliest things to get offended about.

Oh well, have a blessed day, y'all.

[Matt]

Guy at work likes to add the fish symbol thingy on his e-mail signatures. His e-mails go to customers and outside vendors. He also hands out religious literature to people that don't ask for it. Never mind how inappropriate it is to be doing that in a professional environment, but can you say "lawsuit"? Separation of church and state people. It's there for a reason.

Even though the founding fathers were mostly Christian based, they had the foresight to say all religions, beliefs, races, creeds, etc, are welcome but one group shall not have influence or privilege when it comes to law. I’m Christian, raised Catholic, but people are correct when they say “In God we trust” does not belong on money or government buildings. Our laws constitution are written like that for a reason.

Anyway, this nimrod at my work is the same guy who talks about area small businesses he approves of as being owned by "good Christian people”. So if they was Hindu but still provided the best product, service, or price he wouldn’t go there? Drives that Honda of his around though.

Ok back from my digression. While annoying, being wished to have a blessed day, pretty harmless. Just wear you “I love Wiccans” t-shirt next time.

[beth]

Even though the founding fathers were mostly Christian based

Actually...

Thomas Jefferson:
I have examined all the known superstitions of the world, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth.
SIX HISTORIC AMERICANS,
by John E. Remsburg, letter to William Short

Jefferson again:
Christianity...(has become) the most perverted system that ever shone on man. ...Rogueries, absurdities and untruths were perpetrated upon the teachings of Jesus by a large band of dupes and importers led by Paul, the first great corrupter of the teaching of Jesus.

More Jefferson:
The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulterated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch wealth and power to themselves...these clergy, in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ.
Jefferson's word for the Bible?
Dunghill.

John Adams:
Where do we find a precept in the Bible for Creeds, Confessions, Doctrines and Oaths, and whole carloads of other trumpery that we find religion encumbered with in these days?

Also Adams:
The doctrine of the divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.

Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli. Article 11 states:
The Government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.

Here's Thomas Paine:
I would not dare to so dishonor my Creator God by attaching His name to that book (the Bible).

Among the most detestable villains in history, you could not find one worse than Moses. Here is an order, attributed to 'God' to butcher the boys, to massacre the mothers and to debauch and rape the daughters. I would not dare so dishonor my Creator's name by (attaching) it to this filthy book (the Bible).

It is the duty of every true Deist to vindicate the moral justice of God against the evils of the Bible.

Accustom a people to believe that priests and clergy can forgive sins...and you will have sins in abundance.

The Christian church has set up a religion of pomp and revenue in pretended imitation of a person (Jesus) who lived a life of poverty.

Finally let's hear from James Madison:

What influence in fact have Christian ecclesiastical establishments had on civil society? In many instances they have been upholding the thrones of political tyranny. In no instance have they been seen as the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty have found in the clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate liberty, does not need the clergy.

Madison objected to state-supported chaplains in Congress and to the exemption of churches from taxation. He wrote:

Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.

These founding fathers were a reflection of the American population. Having escaped from the state-established religions of Europe, only 7% of the people in the 13 colonies belonged to a church when the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Among those who confuse Christianity with the founding of America, the rise of conservative Baptists is one of the more interesting developments. The Baptists believed God's authority came from the people, not the priesthood, and they had been persecuted for this belief. It was they—the Baptists—who were instrumental in securing the separation of church and state. They knew you can not have a "one-way wall" that lets religion into government but that does not let it out. They knew no religion is capable of handling political power without becoming corrupted by it. And, perhaps, they knew it was Christ himself who first proposed the separation of church and state: Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto the Lord that which is the Lord's.

In the last five years the Baptists have been taken over by a fundamentalist faction that insists authority comes from the Bible and that the individual must accept the interpretation of the Bible from a higher authority. These usurpers of the Baptist faith are those who insist they should meddle in the affairs of the government and it is they who insist the government should meddle in the beliefs of individuals.

The price of Liberty is constant vigilance. Religious fundamentalism and zealous patriotism have always been the forces which require the greatest attention.

[Sebeq]

Should have stricken the word "strictly" from my text earlier as I was trying to say "blessed day" was a mostly African American and southern phrase, meaning that white southerners also say blessed day, but I guess that wasn't understood. I was raised Catholic so I don't have a tagline after every conversation, I just buy everybody a round at the bar on Jesus. Anyway, nice job on all the quotes there Beth. I sware most people just don't know the founding fathers very well at all.

[Matt]

I got "blessed" at Hardee's on Guilford the other day. Made me do a double take because I instantly thought of this post.

I smiled and said "back at ya".

[Matt]

and if you really want to screw with people, say "have a gay day!"

You know...gay....happy.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

Guy at work likes to add the fish symbol thingy on his e-mail signatures. His e-mails go to customers and outside vendors. He also hands out religious literature to people that don't ask for it. Never mind how inappropriate it is to be doing that in a professional environment, but can you say "lawsuit"? Separation of church and state people. It's there for a reason.

Separation of church/state has no legal bearing on private businesses. Company policies hold sway there, and rightly so. And even government employees should be able to speak religiously, so long s they aren't doing so in "official business" mode. Teachers, talking among themselves... bless each other all you want. Teachers teaching a kid The Lord's Prayer -- hold those horses!

Just a few thoughts....

[enrevanche]

Whenever I am wished "a blessed day," I generally smile sweetly and say, "Thank you, I have other plans."

[A Person]

Separation of church/state has no legal bearing on private businesses. Company policies hold sway there, and rightly so. And even government employees should be able to speak religiously, so long s they aren't doing so in "official business" mode. Teachers, talking among themselves... bless each other all you want. Teachers teaching a kid The Lord's Prayer -- hold those horses!

Just a few thoughts....

I had a contractor do some work for my company and on completion he handed me a Chick Tract - It was the first one I had seen and I didn't feel it reflected well on him or his company, any more than if he'd tried to sell me a healing crystal.

I find the 'blessed' thing amusing, as when I was a kid, 'blessed' was mostly used as a euphanism for damned. Someone might say: "Those blessed Jones boys have been breaking windows again" or "I'll be blessed if I can follow what you're trying to say old boy"

When someone says 'Have a blessed day' I tend to think 'Have a damned day'

[BecauseHeLives]

Wow. you must REALLY be old.

[A Person]

Different culture.

[BecauseHeLives]

Different culture.

The ancient Aztec culture?

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

I had a contractor do some work for my company and on completion he handed me a Chick Tract - It was the first one I had seen and I didn't feel it reflected well on him or his company, any more than if he'd tried to sell me a healing crystal.

I have a really cool collection of Jack Chick tracts. There was a guy who worked at this place who used to place them regularly in the men's rooms here. I'd go and collect his gifts every day, and sure as the sun rises, there'd be one to take its place... sometimes less than a day later.

I often wondered what he thought of all these things being removed. But it worked out well for me. I have some of the most insane crap ever written by a religious nut case, all for free. Veeeerrrrry entertaining.

[A Person]

I wonder if a Chick Tract has ever had the intended effect (other than earning Chick money)

Some of them are amusing, most are just crude. I can't imagine anyone being persuaded by one. I would think the slick pseudo-science of Jonathan Wells would be a lot more effective that the brute force Chick approach.

[jb]

Beth,
I just wanted to be nice and say you do write some good blogs. I enjoyed this.

I give you 2 Kudos
jb

[BecauseHeLives]

Pagan Yellow Pages.... maybe you won't have to worry about that in these places.

http://www.eepenterprises.com/paganyell ... /index.htm