Kind of sick of "letting it go".
I'm just going to start telling everyone who even mentions their stupid religious
beliefs, to keep their delusions to themselves.
I don't care if they're just trying to be "nice".
Their assumptions do not require my compliance.

Good question. "I'm sorry," the x-ray technician replied when I said "I'm an atheist."

Hoped this would shut him up. Then I asked him to stop talking about his God.

He acted like being an atheist is a terminal disease.

Damned if you do; damned if you don't. Either way, you get a lecture.

My son's mom and I don't agree on much, but we often just say Akunamatata, at the end of a dispute.

Yeah, I am always up for a scrap with a godbot. When presented with an opportunity, I love to throw a subtle logic bomb their direction.

Despite, some fights worth fighting, take time to enjoy life.

You did the right thing. Nature painted a picture for you to enjoy. She thanked a sky fairy. So what? Akunamatata.

It's a problem for me too, and people like that bring it. There's so much wrong with it it's mind numbing and it makes me want to scream. One of these days I just might go off on someone and it'll be some sweet little old lady... Actually I might have said "Whatever" or "Yes, it is a very nice day". Her second comment upon exit was a clever "I won this one" to which I would have said "Now wait just a minute!" (Just kidding). Everyone here is being so evolved and above it all; how honorable and decent and lazy and better than someone who might smile and say "I'm not religious but that shouldn't matter, right? It's still a beautiful day." Just because you disagree with someone doesn't mean you have to go to war with them, or be confrontational or start a debate on the street, even though they instigated it. Just have some integrity and be true to yourself. The alternative is not to, and bend to all these little tricks to show your colors: are you one of them? It's a little arrogant that it doesn't matter to them. They either assume you're a believer but if you're not, fuck you, you should have been. At this point in human evolution they could at least try to be more open to the possibility that not everyone is just like them and ASK first if you're a believer. If you are it won't insult you. Is it too much of an imposition to expect them to be at minimum at least as polite as they expect us to be? That's not too much to ask, to meet me half way. They're still free to say "Well, Jesus still loves you anyway and God made the sun and the moon and blah, blah, blah." Whatever. And there you have the real reason they opened their pie-hole in the first place. They're just using a nice day as a pretext to barf their belief on you. (I'm being a little tongue-in-cheek here. Learn to laugh okay?)

So look, I don't go looking for these type of questions but if you're going to put them on here and I stumble across them, I'm going to be honest and open and give an answer that isn't just p.c., which to me is usually b.s. I'm probably just as annoyed that I do keep running across these here, where I come to be away from pod people and not have to keep explaining that I'm atheist and it's okay.

How is "Yep" confrontational?

I feel so sorry for you guys. I would literally freak if anyone said that to me. Even as a mental health professional, I would imagine they were unwell. It would be sooo weird in UK. It is far more likely that people start ranting about football or Brexit or brown people...to which I would not care about protecting their feelings!

Old people are often lonely.
“Yes Mam, I do believe we’re very lucky to be sharing this day.”

"I gotta go, I'm catching a Richard Dawkins lecture at noon."
Then hit her on the side of the head with a shovel.

Almost without thinking, I usually say, "Thank, Buddha."

Of course, Buddha doesn't have anything to do with the weather at all. And besides, Buddha was just a human being, and he's dead now. And I also like Bodhidharma, but's that's too many syllables.

you stupid old deluded bag..

Why argue with an old lady out enjoying the day? IMO, you did the right thing. No point in getting bitter and fighting everyone who uses a figure of speech to express happiness or contentment. Live and let live.

You could ruin your day and beat your head against the wall and say something, or you could ignore her unless you won't able to sleep at night if you don't. You could say, "there is no god, " you could say "fuck god," but you're only doing it to make your self feel better about not responding. Regardless of what you say, her opinion won't change. Or, if you wanted to really make a statement, you could have said, "yeah god gave me these allergies."

I would agree it’s a lovely day but I won’t be thanking a mythical sky fairy since I am an atheist. If that is enough to piss someone off then too bad.

I won’t be in collusion with her delusion. I don’t know why I need to be sensitive to her beliefs when she isn’t to mine. If atheists don’t stand up for their beliefs and let people know who they are, then the fakes win.

Perfect passive/aggressive response...

Aren't allergies evidence against "intelligent design"?

It was a good response. She was saying it with good intentions; she wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or acting like a jerk. That simple “yep” was appropriate.

As the spouse of a pastor who did her thing in mostly conservative rural Montana I have been constantly confronted with this dilema. For the most part I did exactly as you did. I figured that I was no more likely to change their mind than they were to change mine.

I'm not sure I was right! Thank God etc. sounds kindly and innocuous but really it is intended to be in your face and intimidating. Too often the hidden message is something like, "I'm a believer and you should be too if you know what is good for you. Maybe the best response is the one my father often gave, "Thank God I'm an Athiest."

Good idea to have an answer ready for opportunities like that - when it feels appropriate to inform strangers that not everyone they meet believes in God/s. It's not always appropriate, but when it is, it's a great opportunity to open up a thoughtful dialog, and let a little bit of light into a closed mind.

I would probably say something like: "Yep, nature is wonderful, whether you believe in God or not! For me, I'm an atheist, so I can pause in awe and wonder at all the many natural factors that went into making this perfect day!"

(Substitute Agnostic, Skeptic, Happy Humanist, Naturalist, Free thinker, Rationalist...)

If it's a stranger, I don't mind reminding them not everyone they meet believes in God.

If it's a friend (everyone knows I'm atheist) well they got their jab in, and I can take the high road and just smile and keep my mouth shut.

I probably would not have responded to the comment at all. If interested in conversing with the god-obsessed, I try to redirect the topic. I it doesn't work, I either excuse myself from conversing or let them know I am not a believer. Usually the former.

The elderly lady did not specify WHICH god to thank. Zeus? Odin? Amon-Ra? Krishna? The Flying Spaghetti Monster? Is there a deity that is specifically in charge of nice weather or pleasant days? It's very confusing.

I liked your response, in view of the circumstances. If a religious response is expected, I normally resist: 'Merry Xmas' always gets 'Happy Soltice' or 'Happy Saturnalia' or 'God Yul'.

Meanwhile, In Dallas today, we had a tornado warning.

I find I am unable to give words that sound like agreement in these kinds of situations...but I don't wish to be unkind to someone who is expressing nice thoughts (from their point of view).... so I usually say something along the lines of "I hope you enjoy the rest of this gorgeous day".

An elderly lady seeking human contact....what exactly would be served by upsetting her?

simply 'may your god go with you'

In situations like that I try not to be confrontational either. I just agree with a yup like you and move on. It's not worth the hustle. The exception being when they say that and then try to give you a pamphlet or something of that sort if I have time I go into the whole I'm an atheist thing and what not but most likely I just say no thank you and move on