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'.

I would have given the credit to the local weatherman.

I normally agree yes, but I also say thank the universe, or mother earth. I'm always greatful for all the beauty I find, so I can relate to the excitement and appreciation.

Normally I just don't respond. Like I never heard the question. Where I live it makes life easier.

Wise to not be confrontational.

We know the religious are, sadly #Religulous...suffering delusions. suffering the brain-washing of myths since childhood.

You're brave, bold, and open-minded for NOT conflicting with the #religulous. I have some good friends who, sadly, are stuck in that frame of mind....but they're still good people.

Good response. I would have said yep too. And move on.

I would've said yup or something, I let these people think that God has something to do with the weather. Most of us know that weather has to do cold and warm fronts and barometric pressure, simply put.

“Well,” “I wouldn’t go that far”

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

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.

I think that’s the right way to handle it. No need to explain yourself to strangers or just go along with their wishes. Tbh if she had been anymore insistent than you described, I would’ve found a nice way to end the conversation. I won’t lie though, I have been rude to religious people who get too pushy. I understand they feel compelled to share their truth or whatever, but I have my personal limits and I don’t let anyone cross them.

If I have the time I usually say "which god"?

Your response was fine. There is so much nastiness around and not enough kindness. It doesn't sound like she was trying to force you to accept her beliefs. She was expressing gratitude for the beautiful day as she saw it. There is no need for anyone to be a jerk in situations like that. The ones who do are the ones who give atheists a bad name. I prefer to set a kinder example, but if that person does start to get pushy with the religious stuff, I will let them know I am a nonbeliever.
Around here, I feel bombarded with the "Have a Blessed Day!!" comment at every business I frequent. It seems that it has just been the last couple of years that it has started to be a constant thing. I always wonder if it is the individuals who are choosing to do that or are the businesses pandering and requiring their employees to use that phrase. It gets on my nerves, I have to admit. I always just look at them and say, "Have a good day yourself."

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.

Yep. Why cause division. Our opinions are valuable to us. preferable to leave someone feeling better or at least the same.

Same thing why be rude they don't know any better

What would you gain by being confrontational? As it was, you had what appeared to be a pleasant interchange with this fellow human being. I see nothing wrong with your responses.

Having said this, I also understand the feeling you experienced. The one that would annoy me was when someone - especially from a business - would say, "Have a blessed day!" In thinking up come backs (similar to what you commented about) I thought it might be fun to respond with something like, "May yours continue to evolve." I have yet to say it to anyone, but I have often thought it when that annoying phrase is uttered.

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.

If I were you, I would say, Thanks to the nature.

Don't sweat it. You listened to a nice old lady and gave her reason to keep smiling and feel at peace.

I'm all for going Hitch on a theist's ass when they knock on my door, or on the internet.

No reason to fight all the time.

Yep is fine.....the end

I would have most likely have replied that god had nothing to do with it. This would have upset her into a path of explaining how god controls everything including our weather. That conversation opens up a big door of ridiculous nonsense.

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?

Yuppity-yup!