Nothing to Sneeze At

A Muslim colleague recently told me that, in the US, a school has been successfully sued by a parent because a student sneezed and a teacher said “God bless you.”

As far as I can tell in an Internet search, this story is not true. But Americans, Canadians, and Europeans should be aware of how this sort of “freedom from religion” thing plays in the Middle East and elsewhere. 

First, it is likely to be exaggerated, as here, in the retelling. 

Second, it is going to reinforce the general view that the West is utterly Godless, immoral, and anti-religious. "The Wicked West," they call it. 

Third, more folks are going to sign up for ISIL/ISIS, the Taliban, or for terror bombing, and feel thoroughly righteous about it.