The statement "God bless you" is commonly used by people, obviously, giving blessing, by the Most Holy Name of the LORD. And the LORD commanded His people not to use His Name in vain (Ex 20:7; Dt 5:11). So the question is, does saying "God bless you" violate His commandment?
There are two answers, depending on the conditions.
No, when the blessing is given by someone who is in the state of grace, and channelling God's blessings by saying the words with a clear conscience and a happy, peaceful heart.
Yes, when the blessing is given by someone who is not in the state of grace, and merely saying the words for granted, making the people see him following Christ's command about forgiveness (Mt 5:44; Lk 6:28), which is the opposite of the actual case; that he is just saying those words, regardless of the anger he has.
How can one be a channel of blessing without being in the state of grace, or merely, sincerely giving the blessing? You know, it's not a simple endnote you put on anything you publish, whether you really mean what you say or not.
And by merely saying "God bless you" without sincerity, you commit sin. A grave sin.
(ERRATUM: Before October 30, 2012, Philippine Standard Time, the answers "yes" and "no" were incorrectly placed. I'm very sorry about that.)
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