Well, for as muddled as this relatively simple notion has been made...If someone told me that they found something I said offensive and asked me not to say it, I would repsect their wishes, even if I knew in my heart that I was somehow "right." It matters not what the nature of whatever is being said is. What matters is that I respect their wishes. I think the fact that in this case it is of a religious nature is causing a lot of people a lot of unnecessary confusion over the root issue of respecting others.

Tragically, this happens all the time when religion is involved. If you simply remove religion from the equation and diagram the argument using (some phrase) in the place of "be blessed" then the core issue becomes easier to see.

Any competent relationship therapist will agree with me on this. "But, Honey, when I say, 'I really liked the way you set out that meal tonight,' I didn't mean that I see you as subservient, even if that is the way you perceived it."

Do I want to die on this hill? Um, well, no. But this is a very basic point from which emminate faulty world views. So it is not unimportant.