>>I would say "May God Bless Your Immortal Soul" just to watch the silly bugger wince. <<

LOL!!
IMHO That is a very appropriate use of the phrase for a non-believer.

Pardon Me Smokey, if you are talking to me about the word Atheist, but all I really know about your beliefs is that you have said that you agreed with pretty much everything Steve Shaw said up to the point I stopped reading his posts. In my opinion, that puts you pretty squarely in the Atheist camp. Shaw has been very stridently and clearly not just an Atheist but IMHO he has been the religious sort, like your friend. I wonder how long you would have to wait for tea in his house.

Cheers mate. You seem to be a good man, and funny too.

BTW true story, one of the most embarrassing days of my life was when my Grandfather told me what "bugger" meant because I had said it in front of him. The irony, if it had been one of Carlin's seven, I would have known.