There seem to be a lot of trendy phrases in use today, and they phase in and out, changing throughout time with the seasons. But one phrase which I have used consistently in my life since I can remember is, "oh my god".
I find this to be indicative of something in our culture, although I couldn't necessarily tell you what. I am not a religious person, and I do not believe in God. At least, not the way that 95% of the rest of Kansans do. I'm not a Christian, so I find it to be funny that I use the phrase "oh my god" so often. I don't think it has any religious context to it anymore, for anyone. (Except for my super Christian eighth grade teacher who would get overly-offended if we used it in class, in our public school.)
Anyway, I don't think of it as having anything to do with religion. It's just another phrase in the evolution of language. To me, "oh my god" is something you exclaim when you are shocked or appalled about something. I use it to express a wide array of feelings: anger, annoyance, surprise, disgust, joy, pride, hunger, impatience, understanding... It is kind of a catch-all phrase for me, and I would say it serves the same purpose for many others around me, as well... Christians and non-Christians, alike.
My French friends like to tease me about how "American" I sound when I exclaim "Oh my god!" without even realizing I'm doing it. They've told me on several occasions, "The French don't say, 'oh mon Dieu!'" Which is true, and why I think it is specific only to the English-speaking culture of America (and perhaps Britain, although I have no firsthand experience by which to attest).
I say many other things constantly, like "I can't even" and "Are you kidding me?" but by and large, and for the longest amount of time, "Oh my god" has certainly been the most common.
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