A Funeral for Faithless persons

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by S.A.M., Apr 17, 2010.

  1. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    I really don't see why a funeral has to be a religious event (at least, according to you it seems).
    Just leave out the religious crap. That's it.
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    Yep. Same here.
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. siledre Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    487
    I personally want a viking funeral

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. superstring01 Moderator

    Messages:
    12,110
    I think people should be buried, wrapped in nothing but a cotton cloth, and a tree planted above the grave. An idea that I started as a kid with pets, one which I think would be better than the ridiculous coffins we use now.

    I've buried quite a few. Thankfully my parents didn't "protect" us from the concept of death, even when it was a loved pet. When they went, they went. Sometimes their sickly end came with the assistance of my father's Beretta (which, to this day, I remember being the most humane option for a few of our dogs). Since I grew up on a farm we buried them in the field. The year my mother died, our Lab-mix, Ginger, died and I planted a maple tree above her grave. From age 11 through this date, we've planted tress above the dog's respective graves. Ginger's tree is huge, at least 50 feet tall now. A few of the trees never made it and had to be replanted. Apples. A pine tree. A crimson king (Ginger's). An oak and a few ash trees.

    ~String
     
  8. Photizo Ambassador/Envoy Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,519
    "...have you not read what was spoken to you by God:

    I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB?

    He is not the God of the dead but of the living.
    "
     
  9. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    33,264
    To remember what the person that passed away did and what they were like when they were alive. Just because they do not want a "ceremony" they would like to at least be remembered for their life by their friends.
     
  10. CutsieMarie89 Zen Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,485
    I hate funerals, but I've been to three my cousin's father's, my grandfather's, and my godfather's. Only one of which was religious. My cousin's father was a veteran and some guy I believe an officer (he was dressed like one, but I was 9, so I could be wrong). He gave some generic speech about the meaning of the dash in between the date of birth and the date of death. Then they folded up his flag and gave it to my cousin. And that was it.
    My godfather was Jewish and while the memorial was led by a Rabbi who had been a good friend, he did not have a religious funeral. My godfather wrote his own eulogy, which the rabbi read out loud and then he just talked about his own personal memories of my godfather, about who he was and what he did and then some other people did the same. There was no body just a picture. It was nice.
    My grandfather's funeral was religious so the priest talked the whole time, we didn't really get to personalize it, which I thought was kind of sad, but it gave my grandmother peace of mind and closure so :shrug:
     
  11. Medicine*Woman Jesus: Mythstory--Not History! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,346
    *************
    M*W: I'll bring the matches.
     
  12. Medicine*Woman Jesus: Mythstory--Not History! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,346
    *************
    M*W: Last time I heard, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were all deceased. After all, they've been gone a good 5,000 years, so it's about time folks should have done all their grieving.

    Nevertheless, it's a sad thing, because these characters and their god existed only in fiction and in delusional people's heads
     
  13. siledre Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    487
    bless your heart

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  14. Yellow Jacket Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    198

    A few months before my grandmother died, she spoke to me about me attending her funeral, if she should ever die. (I assume now that she knew of her cancer and never told anyone). She said this, "I love you, you love me. I will be dead, not aware if you attended or not. I really don't care if you do attend or not. Honey, it's about you remembering our relationship. It doesn't matter if you show up for my services for a few hours to mourn, I know you will think of me until YOU pass on."

    I did not attend due to conflicts with others and some other personal reasons. This outraged the family. Some still don't speak with me. They felt out of anyone, I should have been there. You see, I was Grandma's favorite, everyone knew that. They didn't know why, but I can tell you. It was because I spent everyday talking to her since I was 9 years old, spent time doing things with her. We were best friends and I didn't need to attend services to remember her. She was right, I remember her almost on a daily basis.

    Cool thing, which I admire, she donated her body to science.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!




    For me, being non religious, I hope any service would be just that. Non religious, more fun, remembering all I have done for others, how I touched others lives. etc. Better be some awesome music playing and lots of laughs. OK, they can remember all the crazy pranks I've pulled over the years too.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  15. Enmos Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    43,184
    Excuse me, but aren't Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all dead?

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  16. Yellow Jacket Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    198
    If "God" spoke, we would not have all these debates of his existence. I, also, did not hear "him" call my name.
    And yes, your point of the God of the living, poor example. They are all dead.:shrug:
     
  17. sandy Banned Banned

    Messages:
    7,926
    Funerals for the godless are empty and horrible. Knowing the deceased is frying in Hell often makes everyone uncomfortable. I was at one once and a family member asked me if it was too late for the dead guy to get into Heaven. I didn't have the guts to tell him 'yes'.
    ...
    My ideal funeral would be to be cremated, have a celebration of my awesome life in my church, and a big party afterwards. I will be missed terribly.:bawl:
     
  18. Mr MacGillivray Banned Banned

    Messages:
    527
    can't we just donate faithless corpses to science? that's what they wanted after all.
     
  19. kenworth dude...**** it,lets go bowling Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    2,034
    i like the idea of burying people with seeds above them,i want to be buried beneath a cherry tree so it can grow fat on my blood and bones!
     
  20. Cellar_Door Whose Worth's unknown Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,310
    I know this isn't directed at me, but I once attended what is known as a 'Green Burial' at Greenhaven Woodland Burial Ground near Rugby.
    This method of burial rejects the use of chemical embalming fluids and non-decomposable coffins, and the body is usually placed in a shroud or a casket made from biodegradable materials. Instead of a gravestone, a tree is planted, resulting in an area almost indistinguishable from a patch of woodland.
    My friend's funeral lacked any reference to the afterlife at all, and in many ways epitomised how the 'faithless' view death. He was not desperate to retain some memory of himself on a faded headstone by a church, but dispose of his own body in a way that had as little impact on the environment as possible.

    EDIT: I see a few people have mentioned this already

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  21. Jozen-Bo The Wheel Spinning King!!! Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,597
    I imagine it would be practical...turn them into plant food...
     
  22. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,199
    sam,

    The same for any funeral without religious content.

    My father died about 10 years ago at age 92, I arranged the cremation and the accompanying formal ceremony. It was solemn with some music I chose that was appropriate for his life. There were about 50 relations and friends. I gave the eulogy that covered all the main events in his life.

    The purpose was to reflect on his life and to remember what he had done, and to recognize the great sadness of the finality of his death. It was an opportunity for family and friends to express their feelings for him. But there were no hymns, prayers, or any references to anything supernatural, mystical, or religious. And no one commented, at least not within my earshot, of the absence of anything religious.

    My mother is now 94 and has rapidly failing health and I suspect I will be arranging something similar, unfortunately fairly soon.
     
  23. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    12,671
    I told my wife I want to donate my body for research.

    So my funeral would be a bunch of students learning something...(although since I believe in science, I don't count as "faithless")
     

Share This Page