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I ask that question because while sitting at a Christian funeral in a 1st Christian Church the other day I got to wondering what they could talk about at one of those things. In this one two ministers went on and on about how great the man had been. I just had to wonder what atheists do in comparison.
I have never been to an "atheist" funeral per se, Roy, but I have gone to funerals for people who aren't particularly religious. Bible passages were read, but they were pretty generic and the sermon was pretty generic too -- lots of bland references to peace and what not.
Sorry to hear you were at a funeral. I hope it wasn't someone you were very close to.
The same thing without religious representatives like priests, imums and whatnot. Everyone gets together and talks about how great (or bad) the person was and says their final goodbyes.
Get off your high horse, Roy. I thought surely you had more intelligence despite your Beck worship.
This is more of a question for the religious forum anyways.
I ask that question because while sitting at a Christian funeral in a 1st Christian Church the other day I got to wondering what they could talk about at one of those things. In this one two ministers went on and on about how great the man had been. I just had to wonder what atheists do in comparison.
Since , unlike christians, atheists are individuals, they do things as they please, not TO please.
They don't need PAID people to talk about them. IF they have a memorial service anyone they , or their survivors, want may speak.
They may not have a service at all....or they may have a blow out bash
(I sure hope they CELEBRATE my life with a wild party...I may even have it BEFORE I kick the bucket like my Aunt did!)
Not all Atheists are the same, so one would assume every "Atheist funeral" is unique.
In 2008 one of my non-religious (secular Jewish) friends passed away, so I'll humor you with explaining how things went... and since he died slowly from a persistent brain tumor, these were explicit wishes written out before he became terminal. His wishes were to be cremated without ceremony, and then for his ashes to be scattered in the Pacific Ocean - followed by an informal memorial if friends/family wanted it. So about a week after his passing, we all gathered at his brother's home for food and story-sharing. A handful of people stood up and talked, saying a variety of things but mostly just sharing fond memories. It was very personal with no "pomp and circumstance," which was exactly how he'd have wanted it.
Oh yeah, and when my Atheist-but-culturally-Jewish "godfather" (more like an Uncle) died that same month, he actually had a traditional Jewish/Military funeral... but his wife later told me he only chose that cemetery for the view, and a ceremony was part of the package.
I have never been to an "atheist" funeral per se, Roy, but I have gone to funerals for people who aren't particularly religious. Bible passages were read, but they were pretty generic and the sermon was pretty generic too -- lots of bland references to peace and what not.
Sorry to hear you were at a funeral. I hope it wasn't someone you were very close to.
Many Christians don't have the normal funeral. My brother, who was one of the best Christians most of his people had ever known, had a celebration of life which was the first one of those I had heard of. It was far enough away and my sister-in-law was sure the church would be overflowing so she just sent me a tape of the whole thing.
Don was the best informed member of the church concerning Bible parts according to the minister who said they always called him when they had a problem with any part. Instead of reading a lot of passages from the Bible they had sheets published with different passages he had written in his Bible and the things he used each one to make things easier for him.
Not a funeral but it took a very long time for all the people who wanted to talk about him and what he had meant in their lives. Most of the speakers were young people from the 20+ ones who were in his Sunday school class along with many up to 40 who had moved on to other classes. Every nook and cranny inside the Akron, Oh church was crammed with people and the overflow filled the church yard.
I am sure I got more out of listening to the tape than I would have from being there since I knew only his immediate family members. We liked that way of doing it so much that we had a very small normal funeral and then did the other part for my father 3 years later.
I know how I think an atheist could be remembered but have never been to a remembering period for them.
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