by Mr. Falcon 42 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Maybe JWs have more control over this then they realize.
Yes, technically, even by JW standards, a funeral is a family matter.
A family can decide who and what the "talk" will contain.
In the case of funerals, the outline is more of a talking points thing than a document to follow point by point.
Rub a Dub
Rub,
I think some of it has to do with where the funeral takes place. If the memorial service is in a mortuary or in a community center, then I think the family and the speaker have more latitude. But if the service is held in a Kingdom Hall, as my father's was, they have little or no latitude and must go strictly by the outline. The outline even shows something like 5 minutes to discuss the deceased.
JV
I know that this has been posted before, but...well, just watch it and see the cult at work.
I have never heard a song sang at a Witness funeral EVER and I've been to probably a dozen, including my Dad's. I have never been to a Witness funeral that was anything but respectful. The Elder who gave the talk at my Dad's did a great job and when he brought anything out about the Bible, he would preface it with..."This is what Jim believed......" or "Jim was encouraged by this scripture....."
It couldn't have been more tasteful or respectful.
Hey Drew.
I attended several funeral talks in the last few years, including my dad's and at most there was a song at the end. In some cases the words of the song were printed in a memorial "program" given to everyone so that even unbelievers attending can sing along. "Life without end at last"...does that ring a bell? Since everytime this song is used at a meeting my wife walks out of the hall because she no longer can stand earing it and I have to fight back tears...The main objective of any funeral talk is the good witnessing resulting from a tragic event...
NVR2L8
NVR2L8-
I remember that song very well......But I have NEVER heard it played at a funeral......I'm not saying it never happens, but I have never heard it. Perhaps there was music playing in the background, but no one has ever sang at a Witness funeral that I've ever attended. I have heard more songs sang at "worldly" funerals. Usually, just a single person singing, or the deceased favorite song played on CD, or a song they requested to be played at their funeral.
You said: The main objective of any funeral talk is the good witnessing resulting from a tragic event......
I agree that this is true, however I have attended 12 funerals of family members since Dec of '06. 3 were witnesses. By far the most "preachy" was the non witness funerals. My cousin passed away a week and a half ago, and last week, I attended her funeral. She was studying with the witnesses, but her step father is a minister at a church and he arranged to have one of his colleagues give the funeral service. He almost turned it into a revival. He was getting loud and obnoxious and talking about asking Jesus into your life and how he came to find Jesus etc.....It was far more distasteful than any Witness funeral I've attended.
There were two that I attended last year on my wife's side of the family that were "worldly" and they were very good and dignified.
I'm just saying that overall, my experience has been that witness funerals are more tasteful than non witness funerals. I'm sure there are exceptions.
In light of the above post, only one Witness funeral I have attended recently was in the KH. The others were in funeral homes.
My grandparents didn't want my grampa's ashes present at his memorial because it would draw too much undue attention on him.
WTF?!
I said that it was a service especially for him!
He should be the center of attention!
Gramma said that it would detract from the talk, or whatever.
She likened my aunt's urn being present at her memorial as creature worship, even though the urn was on a table in the BACK of the hall!
Unbelievable!
Yes, Life without End at Last was played for a 15 year old girl killed in a bicycle/van accident.
The speaker spoke about her for about 2 minutes. The rest of the time was spent on what she believed, hoped, wanted, strove for, was faithful so she could see it...you get the point.
They are all the same.
A friend of mine passed away a few years ago of cancer - she was in her early 40s. She'd been a Pioneer™ for years, married to a Ministerial Servant™ and they had a couple of children. Her Memorial Service™ took all of 20 minutes.
It probably took people more time to drive to the KH (one way) than it did to wrap up the Memorial Talk™. It made me sooooo angry!!!
Here are a couple, if you can endure them.
Memorial for Ken Vaughan-Hamilton.mp3
Memorial of Ryan Shorb.mp3
