What do atheists and agnostics typically do for their funeral services?

tootired2care 13 years ago

In contemplating my current beliefs in life right now, it occured to me that my views as an agnostic would probably make for a strange funeral service if my friends and family were to have one. Strange in that most funeral services always have some mention of god, and some religious context with afterlife explanations. has anyone ever been to a non-religious funeral service for someone who was atheist or agnostic and what was it like? Discuss.

Here is how I would want to go out, on a burning pyre Viking style.

Or this would be fine too.

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Sapphy 13 years ago

Agnostic, atheist funerals are usually about the person that died. Usually a friend reads something that the dead friend especially liked. Other friends or family members speak about their favourite memories of the person etc. Just like other funerals but without the 'they're not really dead' bit.

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dgp 13 years ago

I'm afraid atheists and agnostics are very different people and they won't all choose to go the same way.

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tootired2care 13 years ago

I'm afraid atheists and agnostics are very different people and they won't all choose to go the same way.

That is a good point. I'd be interested to know of experiences of both. The atheists and agnostics are relatively new movements and it would be good to know what the expectations are for end of life arrangements.

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Flat_Accent 13 years ago

An atheist funeral would be nice, i'd imagine. Staying clear of the theological stuff, just talking about the person. The witness funerals i've been to were just another chance to squeeze in more crap about everlasting life and hope for the dead, the person came second. Always.

Heck, at the burial of my aunt's ashes (who was never a witness), my father (the only witness on that side of the family) spent a good 10 minutes telling them about how she was going to be resurrected and armageddon wasn't far off. I was so irritated that he had to bring in religion.. not even HER religion but HIS. Completely unnecessary and disrespectful. I'd have thought the same even if I was still a dub.

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Finkelstein 13 years ago

I've been to a couple and they were just a social gathering of friends and relatives , usually over at someone's house.

Retrospectively I think the person who died, probably would have wanted it just that way.

As its been mentioned already, the JWS funeral service is mostly about expressing and supporting their own doctrines,

a 30 minute JWS infomercial if you will.

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tootired2care 13 years ago

Flat Accent - I know if always bothered me too, how they use peoples deaths as a sales tool.

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tootired2care 13 years ago

Finkelstein - So was there any eulogy given?

I think it would be appropriate in eulogies for those that have lived their lives in such a way, to state something about the courage it took in ones life to stand against the religious dogma of their day IMHO.

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