In a JW funeral, a brief mention of the deceased such as: "She served Jehovah faithfully for 25 years" is enough to call it a "personalized" funeral talk...
However, 99% of it is merely a Watchtower Corporation recruitment talk. Nothing has changed.
Baffling comment by my JW parents about non-witness funeral
by joyfulfader 31 Replies latest jw experiences
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Giordano
The JW funeral is one of the worst going. Of course in India the wife sometimes throws herself on the funeral pyre. I guess that would be a tad bit worse.
I've been to four JW funerals in forty years, nothing changes, 5 minutes for the deceased......... everything else is an explanation about JW beliefs. Of course most in attendance are JW's the wordlies just sit there and take it.
Then they always bring up Lazarus as 'evidence' of the resurrection. I always thought it was a con. Knock out drops, carry him to a cave.......... in a day or so Jesus enters stage right goes into the cave and wakes Lazarus up. Lazarus celebrates by making wild love to his mate or mates. If that happened, by the way, there is hope for the newly erected I mean resurrected.
I went to a Catholic Funeral service a couple of weeks ago......how was it you asked? Stand, sit, stand and sit about 20 times. Respond 8 or 9 times. Smoke and bells. I started coughing when the smoke blew my way. They also had music through out the service. It sounded like a Broadway musical at times, that was enjoyable but the Priest couldn't carry a tune, however the other singer was classically trained and she was well worth the siting and standing.
On reflection thinking about the entire JW construct including the funeral aspect I don't know if they could be any more embarrassing if they tried. What a mind numbing religion.
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Ding
It sounds like Jwfader's parents heard a different spin that I have.
I thought the company line was that worldly people exalt the person who died whereas JWs exalt Jehovah...
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BluesBrother
Apparently when you are "in" the recruitment edge of the talk is not even noticed.
I guess so....The format of the meetings is so familiar that it is all normal. They would never allow a family member ,especially female , to say anything about the deceased. I went to a J W cremation recently. It was the straight outline talk. I learned nothing about the deceased "sister" of many years standing. But it is what they want - let them get on with it.
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respectful_observer
Ugh...that reminds me of two recent funerals.
One was an elderly (non-JW) relative. After the funeral mass, one of my JW relatives got in the car and said "What a sad funeral. So impersonal! The priest only seemed to care about delivering the typical Catholic Mass." I responded "What are you talking about?! Sure, it was mass, but the priest spent almost 20 min talking about him, what kind of person he was, his family members. He spent more time talking about him than any JW memorial talk outline calls for. Aside from the mass, it was one of the nicest funeral talks I've heard!" That observation went over like lead balloon. They knew I was right, so they just clammed up and pouted all through the wake.
The other was a JW funeral. The sister died young, suddenly. Lots of co-workers attended the funeral talk, which predictably followed the JW "sales pitch". Afterward, an elder and his wife sitting next to me turned to one of her co-workers and said, "Wasn't that such a nice service?" The co-workers response: "Actually, I'm a little appalled. I knew she was a Jehovah's Witness, but what I liked so much about her is that she didn't preach to all of us at work, or force anything down our throats. I'm sure she'd be appalled that her church was trying to convert people at her own funeral! This is the most offensive funeral I've ever been to." The elder and his wife, blushed and quickly ended the conversation without disclosing they were Jehovah's Witnesses themselves.
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Quarterback
The recent JW funeral talks are starting to get better, I'd have to admit. The older ones that I've heard seemed to be an exploitation of the moment to give a preaching message.
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joyfulfader
Although i am a fader, i have changed my will to specify that i do not want a JW funeral. I in no way want to be used as a recruitment tool upon my death. i already feel bad enough for preaching to the countless people i did over the years as a publisher and long time pioneer. I wont be used ever again.
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laverite
Good for you, Joyfulfader. LOVE that username, by the way!!
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joyfulfader
Thanks laverite :)
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jws
Well, joyfulfader, at least your parents attended the services. My father went to the viewing of his non-JW brother, but left before the Lutheran services began. It was noticed by the non-JW members who were a little offended by his actions. My brother and I were praised for being there. Dad never said why he didn't go, but he was like that about things that had to do with other religions. Really? You can go door to door and talk to people with other beliefs, but you can't listen to a minister tell you his? How strong is your faith? Of course, it could be that he just had enough of being around people and wanted to grieve in private. He was an emotional guy.
At my father's funeral, it sounded just like the outline. I remember very little of personal experiences. Who his wife is, how long he was married, etc. The stuff you'd find in the obituary. Then when he became a JW and then the sales pitch. My father was a JW who was well known and well liked. He served on almost every hall building until he got too old. A real loving guy, but not much came through in their talk. No matter, we who knew him already knew him.
Afterwards, they had a gathering and rented out a hall at a park. Lots of people. Some of his tools on display (he was a carpenter). WAY better than the memorial service. But I still got the sales pitch so to speak. People who would tell me that my father would want to see me in the new world or that my father would want me to be a JW. Which I know. It broke my heart to disappoint him, but I had to be true. And these people were sincere, close friends of my dad's, people who knew me since I was born. Not some new elder I've never met trying to sales-pitch me. So somehow, I wasn't as offended.