It's The Coffin They Carry You Off In Alone.

by Englishman 3 Replies latest jw friends

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    It's becoming quite trendy in the UK for JW's to attend funerals when there is no body there.

    I mean it folks, literally no body - no corpse, no coffin / casket call it what you will.

    Before my own father died some years back, he and some of his witness friends left instructions that, when they died, their body was to be quietly disposed of by the undertakers, preferably by cremation, with no-one else present.

    And that's what happened. My father died one Tuesday morning and by Saturday he had been cremated. On Saturday afternoon there was a JW meeting that mentioned him briefly and then lots of enthusiastic pro-witness stuff that totally bewildered the non-dub relatives that were present. Being DF'd, kid brother and I were totally ignored at this "half 'n half" funeral without a body. Since then this type of "funeral" has become very common place in the UK, many JW's think that it is much less morbid.

    Now I gotta tell you Dubs that this is a very unsatisfactory way to say goodby to your loved ones! No closure, and Dubs dont shed tears because its only a temporary parting, right? Wrong!

    I'd be interested to know if anyone else has attended some weird witness funerals. Oh yes, when I die I want lots of flowers and Verdi's Va Pensiero being performed by the Royal Opera before my being interred in Westminster Abbey. I dont intend to go anywhere quietly!

    Englishman.

    ..... fanaticism masquerading beneath a cloak of reasoned logic.

  • Kent
    Kent
    Oh yes, when I die I want lots of flowers and Verdi's Va Pensiero being performed by the Royal Opera before my being interred in Westminster Abbey. I dont intend to go anywhere quietly!

    Well, English - when I go, I really hope there will be a huge party. A rock band playing, plenty of booze and beer - and that friends can have a good time remembering someone that tried to be allive when he lived!

    Yakki Da

    Kent

    "The only difference between a fool and the JW legal department is that a fool might be sympathetic ."

    Daily News On The Watchtower and the Jehovah's Witnesses:
    http://watchtower.observer.org

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost

    For some years now Jehovah's loving organisation has "encouraged' the conducting of memorial services without a coffin present. As you mention this is so that all the persons attending are 'saved' from getting upset. It's true! Most unsusual now to see a coffin in a Kingdom Hall. That's now viewed as 'worldly'.

    The Funeral Talk outline (S-32) has these footnoted instructions: "Instead of eulogizing the deceased, use the material in this outline to give a fine witness concerning the truth. Good balance should be observed in this respect. Doctrinal points can be presented as beliefs of the deceased, which served as motivation for him. Purpose of talk is to uphold Jehovah God as a God of love and mercy and at the same time bring comfort to the bereaved."
    "Use of a song....is optional."
    "A brief prayer at the close is fitting" (Note that this is the only prayer given!)
    "The talk need not exceed 30 minutes."

    The outline has 4 main points, Remarks regarding the deceased, The Hope the deceased entertained, Why it is good to go to house of mourning, and How we can benefit from being here.

    The first point i.e. Remarks concerning the deceased, is usually very short. Don't want to get in the way of a good story, eh?

    Incidentally, I've enquired as to the form of funeral services in other churches. What a difference! And they're supposed to be the apostates!!

    Cheers,
    Ozzie

    "There are two ways of moving men, interest and fear" Napoleon

  • Mommie Dark
    Mommie Dark

    Funerals are barbaric horrible things! I hated going to funerals as a kid, seeing the corpse all made up & dressed up. Old people trying to get kids to 'kiss Aunt Minnie goodbye so you won't miss her so much'!!!!!! Taking photos of the corpse...

    CREEP ME OUT! I say burn that dead meat ASAP and bury the ashes with a sapling for remembrance. Then PARTY ON DUDES!!!! And let the wake last as long as humanly possible. NO CORPSEVIEWING!!! GROSS PERVERSE SICK CUSTOM!!!!!

    Funerals and coffins and embalming are a huge waste of money. My family knows when I bite the big one they better haul my ass to the firepit in a cardboard box and send the ashes home in a tin can. I'll be LONG GONE by then so why should my beloved family have to shell out $$$ to house my fat carcass while it rots? Better they spend that cash on something nice for the living. Maybe a nice vacation for darling Papa...

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