Burying the dead atheist.... how does it work?
Ive been to a few funerals and they've always been in a church, but thats not my thing! When my family and friends die, I dont want to be sat in an artificial house surrounded by gargoyles and images of an artificial lord that has never existed listening to a deluded priest who has never even met the recently deceased! So how does an atheist bury a fallen soldier! Is there a practise in today's world for such a sorry occasion???
If not, isnt it about time we thought up such an idea?
Also, what would you like to be done with your dead remains? Personally, I'd like to be given away to science. Im pretty sure that science has a purpose ay? ;-)
Tags: death
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rich on -
Sounds similar to a buddhist funeral. It was good that those around him catered for that. Thanks for sharing.
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Permalink Reply by Edward Nygma on -
I want hooks to be threaded through my flesh so I can be strung up in a puppet show.
After that, I want to be the main course at a funerary banquet in my honor.
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Permalink Reply by Jared on -
Hmm I was thinking of having my ashes baked into things to be served at the services with people told at the end that they will always have a part of me to carry around since I was baked into those wonderful lemon bars and the bananna bread.
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Permalink Reply by Ash Pryce on -
My partners mother died 2 years ago and she wasn't religious or a believer in any way so we opted for a Humanist ceremony. It had to be held in the chapel simply because it was connected to the crematorium but all symbols that were even slightly religious were covered by the chapel themselves for us. We also didn't have prayers or hymns and (she was a musician back in the 60s) her songs were played as the coffin came in and went down into the crem.
Instead of everyone singing a hymn one of her old friends got out a guitar and we all sang one of her songs. Then an old band mate played one of her songs at the point when you'd usually have another prayer read by the priest.
My partner read out a piece she'd written about her mum and everyone actually enjoyed it. no one wore black (as per request) and when we came out of the chapel the next funeral (clearly a religious one) was waiting to go in and gave the look of evil at all of us smiling, laughing and dressed in brght colours.
we then went on for a party and, as I say she was a musician in a folk band, so loads of folks singers were at the wake and they had a jamming session and we all drank whisky.
I've been to religious church funerals and I think people cry more because they're boring as sin! It was an amazing experience with old friends and such a happy, appreciative feel to everything. We celebrated her mothers life. Really, truly celebrated it.
Now THAT'S how you do a funeral!
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Permalink Reply by Cody Robinson on -
I think donating to science is a great option. However, there are tons of alternative ways to dispose of of a deceased atheist. You can always do a natural burial where you just bury your body straight into the ground without any chemicals. My favorite option thus far is a company that will put your ashes into a pot and you can then plant a tree seed in the pot and a ring at the base serves as a headstone. As for the funeral? I'm sure there are a lot of places that will accommodate an atheist funeral.
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Permalink Reply by T A A on -
Cremation followed by a private party :)
Burials in sealed caskets I have never considered an appropriate way (unless contaminated) of disposing of bodies. Cremation makes much more sense. Now there are also 'ecological' burials, where you can do the whole 'earth to earth' thing, which I find acceptable. I thought the TV series 6-foot Under did a great job of addressing this issue.
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Permalink Reply by Christopher Leon Bogardus on -
my family has a private cemitary so i dont know much about funerals it always happens at a private home
but me personally im giveing myself to science id rather help the future of people than just rot in a grave and be useless after i die
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Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on
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Permalink Reply by T A A on
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This is a wonderful process, but it requires no fancy casket and no embalming. Not too many people doing that nowadays in the West.
Did you see the film Departures (2010), a lovely Japanese film about their own funeral rituals, very interesting, which won the 2009 Oscar for best foreign language film.
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Permalink Reply by Helen Pluckrose on -
Hi. I am in the UK and Humanist funerals are quite common. Here is the BHA info on them.
http://www.humanism.org.uk/ceremonies/humanist-funerals-memorials
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