R.I.P What Does it Mean to You?
I cannot get my head around people who use this term, & often look at them with a confused expression when I hear 'rest in peace'. What do people mean by this, & why do they feel they need to say it?
To me & probably all of you, its an empty phrase, meaningless. But still, its branded about more than Angry Birds.
How do you feel with this phrase? & how do you react to it socially? Are you offended by it? Have you never really thought about it?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Natasha on -
I never use the term as it has religious connotations to me. It's almost like agreeing with the notion that there is a heaven and an afterlife, that they should now be peaceful. Funnily enough, my hubby uses it and he is as big an atheist as me, I don't think he has ever thought about it. Obviously I have!
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Sutton on -
This is the reason I brought up this point, you & your husband are a perfect example of this. But there are many others who just dont understand the actual meaning behind it, & just say/use the phrase. Which is quite sad.
Is this where we are, our species? Wishing the dead to rest peacefully?
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Permalink Reply by RobertPiano on -
To me it simply means the fight against entropy has been lost.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Sutton on
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What more can I say to that? :D
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Permalink Reply by Dale Headley on -
No, I haven't.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Sutton on
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Do you ever use the term?
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Permalink Reply by Lord Mark Lunn on -
I haven't really gave it any thought, but I only use it if someone has had a very difficult death I don't mean it to be religious in any way. It's the final thing I can say about a person after they are gone. Peace is the final stage of any body's existence. In life I would say that other saying "live long and prosper" and in death it's "rest in peace" without any reference to afterlife
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Sutton on
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When our heart stops & our brain dies, thats it. in terms of resting, its pretty final.
I never use it to be honest, & I know people who use it, write it & believe it. Yet, have they really thought about the meaning, & if not resting in peace, what?
With no proof an anything, we might as well just say 'rest in jam'.
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Permalink Reply by Marc Poulin on -
It doesn't offend me, but if I were to lose someone close to me and someone started with the "He/she is with God now" I would probably lose my shit.
RIP means as much to me as 'I'll pray for you'; Diddly squat.
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on -
I'm dead, I don't have to get up anymore.
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Permalink Reply by James on -
The term doesn't bother me, and doesn't feel overtly religious to me. It doesn't get much more peaceful than death. To me it says that the person is free of the toils of everyday life (or free of the painful final days), rather than a conscious peaceful rest in an afterlife.
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Permalink Reply by matt.clerke on -
+1 to this response.... says everything I wanted to say. Thanks, James.
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