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 Charles Spencer on -
Yea I couldn't say it better myself.
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Permalink Reply by David Henson on -
Jesus thought of death as sleeping. The Bible teaches that when one dies they are not conscious, they are, in effect, well . . . just dead and buried. Until a possible resurrection.
I don't really use the term, nor does it bother me.
I thought it was interesting that you said to you it is an empty phrase. Meaningless, and then later you protest: Don't people get the meaning of it?
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Sutton on -
I feel it's a phrase that has meaning to many many people, but to me it's an empty phrase. It means nothing as death is final. Rational thinkers have the ability to see the facts, but those who use it willy-nilly don't have the ability to see the big picture.
I'm only asking people who use it to really think about what it means to them.
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Permalink Reply by George J Yezik on -
I don't see it as empty. I will agree it is "branded" though. But by my perspective, branded with the meaning " you're in my thoughts". At least everyone should be able to agree on that. Any form of Theist would add to this, saying something along being in a better place. I see it as a final way to show endearment for A loved lost one.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Sutton on
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You sum it up well. It would be nice to hear people say, 'always in our thoughts', as it means so much more & is more true to that person.
I just cannot bring myself to say RIP, even just for comfort to anyone, morally it's wrong for me.
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Permalink Reply by Keith Murphy on -
Rot in Peaces
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Sutton on
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You couldn't be more further from the truth :)
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Permalink Reply by Gallup's Mirror on -
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Sutton on
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Haha :)
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Permalink Reply by Strega on -
I've seen it written on tombstones, but I have not heard it spoken aloud. It sounds like something you might say to describe the apparent sleep of a dead body. Do they use the expression for cremations? It might seem a bit weird if you are burning a body to ashes; to say Rest in peace in those circumstances definitely sounds wrong to me.
I hadn't thought about it until I read your thread topic. Is it really religious? I mean if there is supposed to be a heaven filled with happiness and harps, or whatever the image that religion inspires (72 virgins, for example hardly invites an image of peacefulness), is the religious person expecting any of these activities to be 'resting in peace'? Is there any other way to rest? It is a bizarre expression, but it doesn't seem to evoke any religious thoughts in my head.
When we give platitudes to bereaved people, we say the thing that we think will comfort them. They hear what they want to hear. There probably isn't an expression that we can trot out to resolve any grief, so we tend to resort to 'condolences' and other well-worn expressions.
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on -
Cute!
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