Where Do Atheists Go When They Die ?

barbarians

And no, I don't mean that on a spiritual level, I'm talking on a physical level.

Considering even atheists must die (:P) where does one go ? As in where are they buried ? What arrangements are made for their final goodbye on this land.

Surely such strongly minded atheists would not want a 'traditional' Catholic burial in a Catholic graveyard with Catholic processions (we'll just use Catholic as a default religion, because it is the main one here after all) but what are the other alternatives ?

I know there are places like this which are non-denominational graveyards but unless there was one of these near you it would be a bit of a trek to be buried in of these graveyards.


Are there other plots where people of no religion are buried or what ?


Forgive me if there is a blindingly obvious answer, I honestly don't know and am curious.

barbarians

barbarians wrote: »

And no, I don't mean that on a spiritual level, I'm talking on a physical level.

Considering even atheists must die (:P) where does one go ? As in where are they buried ? What arrangements are made for their final goodbye on this land.

Surely such strongly minded atheists would not want a 'traditional' Catholic burial in a Catholic graveyard with Catholic processions (we'll just use Catholic as a default religion, because it is the main one here after all) but what are the other alternatives ?

I know there are places like this which are non-denominational graveyards but unless there was one of these near you it would be a bit of a trek to be buried in of these graveyards.


Are there other plots where people of no religion are buried or what ?


Forgive me if there is a blindingly obvious answer, I honestly don't know and am curious.

I can only imagine no non-catholics would want this either...

barbarians

bluewolf wrote: »

I can only imagine no non-catholics would want this either...

I know but I was focusing on atheists here rather than other religions. Forgive me if I should have been more specific.

On topic, can you answer the question ?

irishh_bob

barbarians wrote: »

And no, I don't mean that on a spiritual level, I'm talking on a physical level.

Considering even atheists must die (:P) where does one go ? As in where are they buried ? What arrangements are made for their final goodbye on this land.

Surely such strongly minded atheists would not want a 'traditional' Catholic burial in a Catholic graveyard with Catholic processions (we'll just use Catholic as a default religion, because it is the main one here after all) but what are the other alternatives ?

I know there are places like this which are non-denominational graveyards but unless there was one of these near you it would be a bit of a trek to be buried in of these graveyards.


Are there other plots where people of no religion are buried or what ?


Forgive me if there is a blindingly obvious answer, I honestly don't know and am curious.

were i to die before my mother , i know that she would see to it that i was given a full catholic burial , that this would be against my wishes would be irrelevant , as such i have had it written in my will that should i find myself in a box in some cemetery , the solicitor will see to it that my bones are hauled out and i am barbecued and my ashes scattered to the four corners

as for a ceremony , i dont want one , not sure whether that means i need to contact the humanists society or some other secular org , maybe its just a case of paying the crematorioum and wheeling me into the oven

Ickle Magoo

Perhaps I'm missing something but the blindingly obvious answer would be cremation, wouldn't it?

ShooterSF

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

Perhaps I'm missing something but the blindingly obvious answer would be cremation, wouldn't it?

Only after whatever is left of my body science has no need for...

strobe

I think it goes on an atheist by atheist basis Barbarians.

Personally I could not care less really. I suppose it will be up to my next of kin, whoever they are at the time. If they want to bury me in a Catholic cemetery I would not object (ehhh... obviously). Ideally I think I'd prefer if they carve me up and take out anything useful and donate it and then cremate the leftovers and turn them into a synthetic diamond.

JBnaglfar

Can't speak for anyone else, but I want to be cremated after I die. Actually, I will donate my body for medical research. Once my body is no longer useful for research, I wish for it to be cremated.

Dinky22

I don't see why one could not be cremated.

iMax

To be honest it doesn't matter a toss to me. I'll be in the box & if I die before my wife & family (hopefully), whatever they want to do with the remains is their call.

They know & understand my beliefs, but at that time it's whatever brings them comfort that's important. Really not going to affect me at all, is it?

Robert ninja

A lot of atheists in Ireland went through the catholic hoops of baptism, confirmation, communion and all that jazz. Legally, they're catholics and will be able to have their remains taken care of by the church. Well, that's what I think so from my current understanding but I could be wrong.

Since nobody can leave the catholic church anymore (legally) it's close to impossible to unbecome a catholic(making it officially a cult as it always was anyway). Most families in a recession like this won't pass up the chance to have funeral expenses taken care of although I'm not sure if it actually works like that.

barbarians

Ah, cremation.Had forgotten about that. the general consensus seems to be cremation or it doesn't matter to you.

Thanks for the help!

liamw

http://www.humanism.ie/website/ceremonies/celebrating-a-life

iMax

The one proviso I have is that the funeral is not a sad or morbid affair. It's the one damn party I can't make it to, it better be the one I wanted to be at.

swiftblade

I said it on another thread and I will say it again. I don't care what people do with me when I die. They can throw me in a ditch for all I care.
Harsh, but true

Chuck Stone

I pray to God that they'll give me a good athiest burial and have assured them I will haunt them if they don't.

ShooterSF

swiftblade wrote: »

I said it on another thread and I will say it again. I don't care what people do with me when I die. They can throw me in a ditch for all I care.
Harsh, but true

I have played with the idea of an open casket with a puppeteer in the rafters who "brings" me back from the dead at some point or even just to sit up at some point and give a mate a thumbs up before lying back down...

eoin5

I want to be stuffed and be placed in my future children's houses positioned to glare disapprovingly.

c-note

we go to a lake of fire and fry, see us again till the 4th of july;)

robindch

barbarians wrote: »

As in where are they buried ? What arrangements are made for their final goodbye on this land.

Well, if you live in Donegal and happened to be atheist, it seems that you've to leave the country:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/7588035.stm

Roy Greenslade wrote:

He said he was told atheists could not be buried in Donegal because the graveyards are church-owned. [...] "Therefore unless one is willing to compromise one's beliefs by agreeing to a religious service, it is impossible to be buried," he said. "There is a degree of black comedy about this, and my mother, who had a fantastic sense of humour, would certainly have laughed.

"When I rang up and asked Derry City Council's cemeteries department if it was possible to bury an atheist in a municipal cemetery they said it was possible because there were different sections for Catholics, Protestants and Muslims.

"My wife asked if it meant they were going to start an atheist section and the woman said, 'oh no, she can go in with the Protestants'."

flyboy69

There are many graveyards now around the country(apart from Donegal according to robindch;)) that are run by the county councils so a burial service through the church(whatever church that may be) is not a requirement. As a funeral is for the benefit of the living its up to the next of kin really to decide on what format the funeral should take. If the deceased has surviving religious elderly parents then its probably best that a religious service takes place, if only for their benefit. Most atheists won't care anyway.

blacktalons

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I pray to God that they'll give me a good athiest burial and have assured them I will haunt them if they don't.

stirring the ****e are we?:D

krudler

Stuffed and used as a Halloween decoration every year to scare the neighbourhood kids.

johnmcdnl

tbh when I die I wouldn't mind having a Catholic burial especially if it gave my family some comfort...

After all for any of my friends and family who are left I'd not want to take the only bit of comfort away that they have away from them - that I'm after getting a Christian burial and that God will look after my soul..

It won't make a bit of difference to me after all so it'd be selfish of me to take that away from them...

jill_valentine

I intend to go out in some kind of extraordinarily violent visual spectacular, so with any luck, "all over a crowd of startled onlookers" will prove to be the ultimate answer to your question.

Failing that, I don't really mind. My family are very Catholic, so I daresay that's probably how it's going to go, whether I say otherwise now or not.

CerebralCortex

Cryonics seems to be the best option. At least with that option the patterns that make up me aren't destroyed be fire.

MagicMarker

If cremation is your thing then Mount Jerome provide different service types.

As for graves, I'm sure there are plenty of places that provide graves to people of all or no religions, including Mount Jerome (I assume).

krankykitty

I like the idea of the Non Religious ceremony as detailed on that Mount Jerome link. Sounds like it could be very personal and specific to the deceased, rather than the (well meaning) crap that would be talked by a priest about a non religious person who had never stepped foot inside the church while alive.

flyboy69

krankykitty wrote: »

I like the idea of the Non Religious ceremony as detailed on that Mount Jerome link. Sounds like it could be very personal and specific to the deceased, rather than the (well meaning) crap that would be talked by a priest about a non religious person who had never stepped foot inside the church while alive.

+1 It would be the ideal.

fatmammycat

I told my family I wish to be cremated, my ashes swept up, loaded into a blunderbuss and then fired through the doors of the nearest reiki centre by someone yelling 'Heal this MutherF*kers!'

Seems a fitting farewell.

CerebralCortex

Why does everybody want to be cremated or left to rot in the ground?

Dades

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Why does everybody want to be cremated or left to rot in the ground?

Better than being left to rot above ground, no? :pac:

I'd like to be buried in space. Just to imagine what wonders your lifeless body would pass by on it's neverending cruise through the universe is cool. And of course you'd be boldly going where no man has gone before.

Beruthiel

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Why does everybody want to be cremated or left to rot in the ground?

Not everyone is as obsessed with being frozen as you.

CerebralCortex

Beruthiel wrote: »

Not everyone is as obsessed with being frozen as you.

But people would prefer to be alive over dead? However small the chance, that's gone with cremation with great certainty, unless you believe we live in a simulation.

CerebralCortex

Dades wrote: »

Better than being left to rot above ground, no? :pac:

I'd like to be buried in space. Just to imagine what wonders your lifeless body would pass by on it's neverending cruise through the universe is cool. And of course you'd be boldly going where no man has gone before.

I'd prefer to do it lifeful.

Dades

CerebralCortex wrote: »

I'd prefer to do it lifeful.

Yes, well the logistics of sending a live person on an eternal cruise through the universe (and keeping them live) are a little more complicated than popping your corpse into a capsule and blasting it out earth's gravitational embrace.

Let's not be greedy here.

ShooterSF

CerebralCortex wrote: »

But people would prefer to be alive over dead? However small the chance, that's gone with cremation with great certainty, unless you believe we live in a simulation.

I dunno. Assuming it could work, It's hard to keep up with trends as you get older never mind if you skip a few generations. Also I am pretty sure none of my friends would go for it as they are nearly all believers in an afterlife and without them life would be pretty sucky.

Edit- Also what kind of job could you expect to do as any skills most people have will be antiquated? There's a lot of issues here..

CerebralCortex

ShooterSF wrote: »

I dunno. Assuming it could work, It's hard to keep up with trends as you get older never mind if you skip a few generations. Also I am pretty sure none of my friends would go for it as they are nearly all believers in an afterlife and without them life would be pretty sucky.

Edit- Also what kind of job could you expect to do as any skills most people have will be antiquated? There's a lot of issues here..

Ya better to be burned than experience the wonders of technological advancement

kylith

There are many community cemetaries around which take people of all faiths and none, grave yards are not the sole preserve of churches.

There are several other options such as cremation or, my own favourite, being buried in an orchard and having a tree planted on you.

My mother's become fond of both wringing her hands and going "What will I do if you die?" (Answer: "I don't care, I'll be dead") and muttering "We'll have to twist you into the ground like a corkscrew to bury you". So I told her to stick me in a cardboard box and throw me in a ditch.

ShooterSF

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Ya better to be burned than experience the wonders of technological advancement

Yeah well what if skynet is invented first and it brings you back to life to work as a slave? Never thought of that one did you :P

Beruthiel

ShooterSF wrote: »

Yeah well what if skynet is invented first and it brings you back to life to work as a slave? Never thought of that one did you :P

CerebralCortex, the next T1000.

Damokc

all that came into my head when I saw the thread heading was...
They don't go to heaven where the angels fly
Go to a lake of fire and fry
See them again 'till the Fourth of July

dlofnep

I wanna be blasted off into space on a rocket

wnolan1992

Personally, I'd like a wake the same as Catholics, assuming I still have friends and family left when I die. Then I'd like to have all my organs donated to science, be cremated and scattered over the ocean somewhere.

That said, if I die before my parents, or if I were married to someone of deep religious belief, I assume I'd get a traditional Catholic burial. As I don't believe in an afterlife(even though it's a nice idea that I would like to be able to believe), then it makes little difference to me really.

mikhail

Dades wrote: »

Yes, well the logistics of sending a live person on an eternal cruise through the universe (and keeping them live) are a little more complicated than popping your corpse into a capsule and blasting it out earth's gravitational embrace.

Let's not be greedy here.

Live? That's silly. Frozen, now, that's entirely more like it.

Dades wrote: »

Better than being left to rot above ground, no? :pac:

I'd like to be buried in space. Just to imagine what wonders your lifeless body would pass by on it's neverending cruise through the universe is cool. And of course you'd be boldly going where no man has gone before.

Venture Bros. beat you to it.


James Doohan (Star Trek's Scotty) had some of his ashes sent into space. Nothing that escaped orbit, mind, but still a fitting end for a man who's probably inspired as many people to be engineers as anyone.

BrerWolf

I was hoping to sell my body to science, but that's apparently illegal.

Ah well, I'll have to donate it so...

Zillah

My plan is to become disgustingly wealthy and before my death arrange for a managed trust fun to oversee my frozen remains, awaiting the day that technology has advanced to the point where I can be ressurected.

So in answer to the original question, I will go into a subterranean vault.

CerebralCortex

Zillah wrote: »

My plan is to become disgustingly wealthy and before my death arrange for a managed trust fun to oversee my frozen remains, awaiting the day that technology has advanced to the point where I can be ressurected.

So in answer to the original question, I will go into a subterranean vault.

I will join you in that venture!

Zillah

I'm thinking once I'm rich enough it could be an interesting thesis project to assign to some graduate students. They'd have to account for long term survivability of the trust, accounting for climate change, economic collapse and the potential of revolution and war. Even with, say, a hundred million euro, it could be difficult to future proof a single person sized freezer. I'm guessing it's going to need to survive for at least one hundred years, but more likely two or three before there is any feasibility of complete recovery (ideally with a new body and cybernetically enhanced brain). The benefit of the trust is that you'll be using your own funding for the venture, thereby overcoming many objections the people of the time might have about the morality of bringing back the dead at great expense. I also don't feel comfortable trusting any of the current corporations doing cryonics, they have no vested interest in long term viability of the project.

I'm not even joking. Not one bit. Also, pay attention religious people, because shit like this is the only chance anyone has at any sort of immortality.

Naikon

Athlone.

Gordon

Not sure if cremation or worm food is better for the environment, probably worm food, or fish food.