A question for atheists??

Tim Robbins

woodoo wrote: »

We see a fair bit of abuse directed towards Catholics and religious people here on boards. But how many of you atheists have truly divorced yourselves from religion and the church.

How many of you claim to be an atheist but will still be seen walking down the isle of their local church to get married? How many will be seen carrying their child into the church to get baptised and most tellingly of all. How many of you when you die will be carried into the church in a coffin for your own funeral mass and then be brought to the cemetery. Where a priest will oversee you lowered into the ground?

That is gross hypocrisy. How many of you have made efforts to leave the Church and let your local priest know you are now an atheist and do not want any involvement whatsoever with the church, including all the services offered.

For those that have contacted your local priest/church and the archbishop and the Vatican how will you be buried, married etc?

1. Didn't baptise kids but my wife brings them occasionally to the church of ireland.
2. Got married in unitarian church. My wife is like an agnostic protestant.
3. Don't do Godfather or readings at weddings.

Can you tell us what difficult decisions you have made in your own life or do you behave like a hypocrite when there is some benefit in doing so?

Lingua Franca

Dades wrote: »

Before people jump in quoting the first post, the OP has clarified that this question was originally meant for a more general audience.

It's still intended to cause offence and p*ss people off, no matter where he had to move it to. No wonder it was closed in AH.

Misty Moon

Tim Robbins wrote: »

3. Don't do Godfather or readings at weddings.

This reminds me of my uncle's funeral last year. Since he was also my godfather, my cousin grabbed me just after I arrived to make sure I was one of the godchildren and ask if I'd do a prayer of the faithful. I (jokingly, mostly) asked if she was sure they wouldn't mind a bit auld atheist doing one. She looked at me like I had two heads and a few minutes later handed me a bit of paper with my bit on it and told me I could do that one because it was for the people at the hospital so "it's not a religious one".

My uncle was one of the sweetest, kindest, lovliest men you'd ever meet and he was devoutly catholic, Mass every week (which you dressed up for, mind!), rosary every day, etc., I did it for him and just put my own feelings aside for the day. I do, however, find it increasingly difficult to attend christenings. Like by being there I'm helping to perpetuate it all. Luckily for me most of my friends have done very small parents and siblings only affairs.

iguana

Misty Moon wrote: »

This reminds me of my uncle's funeral last year. Since he was also my godfather, my cousin grabbed me just after I arrived to make sure I was one of the godchildren and ask if I'd do a prayer of the faithful. I (jokingly, mostly) asked if she was sure they wouldn't mind a bit auld atheist doing one. She looked at me like I had two heads and a few minutes later handed me a bit of paper with my bit on it and told me I could do that one because it was for the people at the hospital so "it's not a religious one".

My uncle was one of the sweetest, kindest, lovliest men you'd ever meet and he was devoutly catholic, Mass every week (which you dressed up for, mind!), rosary every day, etc., I did it for him and just put my own feelings aside for the day. I do, however, find it increasingly difficult to attend christenings. Like by being there I'm helping to perpetuate it all. Luckily for me most of my friends have done very small parents and siblings only affairs.

I did a reading at my uncle's funeral a couple of years ago. My grandmother was devastated by the loss of her son and as she is religious I did it to give her comfort as a huge amount of that side of my family is atheist/non-religious and it was a struggle to get someone willing to do it. However I thought I'd be able to find a nice reading that said something comforting but the sheet of potential readings was full of really creepy passages that just don't say anything relevant. I looked online for better suggestions but they were all awful so I just went for the shortest one.