Do Atheists have different funerals to religious people?

pgj2015

I was baptized catholic but do not believe in god, and never go to mass, if I get married it will not be in a church, If I have kids they won't be baptized. also I don't want a priest talking at my funeral so can you bypass the whole church funeral bit most people seem to go through?

murpho999

Yes: I have heard of funerals going straight from funeral to graveyard without any religious people involved

Perhaps you should look up the Humanist Asscociation of Ireland who also conduct funerals.

Info here.

I was at atheist funeral in Imma a few years back. It was exactly the same as a church funeral except all the god stuff was replaced with people talking about the deceased. It was wonderful.

pgj2015

Deleted User wrote: »

I was at atheist funeral in Imma a few years back. It was exactly the same as a church funeral except all the god stuff was replaced with people talking about the deceased. It was wonderful.

sounds good, most funerals i have been to spend about 2 hours talking about religion and 1 minute talking about the deceased, i prefer hearing stories about the deceased not a made up god.

kneemos

You get buried in the Protestant section.

tomwaterford

kneemos wrote: »

You get buried in the Protestant section.

Facing down the way.......just in case like

gipi

Most cemeteries are considered consecrated or blessed ground - non- religious burials may have to look for a non-religious burial ground.

murpho999

gipi wrote: »

Most cemeteries are considered consecrated or blessed ground - non- religious burials may have to look for a non-religious burial ground.

Really don't think this is always true as many are council owned and you just buy your plot.

meeeeh

gipi wrote: »

Most cemeteries are considered consecrated or blessed ground - non- religious burials may have to look for a non-religious burial ground.

Why. If you don't believe in God then why should you believe in blessing.

Anyway I've been to quite a few but not in Ireland. Some some can be a bit bare but then where I come from we really aren't great story tellers.

Merrion

If you are an atheist why not donate your body to medical science (as I have asked to do) - you're not going to be using it anyway.

MadDog76

I don't like the sound of these "new" funerals ........ will there still be drinking afterwards?

murpho999

pgj2015 wrote: »

sounds good, most funerals i have been to spend about 2 hours talking about religion and 1 minute talking about the deceased, i prefer hearing stories about the deceased not a made up god.

Can't stand religious funeral stuff.
Especially things like 'Month's Mind' or anniversary masses. Just normal masses that have the equivalent of a request list read out at the end, for the usual fee of course. I don't get how people get comfort out of it or find it important.
Just seems like social conditioning caused by religion makes it happen.

murpho999

Merrion wrote: »

If you are an atheist why not donate your body to medical science (as I have asked to do) - you're not going to be using it anyway.

You will still be handed back after a year or so and then require a funeral. Have you really donated your body to science, doesn't sound like it!

AtomicHorror

Merrion wrote: »

If you are an atheist why not donate your body to medical science (as I have asked to do) - you're not going to be using it anyway.

Still need to have a funeral though...

Zen65

pgj2015 wrote: »

I was baptized catholic but do not believe in god, and never go to mass, if I get married it will not be in a church, If I have kids they won't be baptized. also I don't want a priest talking at my funeral so can you bypass the whole church funeral bit most people seem to go through?

Yes - I've been to a few secular funerals and found them to be far more meaningful and moving than religious funerals. Some church cemeteries may not welcome your coffin for burial, but public cemeteries will. Personally I have found some funerals to be repugnant affairs, with priests making statements about the deceased's religious beliefs which were patently untrue, and frankly irrelevant. I may be just getting tetchy in my middle age though.

Cathy.C

pgj2015 wrote: »

sounds good, most funerals i have been to spend about 2 hours talking about religion and 1 minute talking about the deceased, i prefer hearing stories about the deceased not a made up god.

I've never been to a funeral where people spent two hours talking about religion and only one minute about the deceased, even ones full of religious nuts.

Any funeral that I have ever been to people always focused on the passing of the deceased.

kneemos

murpho999 wrote: »

Really don't think this is always true as many are council owned and you just buy your plot.

Rural churches will have their own graveyards.
Urban graveyards are council run and open to all comers . Don't know if it's still the case but I have heard of segregation in graveyards.

Merrion

AtomicHorror wrote: »

Still need to have a funeral though...

Nope - they do a cremation afterwards and return the ashes to whoever is nominated.

darkpagandeath

Spring loaded coffin so when time team did you up ... Surprise !

AtomicHorror

Merrion wrote: »

Nope - they do a cremation afterwards and return the ashes to whoever is nominated.

And then? Usually, some sort of gathering of friends and family to dispose of the ashes or to bury them. Sometimes, officiated by someone. You can call that something other than a funeral, I suppose. I'll call it a funeral though.

AtomicHorror

darkpagandeath wrote: »

Spring loaded coffin so when time team did you up ... Surprise !

I intend to be cremated, but I like this idea. Instead, I'll rig a sort of ghoulish confetti cannon.

MadDog76 wrote: »

I don't like the sound of these "new" funerals ........ will there still be drinking afterwards?

Technically, there could be drinking during... there are no rules in this new order.

pgj2015

gipi wrote: »

Most cemeteries are considered consecrated or blessed ground - non- religious burials may have to look for a non-religious burial ground.

I will be getting cremated any way so won't need to be buried.

kneemos

Do they filter Crematorium smoke or let human ash into the atmosphere?

pgj2015

Merrion wrote: »

If you are an atheist why not donate your body to medical science (as I have asked to do) - you're not going to be using it anyway.

I am an organ donor so hopefully my organs will be given to people who need them, but don't fancy giving my body to medial science.

lonestargirl

This wild graveyard is a really lovely peaceful non-religious site.

http://www.greengraveyard.com/index.php/woodbrook

Kidchameleon

pgj2015 wrote: »

also I don't want a priest talking at my funeral

Youll be dead. I doubt youll give a sh*te who talks at your funeral

pgj2015 wrote: »

If I have kids they won't be baptized.

Unless they evetually decide for themselves to be baptised

murpho999

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Youll be dead. I doubt youll give a sh*te who talks at your funeral



Unless they evetually decide for themselves to be baptised

That's the way it should be for everyone.
Communion and confirmation should only be for adults too.

pgj2015

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Youll be dead. I doubt youll give a sh*te who talks at your funeral

I would care, I wouldn't want anyone thinking I believed in god or religion of any kind. its the same as people wanting to be cremated, yes you are dead but you still should have a say in what happens your body after you die.

Unless they evetually decide for themselves to be baptised

ya well that will be up to themselves.

bpmurray

pgj2015 wrote: »

I am an organ donor so hopefully my organs will be given to people who need them, but don't fancy giving my body to medial science.

Why on earth not? If you're willing to donate your organs which are usually only useful while you're young, why not contribute your body to a bunch of med students who will laugh at the size of your willy/use your guts as a skipping rope/some other outlandish invention? After all, whatever they learn from dissecting your body, separating out the blood vessels and nerves and examining the foramena in the bones, will ultimately make them better doctors and facilitate their healthcare skills.

Asaiah

If you're an atheist surely you don't care what happens to your macro-randomly generated mass of matter when your neurotransmitters stop firing.

pgj2015

Asaiah wrote: »

If your an atheist surely you don't care what happens to your macro-randomly generated mass of matter when your neurotransmitters stop firing.

ya because all atheists are the same, why not just leave my body in the woods for the animals. I don't want students in trinity poking at my dead body.

whatdoicare

Doctors can take whatever's still good to save another person, medical science can take whatever else they want and then when they're done, burn me up ad **** me into the roses or the sea....or the bin. I'll be dead so I won't care.

I've often thought about donating my body to that artist dude who does that dead body art show: http://scribol.com/art-and-design/art/dr-hagens-body-worlds-when-dead-bodies-become-art

Asaiah

pgj2015 wrote: »

ya because all atheists are the same, why not just leave my body in the woods for the animals. I don't want students in trinity poking at my dead body.

But what you want is just a genetically and socially conditioned reaction to brain chemicals making you believe you 'feel' or 'desire' something. It's all utterly meaningless anyway, so what does it matter?

Keane2baMused

Donate my organs, cremate me and stick me on a shelf. Sounds better to me than being stuck in the earth to rot (even more).

Anyway, a funeral is not strictly a religious ceremony. It is simply a time for the person to be honoured and for their loved ones to pay their respects and get some sort of 'closure', by however means.

ThatGeekGirl

I have never been to a non-religious funeral but my parents have. A family friend died suddenly and he was non-religious so they had a ceremony at home the night before the burial - very wake like - which I'm fairly sure they made up themselves (didn't bring someone in I mean) and then on the day I think they went to the crematorium, had a short send off there followed by a big knees up cos the guy was a social guy and would have wanted a party. A few weeks later my folks got a card off his family which was a picture of him holding up a pint saying cheers and then a thank you/remembrance message inside. I thought the whole thing was very nicely done. My mam said it was one of the nicest send offs she has been to.

Zen65

Asaiah wrote: »

If you're an atheist surely you don't care what happens to your macro-randomly generated mass of matter when your neurotransmitters stop firing.

I'm an atheist, and my adult children are atheist. If one of them were to die while walking in the woods I would not be content to walk away and leave their bodies there. What makes you think atheists have no concerns about such things?

BTW, if you leave your body to science, they may simply use it to help with forensic pathology training by leaving it in the woods for some weeks to observe how it decays. Not all 'science' is conducted in nice labs.

ThatGeekGirl

Asaiah wrote: »

But what you want is just a genetically and socially conditioned reaction to brain chemicals making you believe you 'feel' or 'desire' something. It's all utterly meaningless anyway, so what does it matter?

With that attitude why do you even bother living at all?? that makes me sad to read

wokingvoter

pgj2015 wrote: »

sounds good, most funerals i have been to spend about 2 hours talking about religion and 1 minute talking about the deceased, i prefer hearing stories about the deceased not a made up god.

I don't think you've actually been to any religious funerals at all because that's not what happens
I think that's what you IMAGINE happens at religious funerals
I think your probably a bit scared of stuff generally

pgj2015

wokingvoter wrote: »

I don't think you've actually been to any religious funerals at all because that's not what happens
I think that's what you IMAGINE happens at religious funerals
I think your probably a bit scared of stuff generally

any? I have been to many funerals, they may talk about the deceased but its always attached to the fact your faith will help you through it, I have heard priests talk about people who took their own lives in a disrespectful way at their funerals as well, made me want to walk out I was so disgusted with the priests.

Mark Tapley

ThatGeekGirl wrote: »

With that attitude why do you even bother living at all?? that makes me sad to read

I think you can believe mankind is of no real consequence or importance and still appreciate the time we have on the planet.

Asaiah

ThatGeekGirl wrote: »

With that attitude why do you even bother living at all?? that makes me sad to read

I don't, sorry for making you sad for a moment! I have heard many of my atheist friends speak like this while at the same time rubbishing my Christian beliefs. I just wanted to see if an Atheists here thought like this.

To be honest, personally I don't believe anyone is truly an atheist (Shock horror) just in absolute rejection/denial of the truth, that there is a spirit. Theologically Christians believe all men are created beings in the image of God, and therefore have the Lord dwelling within their hearts.

I also believe that the world is a cold place and will turn a persons heart to stone so to speak, and that the spirit can become 'dead' as a result of this. As children we are spiritually alive as our hearts have not been hardened by the world and it's woes. So the world can make atheists of us all if we let it. It's sad to see so many people who chose spiritual death by following the atheist mindset.

As a Christian I want whatever will help my family see me off best. Whatever eases their grieving.

Zen65

Mark Tapley wrote: »

I think you can believe mankind is of no real consequence or importance and still appreciate the time we have on the planet.

+1

You can in fact believe that lives are important and of consequence, even though there's no magic man in the sky looking down on you and waiting for you to die so you can be with him.

Mark Tapley

I have been to religious and humanist funerals and it alway seems like the celebrant doesn't really know the deceased and both equally had an excess of platitudes. In theory I would object to this but I will be beyond caring. Funerals are for those left behind and whatever gives them comfort is alright with me.

wokingvoter

murpho999 wrote: »

Can't stand religious funeral stuff.
Especially things like 'Month's Mind' or anniversary masses. Just normal masses that have the equivalent of a request list read out at the end, for the usual fee of course. I don't get how people get comfort out of it or find it important.
Just seems like social conditioning caused by religion makes it happen.

I'm sure you know that it's not obligatory for you to attend any religious ceremonies at all
It looks as if you haven't been to too many "months minds" if you don't mind me saying
A family in the town where I am are getting ready for their 5 year olds months mind
The idea that her dead child is safe and healthy and happy in heaven has kept the child's mother going over these last few weeks
The months mind will further reinforce that comforting feeling
She'll be surrounded again by the whole parish all there to support her
Wether you like it or not religious ceremonies surrounding death and bereavement are a comfort to millions of people all over the world every day.
You can pretend to yourself that it's , what did you say, social conditioning? And of course your entitled to your opinion about the subject
But faith in God is s very real thing for many millions

Keane2baMused

Asaiah wrote: »

To be honest, personally I don't believe anyone is truly an atheist (Shock horror) just in absolute rejection/denial of the truth, that there is a spirit..

Good to know that's a personal belief rather than what you 'know' to be true.

Asaiah

Zen65 wrote: »

+1

You can in fact believe that lives are important and of consequence, even though there's no magic man in the sky looking down on you and waiting for you to die so you can be with him.

I certainly don't believe in magic or in a man in the sky.

Zen65

Asaiah wrote: »

To be honest, personally I don't believe anyone is truly an atheist (Shock horror) just in absolute rejection/denial of the truth, that there is a spirit.

So, following that logic, do you believe that there are no Jews, only people who are in absolute rejection/denial of your truth?

Surely, by definition somebody who rejects your truth (about spirits) is an atheist, truly? Sometimes people are truly exactly what is written in the tin.

wokingvoter

pgj2015 wrote: »

any? I have been to many funerals, they may talk about the deceased but its always attached to the fact your faith will help you through it, I have heard priests talk about people who took their own lives in a disrespectful way at their funerals as well, made me want to walk out I was so disgusted with the priests.

Can you give me an example of how , in your opinion, a priest was disrespectful of a person who took their own life?
Also if a bereaved family choose to have a religious funeral in a religious building led by a religious person, and you choose to attend, you can't be surprised when the mourners are assured that their faith in God will help them
Honestly. What do you expect the priest to say, taking into account that the bereaved family have requested that he speak?

Mark Tapley

Asaiah wrote: »

I don't, sorry for making you sad for a moment! I have heard many of my atheist friends speak like this while at the same time rubbishing my Christian beliefs. I just wanted to see if an Atheists here thought like this.

To be honest, personally I don't believe anyone is truly an atheist (Shock horror) just in absolute rejection/denial of the truth, that there is a spirit. Theologically Christians believe all men are created beings in the image of God, and therefore have the Lord dwelling within their hearts.

I also believe that the world is a cold place and will turn a persons heart to stone so to speak, and that the spirit can become 'dead' as a result of this. As children we are spiritually alive as our hearts have not been hardened by the world and it's woes. So the world can make atheists of us all if we let it. It's sad to see so many people who chose spiritual death by following the atheist mindset.

As a Christian I want whatever will help my family see me off best. Whatever eases their grieving.

You don't believe I exist. There's a brain twister. I am at a loss to understand why anybody would believe in your God . There are more feasible ideas in the conspiracy forum.

ThatGeekGirl

Mark Tapley wrote: »

I think you can believe mankind is of no real consequence or importance and still appreciate the time we have on the planet.

I like your wording on this, I guess I just thought it was a sad thought that nothing matters at all. My thoughts would be along that lines that even if you are a strict athiest (have no beliefs in anything at all, as opposed to simply being non-religious) you could find some reasoning or quality to your existence, even if simply another living being in the biosphere (is that the right term?) of life on our planet.

Asaiah wrote: »

I don't, sorry for making you sad for a moment! I have heard many of my atheist friends speak like this while at the same time rubbishing my Christian beliefs. I just wanted to see if an Atheists here thought like this.

To be honest, personally I don't believe anyone is truly an atheist (Shock horror) just in absolute rejection/denial of the truth, that there is a spirit. Theologically Christians believe all men are created beings in the image of God, and therefore have the Lord dwelling within their hearts.

I also believe that the world is a cold place and will turn a persons heart to stone so to speak, and that the spirit can become 'dead' as a result of this. As children we are spiritually alive as our hearts have not been hardened by the world and it's woes. So the world can make atheists of us all if we let it. It's sad to see so many people who chose spiritual death by following the atheist mindset.

As a Christian I want whatever will help my family see me off best. Whatever eases their grieving.

Interesting thoughts on this I don't know what I can catagorise myself as I fall somewhere between athiest, humanist and agnostic but I was brought up catholic until I was 18.

Zen65 wrote: »

+1

You can in fact believe that lives are important and of consequence, even though there's no magic man in the sky looking down on you and waiting for you to die so you can be with him.

This is what I would think - that you can find some meaning somewhere even just of your own ideals

Zen65

Asaiah wrote: »

I certainly don't believe in magic or in a man in the sky.

If you're a Christian then you do believe in magic (albeit that you may consider that man-in-the-sky is not an appropriate description of your god).

Magic is simply the ability of a person or entity to do something that cannot be explained by the known laws of the universe. If you can actually transform water into wine (without the use of grapes, and considerable fermentation time) then that's magic, by any understanding of the word.

I know religious people can be sensitive about the use of the word magic because it could be interpreted as showmanship, fakery, or trickery, but it has simpler meanings too. If you can feed 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, then that's magic. If you can rise up after being dead for 3 days, that's magic.