As an atheist myself this has always amused me whenever I think about it. I know I don’t want a religous burial or even to be buried on consecrated ground, but I’m still to vain to want to be disposed of like so much garbage after I’m dead. Granted I probably have a good 60 years or more left to worry about this but I’m still curious.
Right now the best idea I can think of is that I’d like to be served as the main course at my own wake.
Any other atheists out there have any interesting ideas on what kind of funeral they want?
If you’re an atheist, why does it bother you if you’re buried with religious motions? One, if you don’t believe in God, then what consequence does anything of his have on you, and two, if you don’t believe in an afterlife, dead is dead, right? Why do you care what happens after your world comes to an end?
I’m just asking, because I see similar trends among many “athiests”. They are often outright caustic against anything remotely religious in nature. I mean, I don’t believe in Santa Clause, but it’s not like I outright refuse to sing any songs with his name, or have any pictures of him in my house and so on. A more appropriate label would be something like antithiests, which would be just as much a religion as anything else.
Whatever my surviving kin want - the ceremony will be for them, not me - I don’t care one way or the other. I would hope drinking and remembering nice things about me would be involved, but who knows?
I agree with ProjectOmega. If you’re an atheist, why should you care whether the ceremony is religious or not?
Well yeah, but they would believe in (some kind of) life after death: the ceremony has spiritual significance. Whereas atheists would say that once you’re dead, that’s it.
I don’t want a religious service. I think it’s an issue of respect. If my family respects my beliefs, they will remember me how I was, not in some way that helps them sugarcoat their loss. Obviously, those inclined will pray, but a memorial service that is based around religion would mock one of my most strongly-held beliefs.
Also, I think the idea of my heavenward journey (that would certainly make it into a religious service) would make the experience worse for those of my loved ones who hold the same beliefs. Obviously, you can’t please everyone, but maybe a misrepresentation is not the way to go.
I am opposed to being involved with many things religious in nature, and this has nothing to do with me being anti-religion (which I am, for the most part, not).
Just because I do not believe in any god does not mean that I don’t have any beliefs or morals. When I am forced to be part of religious proceedings, I feel uncomfortable, as if I am not being honest to myself. This is why I don’t like to pray or attend church, be it for show or for others’ feelings - I feel that i am compromising my own (non-religious*) beliefs.
*These beliefs are not “there is no god” but beliefs on how I should be behaving, living my life and treating other people. In this case, I do not like to be pretending to be something that I am not.
However, for my funeral, I have no particular belief on how the ceremony should be carried out. I won’t be around to appreciate it, so it doesn’t really matter. That said, if anyone has plans to pepper it with bible readings and references to me in heaven, I am not happy with them.
I guess the optimal funeral for me would be just the standard fare, without particular references to the bible or religion.
Atheist here and planning on donating my body to science in hopes of helping others through medical research. My mother (Irish Catholic, big time) has also opted for full donation as she wishes to spare us the expense and process of the wake/funeral. She and I would also like a small rememberance gathering. She would like prayers, I would like someone to throw a party.
I won’t have a say in what happens to my body. I could be a medical cadaver. One of my organs may be salvaged (preferred). I could end up in a forensic “death field” to find out about insect gestation or what happens to a body if it is stuck in a car for decades (these things really exist, you know). In the end, I don’t need it anymore and I hope someone can get good use of it.
I plan on donating my brain to science. The rest is to be cremated, although I’m not sure where to have the ashes scattered.
Another option would be to have myself stuffed and mounted in a scary position like you see some bears, claws extended, teeth bared, and foaming at the mouth (but not falling over backwards).
Any useful organs donated, and the rest buried in someone’s garden, under the jalapeno patch. Then friends and family carouse, and two years later, cook a giant batch of chili with the jalapenos in my memory.
I want a big rock concert up on top of a hill, and a funeral pyre for my body, followed by a big barbeque (on separate cooking fire). Party time for everyone!
I would like to be splayed open and filled with bean dip and set up as the center piece at a cocktail party.
No really, I don’t care what they do with my body, or how anybody cares to remember me or whatever once I’m dead … but I’d like to think that those that know me well would realize the idiocy of holding a religious funeral for me.
I went to a Catholic funeral of a cremated serious atheist and it was very strange.
I’m with Winterwren, but I want to become part of a tree. Of course, I’ll never know what was done to my body or how my loved ones reacted to it, so it doesn’t really matter. Do whatever’s cheapest.
Ditto what sj2 says. I’ll leave my body available for training or research purposes. I’ll set some money aside so my friends can gather in a decent bar and hoist a drink or two to my memory.
I think iamthewalrus(:3= really hit the nail on the head about why it matters if the ceremony is religous or not. Not only would it mock the way I lived my life I think it would be very disturbing to the other atheists in my life.
Of course the idea of eating me in a nice stew at the wake is disburbing to pretty much everyone I know, so if I can’t please everyone with my final wishes I might as well disburb them all equally
I don’t care what kind of funeral I have. I would prefer to live forever and never have a funeral. If I have to have one then I will let the loved ones I left behind decide. It really is for them anyway.
I actually do like the idea of a big party, maybe on a crusie ship. I have no dependents and a good bit of life insurance from my job. I would like to know my loved ones spent it on something fun. But, I doubt after losing me they would feel like having my fun.
We put the fun back in funeral.
