To the Pastor at the Funeral I Attended Yesterday

[DanBlather]

@Apos

And yet, despite all this whining about some rather minor ribbing from atheists, religious people seem perfectly happy to say the most vile, deeply horrific things, and simply not get called on it or challenged. Ever. Because, you know, objecting to someone denigrating someone else’s life, or advocating the most vile tortures known to the human imagination: that’s just… impolite!

Amen. I just can’t imagine an atheist giving a eulogy at a funeral: “It’s just too bad that old Joe didn’t see the error of his way and renounce religion before he died. Let that be a lesson to you believers in the audience, renounce now why there is still time. Oh, and by the way, you heterosexual married couples out there should think about just trying it once with someone of the same sex.”

[Kalhoun]

@Apos

Let’s face it, many funerals, from the perspective of religious leaders, are basically about promoting the brand at an especially opportune time when people are most vulernable to it. To be fair, **in a lot of cases, they are asked to speak despite the fact that they don’t relaly know the deceased all that well. **

My uncle was atheist and belonged to a Unitarian church. There was one speaker from his church that he knew and was so impressed with, that when he knew his time was near, he expressed his wish that this speaker be the guy to do the eulogy. The speaker had retired and my aunt flew him in from England to do the service. I can’t imagine having a stranger doing the eulogy. It’s just weird. And often disappointing.

[Mama_Tiger]

Wow, so telling people they’re total wastes of space unless they change everything their lives are based upon is supposed to be promoting their brand of religion? How? Huh?

The funeral I can think of that best promoted someone’s brand of religion was the one for the 23-year-old son of an acquaintance a few years ago, who was found to have hanged himself by his mother. After he’d been dead for several days. It was a huge Episcopal ceremony. Every person there was 100% supportive. The priest who led the service not only used musical selections the family chose and readings the family wanted, but in his homily stressed how the young man had died from the disease of depression. Not from the sin of suicide, but from a terrible mental illness that claimed his life. It was possibly the most comforting funeral imaginable. THAT is how you promote your brand of religion. Not telling the grieving parents their son is going to rot in hell because he took his own life or something.

I honestly don’t think I could stomach the type of funeral some of you guys are talking about. I’d either end up making a scene on the spot or walking out in protest. How in any way, shape, or form does a funeral that attacks the deceased or other attendees’ beliefs provide comfort to the grieving family?

[matt_mcl]

@DanBlather

Amen. I just can’t imagine an atheist giving a eulogy at a funeral: “It’s just too bad that old Joe didn’t see the error of his way and renounce religion before he died. Let that be a lesson to you believers in the audience, renounce now why there is still time. Oh, and by the way, you heterosexual married couples out there should think about just trying it once with someone of the same sex.”

“matt_mcl will be in the narthex for those who wish to repent.”

[Miller]

@Kalhoun

Miller, you’re tiresome. Give it a rest, huh?

What the hell?

[Kalhoun]

@Miller

What the hell?

Sorry…my humor-o-meter was in the shop. I’ve since been told you were making a joke. My bad.

[Miller]

@Kalhoun

Sorry…my humor-o-meter was in the shop. I’ve since been told you were making a joke. My bad.

No worries.