Atheists: Do you visit your parent or other relatives graves?

Question

Do you visit parted loved ones grave sites; do you speak to them, and if so, why do you think you talk with them if they are no longer alive in any form whatsoever?

THIS QUESTION is not intended to start anything nor to be cruel. I am just honestly curious.

TO "JUDITH R".., I was not aware I was preaching or shoving anything at you in anyway. I just asked a simple non hostile question.

TO MY FRIEND, "Jim Darwin" - nothing personal - I just don't do emails, phone calls or letters. It's a quirk of mine. I guess you're going to have to "pray" for me. :-)

TO "Hunter" - No.., there is no hidden agenda to read into the question. No cannon fodder whatsoever, just a simple question out of curiosity.

Answer 1

No, why would I?

My parents & grandparents are dead, as well as 3 of my 5 brothers, why would I go to their graves?

I am a genuine atheist and your question does not bother me, nor do any other questions related to the fates of our bodies or "spirits" (which don't exist).

That's why I'm here, to answer questions.

Please ignore rude comments made on my (atheists) behalf.

Thanks.

Answer 2

I visit the graves the same as I would visit any historical site which has great meaning to me, but I never attempt to communicate with them, that would be rather dumb. I think when you visit a place which has meaning to you it is a way of focusing your memories. When I visit my parents grave I often remember things about my childhood which I had either forgotten or had not reflected on before.

The last time I vistied my parents grave. A couple people walked up while I was reflecting, and started asking questions. Everything was fine until they asked what church my parents belonged to. When I mentioned that my father was an atheist. The male member of the couple started screeming at me that my father was burning in hell. What is it about christianity by the way that makes people act in such an incredibly rude manner. I cannot imagine anyone from any other faith doing such a rude thing.

Answer 3

I am an Atheist, but I still believe in a after life. I know this sounds strange. I don't believe in any kind of god or creator. But I do believe in some kind of soul and therefor an after life. I do not believe in ghost or that our souls stay on this earth. All my loved ones are still alive, so I don't need to go to a grave site. But I probably would. For me a grave site has nothing to do with religion. It is just a place for people to go to to handle the death of there loved ones better. A quite place.

Answer 4

Yes, I usually go home to visit my mom twice a year. While I am there I visit my Dad's grave and some others. My Dad is buried in the same cemetary as some former teachers, school friends, and the parents of some of those friends. Yes, I do speak to them as I believe some part of them is alive.

Answer 5

I don't and no one in my immediate family does either. I have a son who died in 96 (two and a half ), I don't talk to him, his body was donated to the UW department of science. I have grandfathers and friends who are in grave sites, I do not visit. They are dead. Final. Nothing more to say.

I am not heartless, this has nothing to do with my character. Values, morals, etc. I am not evil, and am not someone who judges based on religious or physical, mental, etc. If this would happen I would not be a leader in my own right, I would be a follower and I can't follow what I know in my heart isn't real to me. This goes for everything in my life. ~peace

Answer 6

I don't know if I will be visiting my parents' graves in the future (they are still alive). I may visit now and then just to get closure or to calm myself down. Sorta like a meditation thing.

I don't see it as inconsistent with being an atheist if one visits a grave. Graveyards and cemetaries still hold a calming effect on me when I see one. Rural Ohio /WV has some beautiful "old cemetaries". :-)

Answer 7

My mom and father died 3 weeks aside even as i grow to be seventeen. i have in no way "visited" the graves, and that i do not comprehend what human beings get out of doing so. I undergo in concepts my mom and father as they were even as they existed. I even don't have any prefer to "visit" rotting corpses in bins buried quite a few ft underground in an section that has no own which skill for me. .

Answer 8

Atheists have absolutely no reason to go visit their parents or other relatives graves because to them, guilt does not exist, they're here for a good, but short time, so why waste time on guilt, visiting dead rotting tissue and wasting money on flowers?

Answer 9

No, I don't visit graves, but I have one-sided conversations with dead loved ones. I feel that I am speaking to their memory, like a part of them that still remains in me.

Answer 10

I'm an agnostic. But yes I do visit there graves sometimes. I really should go visit again haven' been for a while.

Answer 11

yeah, it may be a dead person, but sometimes some people need closure, and some just need that person in there life, and to even have a feeling that you can talk to them, or that it is a way to still see them in some way, mostly that we cant let go or dont want to,

so even if we know they are gone, we dont want it, and it is because we need closure, so we talk to them or visit them

or it is a sign of respect for the departed, to show that you cared,

and just to let others know, not all athiests are heartless, just not religious like the christians, not all athiests are devil worshiping heartless, cruel, jerks, who just dont care

also thanks for the Q. i needed somthing like this to answer