Question for everybody?

Question

My question might sound irrelevant to some peopel, But I could care less. Alot of people believe there is not "a" god, But yet why do "Some"of you use things that are of the church or of christianity,Such was wedding in the churches, why not get married in court instead or pastors preaching in a funeral,why not just bury the person? The Question is to "Some" because I know some of you take it to the extreme.

Answer 1

I believe in many deities. I was married (legally handfasted) in a state park by a priestess of a similar religion (Wicca).

My family does not believe in burial. We believe in cremation without a public service, then scattering the ashes.

I agree that having a Christian service would not make sense for those who do not believe in Christianity. Just as having a Hindu service would not make sense for those who do not believe in Hinduism. Since I do not have a local Druid who can perform these services, we chose a priestess from a similar polytheistic religion who understands our religious views and respects them.

Answer 2

A lot of non-believers don't use religious services for any events. They don't marry in churches or have preachers preside at funerals. Those that do will do so purely for family and cultural reasons. Rather than upset family members, they marry in churches and even have their babies baptized or whatever. Some non-believers don't care much about it so they'd rather see harmony in their family than make a point about their lack of faith.

Now if the question is why have funerals or weddings if one is a non-believer then the answer's slightly different. Just because religion co-opts these events doesn't make them purely religious. People pledging their love and devotion to each other is more a matter of a public acknowledgment of their relationship and a legal arrangement. Marriage need not be seen as religious in any way. Funerals are a way of saying goodbye and celebrating the life of a loved one. Again, no need for religion for that to matter. We don't have to just throw away the body just because we don't believe in any religions. Most of these ceremonies are social rather than religious.

Answer 3

because the person we're marrying might want it in a church or it's really important to our parents that it's in a chuch. The only reason i'd get married in a church is because my partner wanted it that way. A lot of us do get married by courts or whatever

Well I can't speak for all atheists but I see funerals as being for the survivors. Once you're dead you're dead it doesn't really matter if someone preaches about it or not ....As long as I get cremated I really don't care what they do for the service but we have a big family and it would be "expected".
you may also not of had your funeral planned so it's up to your relatives who aren't necessarily atheists.

I don't know what taking it to the extreme means. You're not expected to regularily fall in with traditions from Islam, or Hinduism and would probably be annoyed if you were told to. Yet you think it's acceptable to make people follow christian traditions.

Answer 4

People just go along with the rest oaf the world. I do not believe there is.. or isnt a god. I feel that there is not enough evidence to make a decision on somethign that huge. I will, however, use a pastor at my wedding. Now, I dont know any, I dont go to church, but he will be there because that is what you have at a wedding. People are so stuck in the way things are done that they forget why they are doing it. For example, why do you celebrate Christmas as "jesus' birthday" when Jesus wasnt born in December? December 25 is a holiday that has been celebrated since long before "christmas" came around.

Answer 5

I'm an atheist and I got married by a lawyer outside in a beautiful botanical garden. There was no mention of God or religion in our ceremony at all. And I intend to have a non-religious burial.

But to really answer your question, even I think churches are beautiful places and in fact the belief in God can be nice if it essentially boils God down to some sort of loving spirit. Sometimes things simply come down to wanting to be surrounded by people of good intentions, and many churches house people with just that.

Answer 6

Many people I know who are Athiests have gotten married in court. When my father, who was an Agnostic, died, we gave him a funeral in a non-denominational church. I would, personally, like a Pastafarian wedding. Some Athiests and Agnostics, however, choose to hold such cerimonies in churches so as to not upset their more religious family members. It really depends on personal choice.

Answer 7

I go to funerals in churches if they belonged to that religion and that is where it was held.

I was going to be married by the justice, but my dad wanted me to be married in his church (which I have at no time in my life attended) so partly as a favor to him, part because it was closer and more convenient, and mostly because it was free, that is what I did.

It was quick and easy with few people, but if we had done a big production it would have been outdoors most likely. I just went to a great wedding at a country club.

Answer 8

I got married at home, married by a judge who is a friend. And all the funerals I've been to, the person who past was Christian. Just because I am not Christian, doesn't mean that my friends are not. I go out of respect, not for the speaking.

Answer 9

Neitche the last great German philosopher faced the same issue in Germany in the late 1800's. Germans were going to church, but it was obvious they didn't really believe in God. Why? Science effectively killed him off and everyone knew it, they just wouldn't accept it. (The true nature of evil, denial)
This left them all very vulnerable to a new god to fill this extreme void. At least a man playing God. (Hitler).
He knew he couldn't sucessfully fool anyone and resuscitate a dead god, what everyone is desperately trying to do theses days. And he knew that we all need to find purpose in our own lives, in order to survive.
Oh what to do!
My advice, is let God R.I.P. and we can start off on the right foot, we have so many healthy minds to help, but we can't listen, if we are concerned with resuscitating a dead thing.

Answer 10

I'm not going to get married in a church or by a priest/preecher and possibly not a court either. What I want is a traditional Japanese wedding, or one that me and my future husband can agree on, but I do want tradition to be in it, since I will be getting together with him over in Japan. Also, I don't want to be buried, and if I am buried, all my stuff according to the list I make shall and will be buried with me and my tomb shall be carried out by the designs I am going to be making for it. If that can't be carried out, I want my ashes to be with my children until they have children, then I want to be spread over the ocean around Japan.