Atheists and Funerals?

Question

Okay, here is a really bizarre question… But, here we go,

The only funerals I have ever attended have been for people of one particular faith or another. They were held in rooms with their religious paraphernalia at the funeral home or at their church, with a preacher/pastor speaking.

Obviously, this is not going to work for someone that didn’t believe in a higher authority during their life.

So, those of you that are truly atheist, where would you want your funeral to be held and who to speak about what? And what do you wish to be done with your remains?

Answer 1

I am an atheist. My funeral will consist of my friends and relatives gathering at the crematorium and watching my coffin moving into the furnace while my chosen piece of music is played (Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones). If someone wants to speak and say what a jolly good chap I was (or indeed how nasty I was) that's up to them - I will be past caring so they can do as they want. All religious mumbo jumbo, sermons and similar rubbish will be banned.

I would like everyone to have a fantastic party afterwards. I am also considering arranging for the hire of 10 mysterious beautiful women, each clutching a baby, to turn up and cry loudly at intervals and then vanish without a word - it'll drive my relatives crazy with curiosity.

My only other request is that my ashes will then be scattered at the foot of the highest mountain in England at a place in sight of the deepest lake in England so that my remains become part of the landscape I love.

Answer 2

I don't want to have a funeral when I die. I want my family and friends to gather someplace where my dead body isn't and have an upbeat party celebrating my memory. I want no one dressed in black, and no dirges. I want the theme to be Bon Voyage rather than dearly departed.

As for my body, I want to be either cremated and thrown away, or donated to science, whichever is cheapest. I can't stand all the money that is spent on dead bodies in the form of caskets, funerals, etc. If it were legal I would ask to be put out with the trash, because our garbage collector will take away 1 bulky/oversize item a month for free. I'll be dead, so I could care less what happens to my body.

Answer 3

Why shouldn't an Atheist have a Christian funeral? It's the only sort of funeral I've ever known, and the rest of my family is Christian, so they'd probably get more comfort out of sticking to what they know. In keeping with that tradition, I'd like to be buried in the family plot.

Being dead, it won't be like I'm going against everything I do or don't believe in.

Answer 4

A funeral is actually a celebration of a person's life. It's hard to understand it as a celebration because of the sense of loss and sadness. Funerals happen for atheists and they are still relevent for atheists. The body should receive a proper burial or state of rest regardless of an individuals belief. This is necessary because it carries the soul and is of great value to a human and should be honored as part of a funeral service. Read the Greek play 'Antigone'.

Answer 5

My remains are easy: dispose of them in the cheapest manner possible, as any money spent on me is worthless at that time. This would be my view as a christian as well. I would think about a stone, only because sometimes it helps genealogists as they trace their family trees.

As far as what kind of service... it really doesn't matter to me, but it should help my survivors with their grief process. I'd recommend a loving, party where people can comfort each other and tell amusing or meaningful stories about me, and then pull out all stops and celebrate or honor my death by celebrating life.

Answer 6

From an atheists point of view (and for that matter, most
realistic religious types), a funeral is for the LIVING.

Getting people together, giving them a chance to grieve
and talk about the deceased, etc, is good for everybody.
The religious implications of what just happened are simply
not a part of the ceremony.

Answer 7

I'm going to do what a friend of mine did. He set money aside in his will for a beach party for his friends and a tailgate party for his pals at the next local Jimmy Buffet concert. He collected his favorite pictures and most hilarious correspondence for general distribution at the beach party. We ate, drank, told stories about our dead friend and consoled each other about our loss. It was perfect. After all, the funeral is for the living. The dead are beyond caring. He was a sailor and a deep sea fishing enthusiast and he loved the ocean, so in accordance with his will, his ashes were scattered at sea.

Answer 8

I'm an Atheist and I really don't have any preference whatsoever. My family could bury me in a pine box in the backyard and as they lower the coffin they could all dance to "another one bites the dust" for all I care. Although my family is mostly southern baptist and i'm sure after I pass away my funeral events will be those of religion.

Answer 9

After any usable organs are harvested, I wish to be cremated and scattered over Sedona AZ or Ireland (less likely).

At the ceremony I wants lotsa drunk people laughing and farting and having a great time so I can giggle with them. (I'm not quite atheist). Life's too serious to be serious. If my guests want to say anything, that's up to them. Funerals are for the living, anyway.

Answer 10

the thought I had for my own (i'm a maximum cancers survivor who has certainly planned my own funeral out in develop--thankfully those plans do no longer seem to be mandatory top now) grow to be to make it a occasion of my existence. the comparable pastor who oversaw my wedding ceremony is a uncommon guy: see you later as admire is shown for the religious, he has no hardship seeing to the purposes of disbelievers. collectively as each and each man or woman in attendance at my wedding ceremony is familiar with i'm an Atheist, I nevertheless wanted the pastor to steer a prayer for something of my relatives--nearly all of which carry a Christian denomination. He did it ok: "The bride and groom have asked a 2nd of prayer for people who might desire to take part..." and the 2nd went on. I spoke with him approximately overseeing my funeral, and having the comparable sort of attention. He agreed, and had quite a few innovations for making that ensue. this way any prayers reported for me have been by the selection of those offering the prayer. The funeral itself might greater healthful me for who i grow to be, yet enable the survivors to be who they're and handle issues of their own way.