departed relatives, acquaintances or friends? If atheists are so true to their "beliefs" why play the hypocrite and attend a service where people profess virtues that they do not respect?
2007-09-12 08:31:49 · 37 answers · asked by twista 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Listen to their hypocritical excuses about comforting the bereaved. Atheists not only deceive themselves but have a shallow understanding of who they are or what they believe.
2007-09-12 13:22:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
Because a funeral isn't only about "commending the soul of the departed to God", it's about honoring the life of the deceased and it's about being there for the survivors.
I doubt that atheists participate in any prayers or hymns that are said during the service, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't attend the service period.
Unless you're also inferring that Hindus shouldn't attend church (funeral) services for relatives or acquaintances who are Christian, or Pagans shouldn't attend services for Christians, etc. etc. etc.?
2007-09-12 08:41:51 · answer #2 · answered by Nandina (Bunny Slipper Goddess) 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Not an atheist, but a Pagan. 'scuse my answering, but considering we often get lumped in the same boat....
My aunt died two weeks ago. This past Saturday, I went to the funeral. It was in a Lutheran church.
I didn't sing the songs, didn't pray the prayers, didn't take the Communion when offered. Honestly, I thought that doing any of those three would've been highly inappropriate, since I don't follow that faith. However, I did bow my head when the prayers were spoken, and was generally respectful. See, you don't have to *believe* something to be respectful of it.
And, as others have said, funeral services, while religious, aren't tied to a particular faith - you don't need to profess the faith of the departed to attend. Quite frankly, considering that funerals are to provide comfort and comraderie to those left behind, I consider it a far worse thing to miss a funeral, than to show up to one.
2007-09-12 08:46:49 · answer #3 · answered by ArcadianStormcrow 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Oh, for heaven's sake. Do take a moment to think this through.
My atheist brother-in-law attended his father's funeral Mass. No one felt this was hypocritical, and if they had, it would have made zero difference to him. He respects his family's beliefs, even though they aren't his own, and FAMILY was the operative word on that occasion. No one gave a rat's whiskers about his atheism. Come to think of it, we never do. We love him. Love usually comes with an as-is clause, or at least it should.
And what's this about "virtues that they do not respect"? It makes no sense whatsoever. Even if you meant values instead of virtues, it still doesn't. If you have the impression that atheists cannot possibly possess compassion, kindness, or personal integrity ... you've been mightily misinformed.
2007-09-12 08:57:07 · answer #4 · answered by Clare † 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I go to a funeral, it is to give honor to the loved one that I have lost, not her or his religion. I may not bow my head to pray, but I see a room full of people that cared for another person enough to come to that person's last ceremony.
A funeral is not like a baptism or a communion. It is not hypocrytical to attend the service of one who has died; it is being respectful of the person who has passed by attending that person's last religious rite. That doesn't mean that I will bow my head in prayer, or that I will say amen at the end, but it does mean that I will be appreciative of our differences and acknowledge our similarities.
I go for the same reason that religious people will go to my funeral; because we are all the same no matter what we choose to call ourselves.
Next question.
2007-09-12 08:53:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You do not attend a religious funeral as a show of your beliefs but out of respect for the dead person. Usually, the services will reflect the dead's person religion. So if your Baptist friend dies and has a Baptist funeral, it doesn't matter if you are Baptist, Catholic or atheist. You go to recognize the life of your friend and to pay your last respects.
2007-09-12 08:41:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
What we atheists do, what every one of the tens of millions of atheists around the world do, is we stand outside the church and throw rocks at the stain glass windows during the funeral service of a husband or wife or good friend. And immediately afterward we go home and eat a baby and toss the kitty cat into the microwave and have passionate sex with Satan.
2007-09-12 08:45:02 · answer #7 · answered by Yank 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
yup. I even have been to my aunts wedding ceremony at a church. i've got additionally observed my pal to church, attended the activities, and potlucks. I went to a non secular chinese language college whilst i improve into fairly youthful too. I purely form of stared on the floor during the prayers, and each so often in addition they asked me to study some passages and that i did, and the full time i improve into purely thinking if i'm able to ask questions on it yet... Oh properly, it extremely is a particularly exciting adventure. My acquaintances are non secular so I do 'non secular' activities with them each now and then back then, no longer a lot anymore now via fact of faculty.
2016-10-04 11:08:48 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Funerals are to honor and remember the departed. Not to preach.
And if a funeral does involve some religion, it would be because the departed wanted it so. Would it be worse to show disrespect to someone you cared about, by snubbing your nose at their funeral?
I would certainly attend a funeral for a loved one if it did NOT involve religion. I think most would. So does that make me a hypocrite?
2007-09-12 08:39:53 · answer #9 · answered by allusian_fields 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I'm an Atheist and have attended many functions in churches. Both secular and non-secular. I don't "bow" my head in prayer but I am respectfully quiet. Stared down more than one minister/priest while they were doing their thing...lol. Not being hypocritcal..I was being a good friend...good husband. Sometimes when a friend is hurting or a loved one passes away...it's simply the right thing to do...be there and offer support. Just because I'm Atheist doesn't mean I'm not compassionate.
2007-09-12 08:43:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Attending church for a funeral out of respect is not hypocritical. One does not have to believe to observe.
Haven't you seen Christians, Muslims and Jews together in times of national mourning praying together? That is not hypocritical either.
2007-09-12 08:40:17 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋