A week ago I attended a funeral for my great uncle, a Christian, WW II Vet, all around good guy. I was sitting in the service and thought what would this funeral be like if I were an Atheist. And I thought to myself... Are funerals sadder to someone who is an Atheist? Christians and some other faiths believe they will one day see their loved one again, but to an Atheist there is no "again". There is no hope at an Atheist funeral but at a Christian funeral there is a hope they will see him/her again. So is a funeral for an Atheist sadder than a funeral for a Christian?
Not trying to be mean or condescending here, it's an actual question that crossed my mind at his funeral. Oh and all sarcastic remarks about fairy tales can be saved, I've heard them all. Oh and to you Christians who want to bash on the Atheist in this question please refrain because you make it hard for people like me to go by Christian when you are dragging the name through the dirt. Thanks.
2007-10-23 07:58:00 · 43 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I was unfortunate in having to conduct my wife's funeral last spring . She was only 47 and had a rare form of small bowel cancer. My experience of nursing her while she died did nothing to convince me of the existence of God. How could an omnipotent and benevolent God allow such suffering and deprive my three children of their mother.
The funeral director suggested a C of E priest to help with the service, who turned out to be very sensitive to my atheism. He was able to say some prayers for the devout at the service and he left everthing else to myself and other friends and family. I had some words to say and he was there to read them out if i couldn't carry on. This really helped and gave me the strength to complete my eulogy.
The main theme of my thinking was that spirituality comes from within and that immortality is not a hope of resuurection and eternal afterlife. It comes from the memories you leave you friends and family and with your children and how they have been brought up to relate to others. I have derived much more comfort from these propositions than the vain hope (in my view) that Marie and myself will meet up in a eutopian afterlife.
2007-10-23 08:10:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is an interesting question. I have no idea what it's like to "know" that I will see my loved one again after I die so how could I possibly make a comparison?
How can you ever know you will see your loved one again in heaven? Even if you are sure you are 'saved', how can you know if your loved one is? Lots of people don't truly believe what they would have you think they believe. If you believe in heaven and hell, the possibility that your loved one has been sent to hell for all eternity is a pretty terrifying thought... one that I remember vividly when a relative died when I was young. And I suppose a christian at an atheist's funeral would be sadder than an atheist at a christian's funeral.
On the other hand, I now know that the person is going into the ground, or having their ashes scattered or interred or whatever, that there is no 'soul' outside the body, I will miss them but death is a part of life, and my life goes on.
2007-10-23 08:11:51 · answer #2 · answered by zmj 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 and 2
2016-05-25 04:36:06 · answer #3 · answered by bernice 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's sad that you have to have most of your question in the form of a disclaimer. First, I am sorry to hear of the passing of your great uncle. Just a year ago, I attended the funeral of my grandfather, who was also a WW II vet. He and I had a special bond that no other family member seemed to share.
As an atheist, I believe that death is the end and there is no afterlife. I used to be a Christian, however, so I have experienced funerals on both ends of the religious spectrum. I would say that the death of a loved one is equally sad no matter what you believe about religion or the afterlife.
You see, at the funeral, my little cousin (about 5 yrs old) asked her aunt what happened to Grampa. Aunt told her that Grampa was in heaven with their old dog Max. The little girl instantly filled with joy and began to dance around singing "Max is alive in heaven! Max is alive in heaven!" And within 30 minutes I noticed her bawling terribly during the funeral service for Grampa.
So perhaps the belief in an afterlife may be comforting during certain moments of grief. But overall, sadness and loss still hurts and no kind of hope can cause us to escape from the natural mourning process.
I cried because I knew there would be no more new stories to tell about my grandfather. I knew that this was the end of his existence on this Earth. I knew that he could only live on through the stories told by me and the others who knew him. So I as an atheist, my mother as a Protestant, and her sister as a Catholic, all cried together. I would say our grief was quite equal.
2007-10-23 08:12:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you are firm in your beliefs, then an Athiestic funeral is no sadder than a Christian or Muslim or Jewish one. Imagine somewhere out there is a Buddhist questioning "A Christian funeral must be so much sadder because there is no hope in reincarnation and the Christians believe they must wait till the end of time to see their loved ones again, where our Buddhist loved ones will be walking the earth around us again before we even know they have gone."
Seriously. It's all in what you believe and what you take comfort in. You take comfort in hope which is what the Christian religion teaches but many Athiests are content reflecting on a life well lived, and can reach closure and peace without the promise of "another life" to get them through. So an Athiest might even be better off, because instead of living each day as a means to get to a better life in heaven, the Athiest lives each day for itself, as it is.
2007-10-23 08:04:06 · answer #5 · answered by dcgirl 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hi Jakobi,
An Athiest funeral would probably be a modest funeral conducted by someone that the funeral director suggested, or do what ever they felt would be closure for them. It is sad not having hope of seeing the loved one again, but we all believe in what we are taught or as you have said, Christian bashed into believing. I am a bible student and this generations ideas of Christianity are upsetting to me also. I would assume that an athiest would do whatever the person that died would want. You'll have to ask an athiest. It is good that you are pondering about things though. Sorry for your loss.
2007-10-23 08:06:21 · answer #6 · answered by Annebelle 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You bring up a very interesting idea. A funeral is usually meant to 'pay last respects' but would an atheist (in life) see the merit of having one? Don't know. I've never been to atheist funeral but I know an atheist who is suffering from a terminal illness. He is hopelessly depressed and many speculate that it is because he feels that after he dies, there is nothing left. Honestly, I think an atheist funeral attended by atheists might be somewhat more gloomy than a religious funeral.
2007-10-23 08:05:12 · answer #7 · answered by th1nking 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe funerals would be sadder for Atheists. How sad would you be if you thought that you would never, ever see your loved ones again! That's the only thing that got me through my mom's death - knowing that I'll see her again. I can't imagine how hard it would be if I didn't think that. Now, I don't go to church, but I do believe in God. And I have had periods of my life where I have questioned that belief, so I would never dream of bashing Athiests.
2007-10-23 08:01:32 · answer #8 · answered by Texas Horse Lover 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know that it's any sadder because at funeral's whether we believe in Christ or not we are sad because we've lost a loved one. I think it's easier to "deal with" for lack of better wording if your a Christian because there is that hope that you will see them again whereas Atheist's don't have that belief. So no I don't think it's any more sad I just think it's in how it's dealt with overall. Hope that helps!
2007-10-23 08:01:41 · answer #9 · answered by lisaandpathailey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think your real question is: "Is a funeral for an Atheist that is looking at things thru the christian point of view sadder for them"? But Atheists don't look at the world thru the christian point of view. Its not a case of them not having any hope because they realize that the kind of hope christians have is false hope. So in that sense they are happier. Additionally, to an Atheist a life is even more precious because it doesn't come again. You are trying to compare apples and orangutans here.
2007-10-23 08:07:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋