Jehovah's Witnesses?

Question

I was talking with a friend today, and she had just returned from a funeral. Her friend was a Jehovah's Witness. She said no one was allowed to cry at the funeral. Why is this?

I am very curious.

If possible, please justify your answer with support.

Answer 1

It is a weird religion. Here are some more weird things they believe in/not allow.
+ Blood transfusions, even in an emergency.
+ Christmas and birthday celebrations
+ Immortality of the soul
+ Jesus Christ is the archangel Michael
+ Only 144,000 will go to heaven

Answer 2

I am a Jehovahs Witnesses and i've never heard of not being allowed to cry at a funeral. I always cry at funerals. I think she is mistaken.

Answer 3

i dont understand i greew up as a witness and i have gone to many, many funerals and that is not true people are alowed to cry, that the person that passed on did not want people to cry at the funeral that is something different
next time a JW showes up at your door ask them and u will see that ur friend is not telling u the truth,

Answer 4

Not true. There is no rule about not crying at a funeral. But, JW funerals are a little different from other funerals, for the most part JW funerals are not a super sad occasion, for the most part they are a little upbeat and very positive. This is because JW's look forward to seeing their dead loved ones again. Jehovah's Witnesses do not have rules where they say " No, you cannot do this!" or " No, you cannot do that!" It is far from that. And I am very glad that you asked that question rather than believing everything you hear, because for the most part rumors about JWs are not true. I hope this answers your question.

Answer 5

Though they show emotion like anyone else, the difference is they know they will see the person again at the Resurrection. So they know that missing them is useless. Their biggest concern is recognizing them when they are raised from the dead in that their new, and physically perfect, body. No signs of age, illness, or disability.

Folks from other religions don't have such knowledge. They see death as an end to all things and not a temporary condition. The don't have that same level of faith.

Answer 6

We have all been to weddings and funerals and we know the emotions involved. But you have never been to a resurrection ceremony.

Can you imagine being at a gathering of friends and family as they await the pre-announced materialization of the next resurrectee? What kind of reception do you suppose would take place afterwards? Do you think you would become bored sharing in the ecstasy of such occasions? For example, can you imagine the astonished look on, say, your grandmother's face when you walk over to her and give her a kiss and welcome her to the new earth? (Isa 65:17)

Then, a few weeks later you and your newly resurrected grandmother go to her mother's resurrection reception to welcome your great grandma back from the dead. Do you think you would ever become bored participating in welcoming each generation back from the grave? Is there anyone who has died whom you would like to host at a resurrection party? If so, add their names to your list.

Answer 7

Interesting- I wonder where she picked THAT from!!

Witnesses are humans- we feel pain when someone we love dies. We just don't hold wakes or do roll-abouts on the ground like some cultures do, because we have the comforting hope that our dead loved ones are just asleep in Jehovah's memory and we will see them again.

We still cry because we miss them, same as some people cry when a friend leaves on a long journey, even when they know he will come back.

Answer 8

WHAT!? That's ridiculous! I have been to many JW funerals and cried my eyes out. And everyone else was crying too. Are you sure she was a Jehovah's Witness? We do mourn our loved ones and friends who have died, and show that grief by crying. Jesus cried when his friend died, so there is not a reason to keep from crying.

Answer 9

Either the questioner misunderstood or the questioner's friend misunderstood.

Jehovah's Witnesses are certainly allowed to cry at a funeral, and in fact Jesus himself cried at the death of a friend.

(John 11:32-36) [Mary] fell at his feet, saying to him: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother [Lazarus] would not have died.” 33 Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping and the Jews that came with her weeping, groaned in the spirit and became troubled; 34 and he said: “Where have you laid him?” They said to him: “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus gave way to tears. 36 Therefore the Jews began to say: “See, what affection he used to have for him!”


There are no particular rituals involved in Jehovah's Witness funerals, cremations, or burials. All specifics are decided by the family of the deceased, or the deceased himself by means of will.

Generally, a ten- to twenty-minute bible-based talk is delivered by a congregation elder or family member at a funeral home, Kingdom Hall, or other dignified location. The deceased is not eulogized, but is remembered. Prayers are offered. At the graveside, a few bible passages may be read and another prayer offered.

Of course, Jehovah's Witness funerals are not as depressed as those with no hope.

(1 Thessalonians 4:13) Moreover, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant concerning those who are sleeping in death; that you may not sorrow just as the rest also do who have no hope.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20050501/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050815/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm

Answer 10

I have no idea why. I have a co-worker I'll try to find out. Maybe it's the idea of a funeral being a celebration of the person's life versus a life that has been lost????????????/

Answer 11

Um, you'd have to ask someone who was there. I have been to MANY funerals, including 3 for relatives, many of us cried. It could be someone said the deceased would've liked us to be happy, or something like that.