Funerals/celebrations Of Life

[Sybaris]

Just got back from a service. Skipped the burial cause the service lasted 2 hours and was disgusting. 3 different Pastors spoke and not one knew the deceased. They turned the occasion into a twisted hyper-religious sermon that had nothing to do with the person laying in the casket.

 

I was never religious but is all the Jesus grandstanding at funerals something that appeals to the faithful?

[Vigile]

They see it as an opportunity to corner the unchurched.  Same reason they give the hell fire sermons on Easter; it's the only day many people go to church all year. 

[♦ nivek ♦]

I have pissed in pockets of preachers who took up their fucking soapboxes at friends memorial services.

Instead of remembering the deceased and their lives, as told in above posts, we got ears full of salllllbashun an' daLardness...
Fuck that bullshit. Stood up, bellowed, told the cat at podium that I would prefer to remember the lady and her times and life in

greater preference to the bullshit about HIS gahwd.

Look on face was priceless when he backed off, and being the pain in the ass I am started on a tale of her life. That took better part of five-six minutes, had crowd laughing and smiling. After my 'testimony' those in audience stood and told more cool stories of a well traveled woman, her family life and times.

Turned out to be a decent experience, preacher made a sudden exit, no one was fleeced for funds. Helped make a potential bullshit fest into something worth space in my limited memories..

 

Don't be afraid to put a spike into the tracks of those religious railroaders.

kL

[RipVanWinkle]

Wow, nivek! Good for you. That's the only funeral I've ever heard of that I wish I had

attended. bill

[NyxPeregrine]

When I was younger and still going to church, I remember that whenever a churchgoer died, on the Sunday before/after the funeral the pastor would say that the funeral "might be the only time unconverted family members and friends will hear about the Lord".  So they would start their sermons out with a few words about the deceased, then say how grateful they were that he/she believed in Jesus and was with his/her Lord in heaven now...and I shit you not, they would use that as a segue into talking about how unbelievers would go to hell. At a fucking funeral. So disrespectful.

[Sybaris]

 they would start their sermons out with a few words about the deceased, then say how grateful they were that he/she believed in Jesus and was with his/her Lord in heaven now...

 

Yeah a lot of the sermon was how everyone in this heaven place is always laughing, living in a mansion, doesn't need glasses, wheelchairs, limbs restored etc., etc. 

 

I thought I was listening to a description of Disneyland or something.

[creative]

Just got back from a service. Skipped the burial cause the service lasted 2 hours and was disgusting. 3 different Pastors spoke and not one knew the deceased. They turned the occasion into a twisted hyper-religious sermon that had nothing to do with the person laying in the casket.

 

I was never religious but is all the Jesus grandstanding at funerals something that appeals to the faithful?

I know what ya mean, i mean burials are no fun (since someone died) and then they have to make it even worse with all that jesus crap.

 

I mean it doesn't make any sense... if they went to heaven have a party... like when a friend wins the lottery and move to a Caribbean island forever to have the best life possible you dont go like read from a bible or something but instead have like a big going away part. Sure it suck that you wont see him ever again but your happy for your friend.

 

I hate funerals, but the only reason i go to one is to show my respects to the alive people.. since im sure that the dead person doesn't give a rats ass if i go or not.. and i prefer to remember someone as they lived and not have some traumatic burial experience in my memory.

[Pantophobia]

I almost get the Jesus stuff being so heavy handed at funerals. After all, that's supposed to be the "comfort" to those left behind. Blah blah blah together in heaven someday, still with us, not in pain anymore. But I've noticed that this fire-and-brimstone crap is becoming more acceptable at weddings, too. The last few I've been to, even when the couple isn't particularly religious, if the officiant is, it usually includes some sort of lecture about how the newlyweds must build their marriage on the foundation of Christ, with the man as the head of the household. (At one, the bride, groom, and quite a few of the guests who know them well started laughing at the "be subservient" stuff. If she was the subservient type, her husband wouldn't have fallen in love with her!) 

 

But it's hard when it's a public situation, or very emotional. nivek's story is great, but most of us are too intimidated or overwhelmed to interrupt a ceremony and tell the bible-thumper to cut it out. 

[R. S. Martin]

When I was younger and still going to church, I remember that whenever a churchgoer died, on the Sunday before/after the funeral the pastor would say that the funeral "might be the only time unconverted family members and friends will hear about the Lord". 

 

These Christies can be so ignorant. Even deep in Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu countries people have heard about the Christians' "Lord." The entire human race has heard the name of Jesus and holds some opinion or other regarding him.

 

At my favourite aunt's funeral there were visiting preachers from the States. Everyone (of the congregation in general) wanted to hear them preach. Sometimes, special services are held for this but there wasn't time so these men who never even knew my aunt preached at her funeral so people could hear them. I felt cheated.

 

I think I'd feel the same if a close relative's funeral was used to evangelize the unsaved. Like you say, it is so disrespectful. Kudos to nivek for standing up to the bible thumper.