Would you have a religious funeral for yourself?

36 comments

1. I’m not religious.
   No need to start after I’m dead.

2. In my opinion funerals are for the living. If it makes the people who loved me feel better, they can make it religious. If they’d rather play the drums with my bones, have at it.

3. Not while I’m still alive,at least I hope not.

   When I’m dead? I won’t care then.It doesn’t bother me either way to be honest, with or without.

4. Well, why not?

   It’s nice if somebody gives at least a meal on your behalf after you are gone!

5. No I wouldn’t. My late grandmother’s funeral was non-religious, as per her wishes, and it was a really great ‘send off’ –

   We just read some poems, played some of her favourite music (she was a musician so was a big part of her life), and we talked about memories. Her 4 children, all in their 50s and 60s led the ceremony, which was just inviting people to say a few words. It was a bit improvised and free flowing, but it worked.

   The funeral director handled the logistics and we had a venue in a public cemetery.

   Everyone went to a reception afterwards and the stories kept on flowing and that turned into a typically Irish funeral of the non-tragic variety. We ended up basically having a party until about 3am.

   It was full of her personality and I think we really got the mutual support we needed. There was a lot of talking, hugging, laughing and crying but it was very much a reflection of her.

6. No way. Not even a funural. My body goes to science.

7. No, I wouldn’t. For myself (I strongly dislike the church) and for my loved ones left behind. Religious funerals, in my opinions, are about god and Jesus and the bible for most of the ceremony and then they briefly mention the person who died. This has always bothered me when I went to funerals. I’m there to remember the person who died not hear about all the religious stuff. In a neutral ceremony, the focus is very different (at least the ones I’ve been to).

8. I would donate my body to a medical school, if anyone wants it. Otherwise, people who are left behind can send me off as they please and however is easiest and cheapest for them.

9. If i am dead, i dont care. The funeral isnt for me, its for the surviving friends and family.

   That being said, people around me know i am not religious and they also arent. Still my dads funeral was in a church, despite him not being religious either. Its just kinda how funerals go. I wouldnt even know where to start to organise a non religious funeral.

   So whatever is easiest and/or most helpful to my gf, mum or friends is what would be approved of by me.

10. I would prefer being tossed in the woods and become food for the critters. But if my relatives want otherwise, they can do what they feel will make them feel better

11. No, I hardly know any religious people so that would be weird.
    Besides, I’m thinking about donating my body to science after they managed to take all my useful parts. If people want some kind of service, they can go to the bar. Drinks are on me

12. No. I am not religious, so it would make little sense. A funeral is for the living yes, but the living know me and would be very confused if I did have one.

    Also in my family at least, the funeral is for listening to the deceased ‘s favourite music/poems, watching picture reels, and listening to family members/friends telling mostly funny anecdotes.

13. I mean my loved ones would be the ones in charge of making it happen. It would probably be religious and I like it.

14. I don’t care, the funeral won’t be for me but for the people that cared about me. So, if they find comfort in it, sure. If they don’t, then don’t do it.

15. Funerals are for living 🤷 I’m hardcore atheist but if my family would want a religious funeral for me – sure, go for it, it’s not like I would care at that point.

16. To be honest, I don’t really care. I have been at several funerals, none of them were religious.

17. Absolutely not. I had a religious funeral to arrange for a family member this year, and it was a horrible experience from the beginning till the end. You just pay random people to do random stuff to the body and also judge you and try to convert you to their religion. No thanks.

    So I told my partner to just burn me down and throw the ashes into the sea if donation for educational purposes would be too hard to arrange. Fuck this shit.

18. If I died when my parents are still alive, I’d be fine with a Catholic funeral. That’s the ritual they’re familiar with and would make them feel better.

    If I was planning my own funeral, I’d prefer to be cremated and scattered out at sea or something

19. I once saw a video where the family had a birthday bbq sort of party for the deceased. He always wanted this. Said dont be sad, be happy and rejoice him going to a better place… I thought this was so cool. I’d love for my family to do this for me.

20. We buried my dad out of an LDS/Mormon church. He was not a member but us kids were. It was a positive experience to organise and had the added benefit of royally pissing the extended family off – something he would have appreciated. I am no longer a churchgoer or religious in any way, but would opt for the same for myself if it was allowed. Otherwise a simple humanist service would do.

21. Yes because my parents a few years ago bought a little family mausoleum with plenty of space left and I don’t think they’d let me in the cimitery without a religious funeral lmao

    Mausoleum aside, I genuinely don’t care but I’d probably choose religious for tradition too. I have my own complicated relationship with the church considering that I’m queer but I haven’t completely left my faith yet, I’m actually still weirdly attached to some aspects of it. But I’m okay with that, the pope is actually more progressive than some people I know lmao, if all catholics were like him my life would certainly be easier

22. I”m not religious and I want a non-religious funeral. It just seems to be something really strange in Finland, even though there’s lots of non-religious people here. Most graveyards belong to the Lutheran church, so even finding a grave in a non-religious place might be a problem, there’s only a few of them around. The religious funeral is so ingrained in Finnish culture, that many relatives organise religious funerals for their family members, even though the ones who passed wanted a non-religious funeral, which I find to be really rude.

23. I mean, I would be upset if I knew I wouldn’t have at least a decent one but tbh, by that time I would have no idea what is going on since I would be dead.

24. In my medical will for organ donoring I also state that I do not wish for any ceremonies.

    I’m not a member of any religious community, either. Cremation and dump the ashes to bio-hazard waste.

    Possible friends can have a pint at a local. Nothing more.

25. I won’t be there to veto it. If my survivors want a religious ceremony, then they will have a religious ceremonty. Now technically, you asked would I have a religeous service for myself. No, I would be offended.

26. I wouldn’t mind it being in a church with a priest but I don’t care for too much religiousness in the ceremony. I have never put much thought into this but I’m speaking from the funerals I’ve been to.

27. If my family gave me a religious funeral I’d dig myself up from that grave and chewed off their ankles

28. Nah man put me in a bio pod and let a tree grow I don’t need some stone cross taking up the space. I also hate how our culture has these sad funerals when so many of our lives were beautiful snippets of joy and a rollercoaster of experience and relations. Get stoned and make some sexy mistakes with people at my funeral, go parasailing, don’t get all gloomy in black

29. I don’t even want a funeral. Just take me away and dispose of my remains. Also, don’t waste your breath on anything religious, we ain’t going to see each other again anyways…

30. I don’t care either way. I’m not religious at all, I don’t need it for myself, but I’m also not preemptively pissed off that I’d probably get one (if my parents are still alive at least). My family should just do whatever they feel most comfortable with.

31. I’m an atheist, so no, I am going to be cremated. But then, I’m dead, so I would not care, as I am no longer capable of caring one way or the other.

32. No, I want them to burn my body and plant a tree using my ashes. So I can be not a failure at least after I die.

33. I was ‘dead’ for 11 minutes and spent a total of 10 months in hospital a couple of years ago. It was an unexpected random illness. I wasn’t expected to walk or speak again if i regained consciousness. Needles to say I’m okay, but my lordy recovery was tough. I remember asking my family if they got me the last rights, and they were like,’f*ck no, you’d have haunted us’. 😂
    I’m in my early 40s, and I had to decide what I wanted funeral wise and organise my will at 41, ‘just in case’. Was surreal. I’d strongly advise anyone to chat with their families, if you own property etc organise your wills and be grateful for your health! Enjoy all you have and take nothing for granted. You really never know.

34. Nope. I’m not religious, and having been at a bunch of Catholic funerals, it’s just a drag. Funerals are about people coming together and reminiscing/etc, we can do that without the whole religious performance thing.

    That being said, at that point I won’t really be in any state to give a damn, being dead and all… so if it makes people feel better to give me a religious funeral, whatever, go for it, just don’t say I wanted it. Also don’t spend much money on it, I wouldn’t want you to. (As far as I’m concerned, just get anything useful out of me and then dig a hole and dump my body in there or whatever. Or do that thing where dead bodies are decomposed into earth that can be used to grow things from, at least that way I’ll be useful.)

35. No, I’m not religious nor are most people who will come.

36. No, but I wouldn’t object about most of the traditions or some harmless superstitions, such as you should cover all mirrors to avoid deadman soul be trapped, etc. What I am strongly against of – is paying a priest, holding prayers.