(January 8, 2015 at 4:32 pm)Jenny A Wrote: I have never been to an atheist funeral or even a secular one before. But my father died last night, and brother and I now have one to plan.
Our initial thoughts were to use a funeral home and have a short opening welcome and moment of silence. Then some music that Dad loved (60's folk or Simon and Garfunkel). Then a chance for several people who knew him well to speak about him a few minutes (we'll schedule those in advance). More music and a brief closing. All followed by a reception line leading straight to a buffet.
Does anyone have any experience, or just ideas about how to handle this?
That worked for us. My Dad died 7 years ago.
We had a nice get together in the Unitarian Universalist church where he had attended. Several speakers from his life and interests got up and said nice things without any mysticism at all. All that was followed by a dinner in a cafeteria where we children had set up some displays commemorating his achievements at work and otherwise.
Only us kids had attended his last moments in the assisted living facility. My sister the doctor and I were there at the last because our brother had stepped out just a minute, for what I don't remember. We did have a hospice person in earlier but none of us really needed their help and Dad wasn't really there. We were pretty firm that no clerics need attend. Dad wasn't anti-theist, but he never showed any indication of believing in anything other than reality. If anything, he was a full bore 200% humanist and very engaged in bettering humankind, particularly the downtrodden. Gave lots of $$$ to the Southern Poverty Law Center and Klanwatch. We're really proud that the government kept files on him.
No crying that I remember.
Death sucks, but fear of death sucks more.
So how, exactly, does God know that She's NOT a brain in a vat? 
