Do You Have A Plan For Your Atheist Funeral?
Funerals are often associated with one's religious beliefs. However, if you are planning your funeral, and consider yourself an atheist, your loved ones may not know what your wishes would be during an event. While there are common rituals followed with major world religions, as an atheist, you can help your loved ones focus on the grieving process by clarifying what you would like to occur during your funeral.
Celebrating Your Life
Funerals for atheists focus on celebrating your life and helping those who cared about you ruminate on good memories. Consider putting together a video that will include memories from the past that can be played at your funeral may help with this process. You should decide whether you would like friends and family members to speak and share memories during the funeral. Doing so can often be very uplifting.
Deciding What You Will Wear
Clarify the types of clothes that you would like to be wearing. You may not necessarily have to wear something formal if you feel like a mostly informal person.
Considering Some Religious Elements for Family Members
Consider whether you want to include religious elements for your family members. Some atheists have family members who are still religious and they at least want a prayer said at their funerals. If you make this decision, you may want to verify that the one performing the prayer would have no objections to performing rites for a non-believer.
Deciding Whether to Include Any Tradition
While funeral services can be performed in any way and in any order that you would like, you may want to simply have a traditional ceremony that your family would normally expect to have, but without specific references to a deity. That way, your family could focus on the grieving process rather than on any stark differences found in the wedding that are not meaningful to you.
Clarifying What Should Be Said
If you want to keep the funeral strictly humanist, be clear on what you would prefer not to be said during your funeral. For example, you may not want anyone to say "he is in a better place." Instead, you may wish those directing the funeral to say "he will live on in our hearts."
The End of the Funeral
Decide what will happen at the end of the funeral. For example, if you will be buried or cremated, decide whether there will be any music played during this moment. Music can be played that might send a witty or sentimental message.
For more information about funeral planning, visit a funeral home like O'Halloran & Murphy Funeral & Cremation Services.
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