ARE JW SISTERS ALLOWED TO CARRY COFFINS?

by steve2 41 Replies latest jw friends

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  LittleToe

  My Grandmother's remains where at the front of the hall, for the sales pitch funeral, before we all headed to the crematorium for another sales pitch service.

  The pall-bearers were her two sons and her two eldest grandsons (my cousin and myself).
  The undertakers last comments to us, as we removed the coffin from the hearse, were "don't drop her, you'll split the coffin!" (she was a hefty lady).

  It's not customary for women to be pallbearers in Britain. This is not just a JW thing. It's historic, probably pagan , and likely has little to do with physical strength. That having been said, Princess Diana's coffin was lead-lined, and the poor soldiers were a bit red in the face.

  In this part of Scotland, burials are the community norm, with most JW funerals being taken from the home and then a final word at the graveside.
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  Golden Girl

  I only remember one funeral when I was a JW.I'm sure there were many more. One stands out tho. It was a child..I believe he had lukemia.

  They held the funeral at a funeral parlor..open casket.

  They had the Memorial at the KH..just gave a talk on "What is death?"

  I remember the parents too.She went into a depression..I went over there a few times and helped her but eventually got caught up in my own things and they had a large family supporting them.. Later I heard they had quit coming to the meetings..and that they became "Worldly".

  Then all of a sudden they showed up at an assembly.I remember she had a fur coat on and a mini skirt..and a lot of makeup.

  After that they slowly started coming back and she started to get more conservative. But I heard later they left again..
  Gossip.. was they blamed "Jehovah" for the child's death..(No blood)..and they just couldn't forgive him. I think the Grandparents and siblings quit going too.

  I wonder how many deaths the JW's are responsible for with their man made teachings?

  Snoozy...
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  fairy

  My mothers coffin was in the hall (she was cremated), my friends coffin was in the hall and there are others.

  I personally, have never seen an open coffin in a KH
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  TresHappy

  I've been to several JW funerals at the KH. I remember many having their coffins and even having a "last look." That's when I decided I wanted to be cremated.
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  steve2

  Thanks for the replies, everyone. Female JWs role is invisible during the funeral and, it seems, the male JWs role isn't too much more visible in some places. However, I note a "disturbing" regional and even national variation among the JW funeral service itself. Is this an area the governing body is somewhat lax on? An earnest JW may want to write the Watchtower about this lack of uniformity.

  I noted TresHappy's description of a JW funeral in Ireland. It has a local flavour to it. Similarly, my grandparents had their respective funeral services in the kingdom hall with the coffins present (albeit not open). Among the male pallbearers were two unbelieving sons (but who were deemed suitably respectable). There was no provision for any in the audience to offer eulogies - that seems standard worldwide.

  I'm not sure why eulogies aren't allowed. I suspect it's because of that stupid rule about not drawing attention to individuals - even during their funeral. How crazy is that?
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  Abaddon

  And the LORD spake unto the old men in the Upper Room by the small river of Lyn, and said; "You must not suffer a women to teach, nor put a microphone in her hand, or a cock in her mouth, or assign her any responsibility in the congregation of the LORD, for thou knowest that woman bleedith for five days between each full moon, and dieth not, and that shit ain't natural."
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  LittleToe

  LOL @ Gyles!
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  ozziepost

  Gyles is reading the Dutch translation!
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  LittleToe

  Ozzie:
  I'm not so sure that even the Dutch Reformed Church would accept that translation
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  doofdaddy

  You're "dead" right Giles

  Wímmin are fer birthin' and fixin' the vit'ls