Pallbearers, Are JW's allowed to be pallbearers

by skin 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  undercover

  JW funerals sometimes have pallbearers, sometimes don't.

  Being a pallbearer for a non-JW funeral would be the sticky situation. Is the funeral in a church? Even if it's in a funeral home, is it conducted by a minister of another faith? Are there some traditions performed that would be considered "pagan" by JW standards?

  I was a pallbearer in a non-JW funeral. This was when I was first making my exit from the JWs. When I was first asked, I had a sense of dread and fear. How was I going to get out of it without hurting feelings? But then I realized that I wasn't playing by JW rules anymore and I accpeted. There was a feeling of enpowerment for doing what I thought was right and decent instead of allowing the fear of the WT teachings to dictate my thinking.
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  What-A-Coincidence

  feeling of enpowerment for doing what I thought was right and decent instead of allowing the fear of the WT teachings to dictate my thinking.

  ditto

  and Praise ALibaba
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  Reefton Jack

  In answer to Blondie's question: - when I acted as a pall-bearer at a funeral, it was over 30 years ago.

  This was at the funeral of my grandmother; and the service was conducted by a minister of the Presbyterian Church - but was held in the chapel at the Funeral Director's premises.

  In those years, I did believe that the World (mine anyway!) trembled at the mere shadow of the WTS. Consequently, I did get the green light from the local Body of Elders beforehand.

  My experience with the matter, anyway,

  Jack.

  PS: The question that begs answering is - if nobody is allowed to be a pall-bearer, how do they move the coffin?
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  daystar

  The responses are interesting. I had a very different experience from the 70s to early 90s. My family attended more than one non-JW funeral without ever a question in mind as to whether we should or not. We didn't bow during the prayers (said our own) and I just rather took what the preacher said and twisted it into JW-speak in my own mind, so "seeing them one day in heaven" became "seeing them one day in the restored Paradise in Jehovah's new earthly kingdom."

  I was never a pall-bearer while in, but about a year after, I was a pallbearer at a non-JW funeral and never caught grief from my parents.

  Really, I just never knew it was an issue. I mean, we weren't there for the service. We were there to respect the dead.
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  XJW4EVR

  I think that traditional funerals are frowned unpon, but not officially on the no-no list. The reason is simple: $$$$ (big suprise on that). A traditional funeral will cost between 6 and 10 thousnad dollars. A cremation will run a fraction of that. After all, brothers, what better way to show loyalty to mother by giving the money saved by cremating your loved one to the WT$ instead of some undertaker?