JW's Funerals, Forget About The Person! Let's Preach.

by new boy 34 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  smiddy

  Late Bloomer , I went to a " worldly" funeral of a work mate who was killed in an accident at his home .

  It was held in a Uniting Church , that is a merger of some protestant churches here in Australia .

  And it was a Celebration of his life , and guess what : One of the songs was about giving praise to Jehovah God .

  It`s a blatant lie that Christendoms Churches do not use that name for God..

  Since leaving the JW`s I have attended quite a few "worldly" funerals and they all Celebrate the life of the deceased .

  smiddy
• 

  stuckinarut2

  After a lifetime of attending witness funerals, even giving witness funeral talks, I wondered if there was something wrong with me, as I never really cried or grieved!

  We were "encouraged" not to show outward emotions and grief, as "we had the truth"!

  So it was an artificial gathering...a stifled event.

  Now I have been to many "worldly" funerals of all sorts, and I actually have experienced proper grief...even breaking down quite a bit.

  Why??

  Because the person was actually REMEMBERED, YES given a dignified service about their life, along with up building comments about how their life can affect us and impact us moving forward.
• 

  stan livedeath

  Well...I announced on here last weekend.. My jw dad died last Saturday.

  I've read his will...there's no instructions regarding his funeral.

  As far as I am aware...he had no visits from anyone on his congregation in the last year or so. Certainly no elders. He was unable to attend any meetings or memorials in the last 3 years. I don't think anyone offered to take him. His jw granddaughter lives half a mile away from him. She never went near him.

  I have arranged a simple non.religious ceremony...just the committal at a crematorium. No minister..no hymns. As far as I know..I will be the only mourner there.
• 

  Lieu

  Think about it. JW yearly memorial service. Are the many events of Christ's life spoken about or abstract WT beliefs on loyalty to the Org? Why would you expect anything different for a member's funeral?

  Besides, how can the speaker say anything about members he doesn't really know outside of FS reports and meeting attendance?

  Pretty much, she's dead hope to see her later. The end. Now, about Jehovahs Witnesses ....

  Your death is a jump off for a JW commercial of sorts.
• 

  Vidiot

  I recently attended a funeral at a local Baptist church.

  It was a little flashbacky, in that - IMO - there was too much Jesus and not enough funeree.

  On the plus side, it completely reinforced my desire for a secular service at a funeral home in the event of my death.
• 

  jambon1

  Truly the worst funerals I've ever been to.

  Borderline offensive and completely without feeling.

  I go to hear the person eulogised, not to hear about their beliefs or those of others.

  Appalling.
• 

  Doctor Who

  The more I look back at my mom who died some 10 years ago, I think she was 'awake' to what was going on in the WT. She only wanted a simple service done at the funeral home for her family. We had pictures, played a video highlight clip of her life, and had some of her family say a few words. After which, I read Rev. 21:3,4 and talked briefly about our hope of seeing her again in Paradise. After that, we played "Life without End at Last" and I said a prayer. I was told by one of the 'friends' that attended that it was the most beautiful funeral discourse she had ever been to.
  
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  sandy

  Ugh! The guy who gave my father's funeral talk used a few minutes to speak about my dad in a personal way. I am still livid about it as I type this! He only had a few minutes to say personal things about my dad and he used some of the time to share a personal story of him and my father. A stupid story too of when they were young. It said nothing about my father's character! He was not particularly close to my dad but the family agreed he would be a good choice to give the talk. We all sat together the few days before the funeral and all six kids and some grand kids told him stories and good things about my dad. What a waste of time.
  
• 

  Finkelstein

  Make no doubt about it, JWS will exploit someone's death as a workable vehicle to proselytize.
  

  I've seen JWS go directly at people who just lost a family member, instinctively aware these people are in a weak state of mind, acceptable to their suggestions.

  Do you know that all mankind is going to resurrected from the dead soon ?
  
• 

  Lostandfound

  Funerals - those in attendance fall into two groups, close family and others. Close family are usually so deep in grief they do not take a word you say in. The others covers congregation members and maybe neighbours or work colleagues of the deceased, these people also do not take much in. Possibly the good life of the deceased are known to many. Talk outline, never used it for many funerals I was speaker at. Without undue haste the best thing for the family is to get away from cemetery/crematorium as quickly as possible. Sadly at witness funerals scores hang around after, showing no concern for the next ceremony.

  As person in ultimate charge of 100s of people at work I attended as company representative many non JW funerals and mainly dignified ceremony focus sing on the person. This did not and still does not worry my conscience as family needed to see the deceaseds ex colleagues had appreciation for the family, like me at non JW funerals work colleagues etc of deceased at JW funeral would not be converted by a "theocratic" funeral. Respect, dignity and compassion not evidenced by preaching.