Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Shake · 05-17-2002, 04:53 PM

Just read <a href="http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/134/metro/Church_loses_the_last_word+.shtml" target="_blank">this</a> on the newswire.

Are they kidding? Here's one of the best lines:

Quote:

Funerals, church officials say, are not about the deceased.

Really?! What the hell are they about then? Here's another kicker:

Quote:

Then she was told that ''Danny Boy'' couldn't be played because, in the priest's word, it wasn't ''liturgical.''

Sheesh! <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" /> I know the church is big on rituals and tradition, but what about respecting the wishes of the dying? What if I want Korn or Metallica played at my funeral? I guess it won't matter to me too much since I'll be fertilizer by then, but c'mon!

Bree · 05-17-2002, 09:08 PM

If I remember correctly, a non-Catholic cannot read Scripture nor give a eulogy at a funeral Mass. This goes along with the "non-liturgical" music being played.

Veil of Fire · 05-18-2002, 12:29 AM

Gotta love Catholics.

Moving a priest from state to state so he doesn't get caught by law enforcement officials is OK, but singing "Danny Boy" is bad.

RIiiiiiiight.

Dipshits.

There will come a day when it will be perfectly legal for me to wear a necklace made from the testacles of the Catholic priests I've assassinated.

Shake · 05-18-2002, 06:19 PM

Having spent some time in the Lutheran faith and being the son of a history buff, I've always been somewhat ... hmmm, anti-Catholic is too strong ... just in disagreement with Catholic thought lines. The hypocrisy of the Catholic ways is just too much for me. It seems so un-American to be Catholic to me. America is about freedom of thought and actions (within reason of course), and to have some monarch-type (the Pope) tell me what to do just seems to go against what this country was founded for.

Anyway, on a semi-related tangent: anyone catch Law & Order: SVU last night? All about this whole scandal with the priests and the pedophilia coverup. And the one cop was a Catholic and at the end he kinda goes off on these priests. It was very good.

MikeMcK · 05-18-2002, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bree:
If I remember correctly, a non-Catholic cannot read Scripture nor give a eulogy at a funeral Mass. This goes along with the "non-liturgical" music being played.

Bree, I've been to a ton of firefighter funerals in the last fourteen years or so (including four since 9/11) and the vast, vast majority are either Roman Catholic or liturgical in nature.

I can only remember a handful where the Emerald Society or the A.O.H. didn't play "Danny Boy".

I don't know if there was some special dispensation because it's tradition or what, but they've always let fire departments do it.

Mike

<a href="http://www.radiomargaritaville.com" target="_blank">http://www.radiomargaritaville.com</a>

bonduca · 05-18-2002, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Veil of Fire:
There will come a day when it will be perfectly legal for me to wear a necklace made from the testacles of the Catholic priests I've assassinated.

I have to ask - in a locket, or strung like bead thingies?

IvanK · 05-20-2002, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bree:
If I remember correctly, a non-Catholic cannot read Scripture nor give a eulogy at a funeral Mass. This goes along with the "non-liturgical" music being played.

I'm not sure about funerals, but I read from Ecclesiastes at my wedding in a Catholic church. I think it's true that only a presiding priest or his designee (usually a deacon) can read from the Gospels during a sacramental service, however. We had some Lutheran music played (Bach and Haendel) but I believe the church music director had right of refusal over our choices. I've heard of Lutheran pastors disallowing the famous Wedding March from Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream music because the play it is supposed to accompany had fairies in it.

free12thinker · 05-20-2002, 08:57 AM

When our son passed away 3 years ago, we had him cremated. We were in the military at the time and my wife worked for the Chief of Chaplains Office. We decided to have a service (not of a religious nature of course), yet in order to retrieve the services of the Base Hall, we had to use the services of a pastor. We decided it was better than renting out a private hall for $450.00 and went with it, under the condition that the pastor make no mentions of God, heaven, the bible, or any passages within. We spoke with the pastor, who was my wifes boss, and he agreed to run the ceremony, free of any religious input.

Only, when it came time to master the ceremony, he stated (about a dozen times) our wishes to keep the ceremony free of any religious input, and asked if anyone would like any private praying sessions are just talks (under his tutelage, of course), than they were free to see him after the ceremony. He also put a bible on one of the big photos we had of Jordan. Upon exiting the stage however, he noticed my wife crying and had the nerve to tell her, "He's in a better place now". We were furious, and upon speaking our final words for Jordan, I simply stated:
"Jordan lived seventeen short months but was a ball of joy. We decided to have him cremated so that we could keep him with us in some way. Thank you all for coming. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep this from becoming a religious ceremony, no matter how hard we tried. We would've taught Jordan to respect others and practice tolerance, but in this case, the respect was not granted to us, and for that I will show no tolerance. Jordan is not going to a better place, because there is no better place than home for him. He fought hard and lived longer than most expected, a fact that can be attributed to HIS strength and some good doctors. Not someone else's graciousness or gift. Thank You"

Enough said right?

scarmig · 05-20-2002, 09:19 AM

free12thinker

Excellent. Not preachy or arrogant, but an excellent way to put the pastor in his place and uphold the dignity of your son and his struggle.

IvanK · 05-20-2002, 09:53 AM

The man has balls of solid brass. Not even Ingersoll could bring himself to stand at a child's graveside and tell the parents there was no Heaven. Good job.

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05-17-2002, 09:08 PM	#2
Bree Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Twin Cities, USA Posts: 3,197	If I remember correctly, a non-Catholic cannot read Scripture nor give a eulogy at a funeral Mass. This goes along with the "non-liturgical" music being played.

05-18-2002, 12:29 AM	#3
Veil of Fire Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: South Carolina Posts: 451	Gotta love Catholics. Moving a priest from state to state so he doesn't get caught by law enforcement officials is OK, but singing "Danny Boy" is bad. RIiiiiiiight. Dipshits. There will come a day when it will be perfectly legal for me to wear a necklace made from the testacles of the Catholic priests I've assassinated.

05-18-2002, 06:19 PM	#4
Shake Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Folding@Home in upstate NY Posts: 14,394	Having spent some time in the Lutheran faith and being the son of a history buff, I've always been somewhat ... hmmm, anti-Catholic is too strong ... just in disagreement with Catholic thought lines. The hypocrisy of the Catholic ways is just too much for me. It seems so un-American to be Catholic to me. America is about freedom of thought and actions (within reason of course), and to have some monarch-type (the Pope) tell me what to do just seems to go against what this country was founded for. Anyway, on a semi-related tangent: anyone catch Law & Order: SVU last night? All about this whole scandal with the priests and the pedophilia coverup. And the one cop was a Catholic and at the end he kinda goes off on these priests. It was very good.

05-20-2002, 08:57 AM	#8
free12thinker Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: DC Metropolitan Area Posts: 417	When our son passed away 3 years ago, we had him cremated. We were in the military at the time and my wife worked for the Chief of Chaplains Office. We decided to have a service (not of a religious nature of course), yet in order to retrieve the services of the Base Hall, we had to use the services of a pastor. We decided it was better than renting out a private hall for $450.00 and went with it, under the condition that the pastor make no mentions of God, heaven, the bible, or any passages within. We spoke with the pastor, who was my wifes boss, and he agreed to run the ceremony, free of any religious input. Only, when it came time to master the ceremony, he stated (about a dozen times) our wishes to keep the ceremony free of any religious input, and asked if anyone would like any private praying sessions are just talks (under his tutelage, of course), than they were free to see him after the ceremony. He also put a bible on one of the big photos we had of Jordan. Upon exiting the stage however, he noticed my wife crying and had the nerve to tell her, "He's in a better place now". We were furious, and upon speaking our final words for Jordan, I simply stated: "Jordan lived seventeen short months but was a ball of joy. We decided to have him cremated so that we could keep him with us in some way. Thank you all for coming. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep this from becoming a religious ceremony, no matter how hard we tried. We would've taught Jordan to respect others and practice tolerance, but in this case, the respect was not granted to us, and for that I will show no tolerance. Jordan is not going to a better place, because there is no better place than home for him. He fought hard and lived longer than most expected, a fact that can be attributed to HIS strength and some good doctors. Not someone else's graciousness or gift. Thank You" Enough said right?

05-20-2002, 09:19 AM	#9
scarmig Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Somewhere Posts: 689	free12thinker Excellent. Not preachy or arrogant, but an excellent way to put the pastor in his place and uphold the dignity of your son and his struggle.

05-20-2002, 09:53 AM	#10
IvanK Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Posts: 2,016	The man has balls of solid brass. Not even Ingersoll could bring himself to stand at a child's graveside and tell the parents there was no Heaven. Good job.

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