Thank you, runner. Peter, there speaks a genuine Christian, one of the type that pays your wages. How long are you going to go on betraying them by peddling atheism under the guise of Christianity?

Yes Sells at his awful pretentious worst!
I have been to many funerals in recent times and quite frankly the ones conducted in various Christian churches have been so tacky as to be cringingly painful. Especially all the ridiculous nonsense about the "lord jesus christ"

But what is death really all about, and what does the death of an other tell us about the nature of "I" and Reality altogether?
http://www.adidam.org/death_and_dying/journal/death_insult.htm
http://www.adidam.org/death_and_dying/journal/no_self_dies.htm

I think the 'Celebration of Life' funerals and services arose in reaction to the dire offerings of the Christian funeral service. Clergy who seemed to be just going through the motions and even reading bits of the service that had been spewed out of a printer.

Any C of L services I have attended have been prepared with great love and sensitivity by the families concerned, and feeling uplifted rather than depressed at the end of a sad occasion has to be a good thing.

sells/quote..<<>..What we get instead is a celebration of the life of the deceased..as if that celebration fills the chasm that death threatens to create.>>..

in a funny way it does..once you get over all the junk of iSRAEL/PRmised land..and everyone 'getting' to heaven/WE FORGET THE FUNERAL IS ABOUT THE CROSSED OVER SPIRIT..first foremoist..we gather for theM

SURE TO COMFORT..THE GRIEVING..but lets face it we are here for the dear departed..or its a trick..

<<..But no amount of the celebration of life will extinguish death's dark shadow, the end of all human possibilities.>>.its sad that you see a shadow..death is a rebirthing..not an ending[for good or ill..we know as a surity..the dead ARE NOT 'DEAD'

INFACT..THEY SHALL CONTINUE TO interacT..WITH THE LIVING..for longer or shorter PERIODS OF TIME..they are as close as a thought away/we need but think of them/and they are there[their biggest grief..is our grief/yes ouR GRIEVING THEIR 'DEATH'..IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST PROBLEM OF THE DEAD

..<<..Certainly to give thanks for a life lived no matter how distinguished or short is commendable.>>..THIS BECOMES SUBJECT TOP ROTE CREED AND OTHERWISE FORMULATION..NOT ALL LIVES WILL BE COMMENDABLE/IN FACT IN DEATH..the 'departed'..for the first time hear the unver\\arnished truth.

directly/mind to mind..yes they hear.the fine speecHED..BUT ALSIO..our minds commenting/reacting..tO THE THOUGHTS TRUTH..OR FAULSity[THE TRUE HELL IS THERE IS NO SECRET..ANYMORE

<<>.It acknowledges that all of life is a temporary gift, but to simply celebrate life in the face of death leads us nowhere.>>

UTTER INDCOCTRINATE IGNORANCE
the spirit moves on when WE MOVE ON/IF WE HAUNT THEIR NEXT LIFE BY CONSTABNTLY THINKING OF THEM FUTILLY/HURTFULLY OR blaming them for leaving..its true hell/we need show them a better EXPECTATion/givE THEM HOPE/BY BEING TRUE

YOU IMAGINE..YOUR IN HELL..your fun-eral begiNS..AND THEY TALK OF ISRAEL...hells bellsi am in the depths of hell..and thats the BEST ADVICE YOu can tell?

<<..It is mere dancing in the dark.>>..
HEre we need mention thAT THOSE OBSESSED with the persona/moretal boDY..HAVE OFTEN LONG ATTATCHMENTS TO THEIR FLESH..[suicides need special care..the body must be destructed..[its not unusual for suicides to retain attatchment.to their dead[preserved flesh]..till their 'natural life term expiRES.

I am a non-theist, and have attended many funerals. The worst funeral services by far are those conducted by clergy in their churches where they rave on endlessly about someone called Jesus Christ, almost completely ignoring the deceased whose body is lying there in a coffin. Dreary old nineteenth century hymns are "sung" by the sheep-like congregation, and so on. It's just plain awful. In complete contrast are those maligned (by Peter Sellick)Celebration of Life funerals where everyone is at least talking about the deceased. Sure, some of these CL "services" are pretty maudlin, but mostly they are what the family really want. It's their way (and their privilege)of saying good bye to someone they loved and respected. There is no evidence whatsoever for any existence after death, so let's simply celebrate a life of someone who was our mother, father, sister, brother, colleague or friend. No wonder people are leaving the churches in droves these days when you see what goes on at a "religious" funeral service.

There are those who prefer Christian funerals, those he prefer Buddhist funerals, etc and recently we have had also those who prefer Celebration of Life funerals. I know that Christian funerals are - or are supposed to be - about hope as a wrodview orientation, full stop. I am not sure, and probably would not understand, what the others are about.

It is obvious that those who go to funerals of the kind that they would not have chosen for their deceased loved ones are disappointed and do not appreciate the ceremony. It is less obvious why they have a need to publicly ridicule such ceremonies as meaningless just because they are meaningless to them.