The Death of an Atheist

I was over at Atheist Central today and read his Sad News for Some post. A comment he posts to it was really telling. He mentions in his post, though, asking if:

Have you ever noticed how a man may be a money-grabbing, lying, womanizer, who has been hated by almost everybody, but the moment he dies, the whole world says he was "a good man"--a generous person, and a loving husband?

Yes. The reaction to the death of Christian evangelical Jerry Falwell was the opposite of what I would have expected. This wicked man spewed racist and homophobic rhetoric any time he opened his mouth. Although he was a strong advocate for racial segregation, there were nothing but kind words and praises for the man on the news. Bill Maher was one of the few to give a proper eulogy.

What will the preacher say at your funeral?

As many of the atheists noted there, me included, there won't be a preacher at my funeral, unless they were a friend. I have no religious text which dictates that I be buried nor any dogma which mandates that I be buried as a necessary step to the afterlife. As such, my organs will, if possible, be donated to potential recipients in need and then my corpse will be donated to an accredited university through a willed body program where it will be used for medical research and study. Once done, the remains will be cremated and disposed of. This is because I will no longer exist and, as such, I do not need my body so I might as well let others benefit from it.

If there is any service for my family, it will be up to them how they would like it done. My only requests have been a financial restraint (explicitly no ceremonial coffin) and no religious services. I think a comment by Ray was exemplary of the reason I do not want any religious service:

You won't be there. What say I show up and charm your wife into letting me preach? Don't worry, I wouldn't even mention you (too late). I would simply preach the gospel to the living--your grieving friends and family. Who knows; she may let me do it as a payback for all the annoying habits you had . . . :)

I would not want someone like Ray Comfort taking advantage of my family in their weakest hour. What a horrible sentiment! Disrespecting the final wishes of the deceased just because they were an atheist? Would he be so quick to comment about disrespecting the final wishes of the deceased if they were a Christian?

I can't help but wonder if this is insight to why people like the Westboro Baptist Church can show up and desecrate funeral services by spouting their nonsense. I don't ask for decency for the sake of me, as I will no longer exist; however, I do ask it for my bereaved loved ones.


Others on this topic.
The Raytractors