When archaeologists did up very ancient hominid remains they take special note of burial sites. They judge the intelligence of the species on how the body was buried. Being buried with things like grave goods and flowers are indicators of mental advancement. These signs of respect for the dead are a big deal.
Today I went to a funeral that had to be one of the most generic ceremonies ever. One would think that the officiant could say something personal about the deceased. The poor woman spent 86 years in her church. Somebody should have had something pertinent to say about her.
While it was a pretty poor excuse for a ceremony it’s not the worse I’ve heard of. The priest got my uncle’s name wrong. That’s pretty basic. It’s not hard to get little things like that right.
In contrast I went to funeral during the height of covid. It was held outside and masked as the deceased had passed away from the virus. The brand new minister barely knew the guy due to limited contact. In spite of that he put together a respectful funeral. All it took was talking to the people in the church who knew the guy well.
So what’s the big deal about crappy funerals? It’s one of the ceremonies that hold society together. Funerals are for those who survive. They should bring comfort. Lives well lived should be recognized. When a society can’t honor their dead as well as a bunch of Neanderthals it’s in decline.
-Sixbears
I went to a funeral where the officiant (of the Church of the Black-Robed Kiddie-Rapers) mispronounced the deceased's name and misstated the deceased's age by nine years. It was pathetic. The expressions of family members was suggestive of they wanted to dump the officiant in the same grave.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like the job is a hard one, but a minimum of attention and care is needed.
DeleteSince the hole was already dug it would have been a good use of it.