Why do atheists have weddings or funerals?
- Thread starter Dr Lou Natic
- Start date
Lou,
From Webster – Marriage:
It is not that religion invented marriage but that religion adopted a common practice and added further conditions and clauses.
Here are some guidelines for an atheist marriage ceremony.
http://www.atheists.org/comingout/weddings/atheistweddings.html
You seem to be stuck on the idea that marriage was invented by religion.
From Webster – Marriage:
Humans have been holding ceremonies for “marriage” way into the distant past and by all cultures whether religious or not.
It is not that religion invented marriage but that religion adopted a common practice and added further conditions and clauses.
Here are some guidelines for an atheist marriage ceremony.
http://www.atheists.org/comingout/weddings/atheistweddings.html
I'll let marriage slide, even though its roots are clearly religious, I agree there are other benefits to it today.
But funerals, being buried or burned, are too nonsensical for me to accept. They have clearly stemmed from superstitious religious beliefs.
And even for superstition they don't make sense. If you want to entertain the concept of a natural real afterlife, isn't it obvious that the "gateway" would be being eaten? Considering that is how life normally ends for living organisms on the planet earth?
We can't be too sure there is absolutely no form of an afterlife, IF there is a real scientific physical afterlife I am certain you get there by joing the foodchain.
It doesn't make sense that billions of animals would live and die only to miss out on "heaven" because no one buried them or burned their bodies to release their "spirits", that we agree on.
And I know, thats not what people are thinking when they bury or cremate their loved ones, but I guarantee the tradition started for some stupid superstitious reason like that so why continue doing it?
Its crazy and embarrassing. In a way we are being lamer than the superstitious nuts that thought it up, at least they thought they were doing it for a good reason, we're just like "people get buried, I don't know, whatever, just make sure slayer is playing at my funeral"
But funerals, being buried or burned, are too nonsensical for me to accept. They have clearly stemmed from superstitious religious beliefs.
And even for superstition they don't make sense. If you want to entertain the concept of a natural real afterlife, isn't it obvious that the "gateway" would be being eaten? Considering that is how life normally ends for living organisms on the planet earth?
We can't be too sure there is absolutely no form of an afterlife, IF there is a real scientific physical afterlife I am certain you get there by joing the foodchain.
It doesn't make sense that billions of animals would live and die only to miss out on "heaven" because no one buried them or burned their bodies to release their "spirits", that we agree on.
And I know, thats not what people are thinking when they bury or cremate their loved ones, but I guarantee the tradition started for some stupid superstitious reason like that so why continue doing it?
Its crazy and embarrassing. In a way we are being lamer than the superstitious nuts that thought it up, at least they thought they were doing it for a good reason, we're just like "people get buried, I don't know, whatever, just make sure slayer is playing at my funeral"
Well as a brief response to that:
I did check once if i could be "discarded" in my own back garden. I was told doing so is against the law due to environmental and hygiene reasons. By law, in this country, i must get burnt to cinders or put in a box and buried 6 foot down in an established burial site. Not only that but the fuckers charge you for the 'honour' of dying, and the government charge "death tax" for doing so. Even after we've breathed our last we can't get away from the taxman. It's even worse for young kids. They don't give them their own spot, (unless you pay extreme amounts). They just put them in with some stranger dead woman.
So religious incentive aside, there is a hygiene factor to be considered.
I did check once if i could be "discarded" in my own back garden. I was told doing so is against the law due to environmental and hygiene reasons. By law, in this country, i must get burnt to cinders or put in a box and buried 6 foot down in an established burial site. Not only that but the fuckers charge you for the 'honour' of dying, and the government charge "death tax" for doing so. Even after we've breathed our last we can't get away from the taxman. It's even worse for young kids. They don't give them their own spot, (unless you pay extreme amounts). They just put them in with some stranger dead woman.
So religious incentive aside, there is a hygiene factor to be considered.
Thats ridiculous.
Humans are dirty but its not that different from roadkill.
Humans are dirty but its not that different from roadkill.
DarkMadMax
Registered Senior Member
Non -religoious wedding/funerals are not really special . Just in some country its tradition and even many non -religious ppl follow the trend - just because its tradition . For example in my country (Russia -former USSR ) offical part of wedding consists of visiting the special law agency where wedding is officialy registered . Funeral does not includes priests etc .
Though lately some ppl opt to make the wedding/funeral religious .That entirely up to ppl.
As about letting body rot and "taken by vultures" -that an elementary sanitation and hygiene . Cremation imho is much more clean way.
Though lately some ppl opt to make the wedding/funeral religious .That entirely up to ppl.
As about letting body rot and "taken by vultures" -that an elementary sanitation and hygiene . Cremation imho is much more clean way.