Funerals - what do agnostics/atheists do?

[mactbone]

Since I'm relatively new to the whole not subscribing to any specific belief, and my grandfather died recently, I've been wondering, what do agnostics and atheists usually have done to them?

The question sounds odd but I'll put it like this -
Christians have body put in casket - priest/pastor or whatever talks to a group of people who care and then they bury the person.
There's also the whole burial at sea, flaming pyre, and long voyage down the river ceremonies.

What kinds of things do athiests/agnostics usually do?
Casket/cremation?
Funeral service/not?
What!?

[loinburger]

My grandpa was an agnostic/atheist, and my grandma is a Catholic, so my grandpa was given a casket burial so that my grandma can be buried next to him when her time comes. He really didn't care one way or the other what happened to his corpse, and my grandma had Opinions on the matter, so he acceded to her wishes.

There are benefits to a funeral service and/or burial that are quite independent of one's religious beliefs -- basically, they're for the benefit of the family and any other mourners, so that they can have their cry and lay flowers by the deceased's grave etc. It's not a topic I've broached with my family (since I intend to outlive them all), but if I ever find it necessary to write out a will (or whatever) it will basically say "Donate my organs, and with the rest do whatever floats your boat."

[Caesar the Great]

i want a comedian, and some beatles songs at my funeral

i don't like sad people

[mactbone]

I can see it now.

Comedian at Caesar's funeral "Hey! Did you hear the one about the corpse?"

[MRT144]

im christian but basicly i want a new orleans type of funeral...with dancing and celebrating. i want my life to be celebrated with an actual celebration.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by loinburger
... but if I ever find it necessary to write out a will (or whatever) it will basically say "Donate my organs, and with the rest do whatever floats your boat."

The organ donation part is good, but you'd best be careful with that last part. I mean, what if they decide to clone you? Your soul would be sucked back into this life or, perhaps, another soul would inhabit your former body.

Gatekeeper

(Put in a clause about "no cloning allowed.")

[GePap]

Funerals are for the living, not the dead.

I think cremation is probably a very popular choice: saves on space and it is a much cheaper way of corpse disposal. And you can still have a wake for an Urn.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
(Put in a clause about "no cloning allowed.")

If they decide to clone me, then that's their problem to deal with, not mine. I'll still be corpsified.

Besides, it'd be cool if they cloned me -- I could increase my notoriety post mortem. "loinburger's clone robbed yet another bank today..." "The cheesecake factory has fallen prey to the loinburger-clone army -- this is the eighth confectioner to be sacked this week..." I'm gonna be famous!

[Gatekeeper]

You'd put DS9's Weyoun to shame, Loin!

[Mercator]

I'm with loinburger. Donate my organs, do whatever you please with the rest...

Being fed to the lions sounds like a very tasty affair. I'm not sure my family would appreciate it as much as the lions would, though.

[Starchild]

Sometimes we atheists have deep, meaningful funerals that remember the person's life and their impact on the people who they loved.

Sometimes we leave the body near the side of the road until garbage collection day.

[chequita guevara]

Donate my organs to charity and the rest of my body to science.

Have a really big party with the money you would have spent on funeral crap.

[Jon Miller]

I am relgious and christian

but I want my body to be left out in the woods to decompose

I might be willing to let them harvest any needed organs first

Jon Miller

[Wernazuma III]

I don't care at all, what happens with my corpse, but as I see it, a Christian doesn't have a religious reason to care either - it's only the body, right?

I'm an atheist but still think about how the world will be after my death, so I'd rather be cremated than possibly poison the water. I don't want a funeral, unless my relatives want it to feel better, then I don't care - after all it will be THEIR money...

[Ben Kenobi]

a Christian doesn't have a religious reason to care either - it's only the body, right?

Catholics have last rites. Orthodox churches may have something similar. Regarding cremation vs. burial, generally burial is done, not for reasons of doctrine, but tradition.

[edited for grammer]