Is this hypocrisy ?

[modeller]

I recently attended a wake for a humanist friend of mine. He was buried in a woodland trust burial ground . There was no service only a 5 minute saying goodbye at the grave. Many of his friends attended of various beliefs and none.

However there was one notable exception the one person who was most associated with a church. He and his wife are closely linked to their church at all levels from supplying all the flowers, playing the organ and preparing the sermons. but they couldn't bring themselves to attend a non religious service.

To put it mildly it was an unchristian act. The deceased widow was understandably upset that someone who she considered a close friend could be so unfeeling.

Can anyone justify this lack of compassion ?

[Duncer]

But surely a funeral is about what you thought of the deceased, not about your own personal beliefs?

As far as I know there is nothing to preclude Christians from attending, except misguided snobbery and hypocrisy? And vice versa.

[modeller]

I'm sorry clanad you have lost me . I don't know what more clarification you
seem to need. Do you not understand what a wake is ?
It is a commemoration of a persons life which may be a party accompanied or not , by rituals in this case a 5 min internment. Some wakes, as in Ireland consist of a tour of all the local pubs.

What a funny idea you have of close friends . Good grief you don't have to be a social/worker carer to be considered close friends.
In this case they visited each other socially in their homes every two or three weeks and had done so for several years . A well as meeting up at their clubs .Wouldn't you say they were close friends.
Yes several people were puzzled /surprised that they were not there especially the widow . We know they were at home i.e not on holiday neither did they respond to the letter that she had sent to everyone . Not even a word of condolence , then or since. So I think it reasonable to suppose there was another deeper reason .

There wasn't a service . A wake is not a service and nether is a 5 min goodbye

I not prepared to get into a pedantic discussion on the definition of Humanism. That would be an empty discussion and irrelevant to to their behaviour.

[Duncer]

Quite!

[Duncer]

Modeller - “... [to Clanad] I not prepared to get into a pedantic discussion on the definition of Humanism. That would be an empty discussion and irrelevant to to their behaviour....”

Good call. In my experience, Clanad is rather odd character. I have had a few debates with him in the past. They almost always end up with him asserting something utterly unprovable or implausible which I counter and then... nothing. He disappears. If I remember correctly, Clanad was, 'going to get back to me' on a matter of evolution. That was well over six months ago. Needless to say, I haven't heard anything since.

Pay no attention. He's a wind-up merchant as demonstrated by his earlier post where he's attempting to infer things left right and centre without a shred evidence whilst pushing his Christian agenda.

Birdie, I have detected a fundamental fault in your post. You have only given Clanad six months and, as we all know, evolution aint' quite that quick?

[naomi24]

There has to be more to this than meets the eye. Perhaps something happened to offend them on their last meeting. Being such good friends, if they were reluctant to attend a non-religious funeral, I would have thought the widow would have been aware of that – but to ignore the man’s demise altogether and send no word of condolence seems very odd indeed. Was the death sudden, or was the man ill for some time before, and if so, did they visit him then?

[modeller]

I try not to get into a discussion on evolution because theists will not accept the science because to do so would be admitting their mythology is a load of bunkum. If you challenge them on anything in the bible they then turn to another part of the bible to prove their part . I say to them " I'll discuss the bible with you as long as you don't use the bible to prove the bible. "
They then whip out biblical tracts and leaflets to argue their cause.

[RATTER15]

This is why I just want to be put out for recycling or turn me in to blood and bone meal for the garden!

[modeller]

naomi He had been ill for some time and they had visited socially . His death was sudden when it occurred but expected. We also know they had attended the funeral of a member of their congregation about a week earlier.

[modeller]

Ratter #This is why I just want to be put out for recycling or turn me in to blood and bone meal for the garden!#
I agree its a good idea.

[naomi24]

It doesn't make sense. If they didn't even send a word of condolence, surely there must have been a falling out between the couple and the deceased that the widow wasn't aware of? Regardless of their religious beliefs, I find it very difficult to believe that such good friends would ignore the death completely. If I were the widow, I would have to ring them and ask what's wrong.

[modeller]

naomi I don't know the answer to that one . I know both parties quite well and I know they were very friendly up to a month before his death and in that month
the deceased never left his house nor did he have any visitors apart from myself and one other friend.

[modeller]

In any case had there been an unlikely rift surely you put that to one side and still offer condolences, even more so if you are a Christian.

[naomi24]

I understand what you're saying, but if I knew both parties quite well, rather than speculate I'd ask them why they ignored it.

[Clanad]

Sorry, birdie (there is a life beyond AB)... what was it we were discussing?... I've forgotten. (Rather like being called "an odd character" though, besides it lends itself to a real exchange of ideas, no?)

Seems naomi has had a reasoned approach, though...

[mibn2cweus]

//Seems naomi has had a reasoned approach, though...//

And her pies rarely miss either.

[CailinDeas]

Too much is being assumed or presumed here. There may have been a family emergency or something of that nature. There simply couldn't be a faith based reason for non attendance. After all, the basis of the Christian faith is "Love one another".

[naomi24]

//There simply couldn't be a faith based reason for non attendance.//

Oh, there most definitely could!

//After all, the basis of the Christian faith is "Love one another". //

That's what the basis of Christian faith is rumoured to be, but unfortunately, in reality, it doesn't always work like that.

[naomi24]

Modeller, if you find out what happened, will you let us know please? I'm intrigued.