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Would you go to a funeral

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  • 05-07-2007 8:39pm
    #1
    MooseJam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,111 ✭✭✭


    What if a good friend died but you didn't know their friends or family, would you go to the funeral ? doesn't seem to be any point really, what do you think ?


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    #2
    Crucifix
    Registered Users Posts: 3,437 ✭✭✭Crucifix


    MooseJam wrote:
    What if a good friend died but you didn't know their friends or family, would you go to the funeral ? doesn't seem to be any point really, what do you think ?
    If it makes you feel better, solemn location to sort out your thoughts, solidarity of other mourners, whatever, it's point enough.
    I probably wouldn't go though.


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    #3
    aidan24326
    Registered Users Posts: 5,925 ✭✭✭aidan24326


    It's unlikely that someone would be a 'good friend' and you not knowing anybody, brother, sister, girlfriend etc.

    If I really didn't know any of their family/friends I would probably still go.


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    #4
    faceman
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,641 CMod ✭✭✭✭faceman


    It would be the height of disrespect not to go. Religous beliefs aside, the funeral serves to celebrate the life of the deceased.


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    #5
    Asiaprod
    Registered Users Posts: 6,737 ✭✭✭Asiaprod


    Would go, have gone. As above, its a mark of respect.


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    #6
    Fanny Cradock
    Registered Users Posts: 10,245 ✭✭✭✭Fanny Cradock


    Wow, you would have to be pretty entrenched in your views to refuse to go along. On a personal note, I would have no problem attending a non-Christian/ non-religious ceremony.


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    #7
    Zombrex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    MooseJam wrote:
    What if a good friend died but you didn't know their friends or family, would you go to the funeral ? doesn't seem to be any point really, what do you think ?

    Probably not, if I didn't know any of the family or friends. In a situation like that it would only be a personal thing to go, and I don't really need a funeral to say good bye to someone who has died. Some people do, and I've nothing against that, but I don't. So if I wasn't going to support his friends or his family, since I don't know them, I wouldn't.


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    #8
    Zombrex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    Fanny Cradock wrote:
    Wow, you would have to be pretty entrenched in your views to refuse to go along. On a personal note, I would have no problem attending a non-Christian/ non-religious ceremony.

    That isn't what he is asking, this isn't a "are you a hypocrite if you go to a Christian funeral/wedding/christening" type thing

    He is asking do people feel the need to attend a funeral for someone if they have no other reason to go except to say good bye.

    I personally don't, I can say good bye anywhere. In fact I would probably go to some place with memory or meaning and say good bye to them there. As the OP says I think doing it in a church or funeral home is rather pointless.


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    #9
    galwayrush
    Registered Users Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭galwayrush


    faceman wrote:
    It would be the height of disrespect not to go. Religous beliefs aside, the funeral serves to celebrate the life of the deceased.
    That's the way i feel.


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    #10
    Zombrex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    faceman wrote:
    It would be the height of disrespect not to go.

    Not if no one at the funeral had any clue who you were. Who would you be disrespecting then?


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    #11
    Zillah
    Registered Users Posts: 17,371 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    Wicknight wrote:
    Not if no one at the funeral had any clue who you were. Who would you be disrespecting then?

    Jesus?

    Cos I do that all the time anyway.


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    #12
    Dades
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    I guess part of a funeral is showing how much the person was appreciated while they were alive. Does it comfort a family to see a huge turnout, regardless of whether they know the people? Maybe. Might depend too on the age etc of the person who died.

    I'm pretty sure I'd go if it was a good friend.


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    #13
    rediguana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,312 ✭✭✭rediguana


    MooseJam wrote:
    What if a good friend died but you didn't know their friends or family, would you go to the funeral ? doesn't seem to be any point really, what do you think ?

    Interesting point.

    I think it would still be good to go. If the person suddenly arose, Lazarus like, out of the grave, he or she would be perturbed to note the absence of a good friend.


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    #14
    mukki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,669 ✭✭✭mukki


    its nice for the family if a large crowd turn up at the funeral, its nice to know someone will be missed by many


    and.......... you might get free food afterwards


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    #15
    toiletduck
    Registered Users Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭toiletduck


    Asiaprod wrote:
    Would go, have gone. As above, its a mark of respect.

    Exactly.
    and.......... you might get free food afterwards

    "It's what he would have wanted."


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    #16
    Dave!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,857 ✭✭✭✭Dave!


    I would go, yes - if for nothing else, then out of respect to the family.


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    #17
    Hivemind187
    Registered Users Posts: 5,021 ✭✭✭Hivemind187


    MooseJam wrote:
    What if a good friend died but you didn't know their friends or family, would you go to the funeral ? doesn't seem to be any point really, what do you think ?

    The funeral is actually a common construct to all belief systems going back even to proto-cultures as an expression of sorrow and deliberate mourning (as is observable in many other higher mammals such as dolphins, elephants, apes and some whales).

    The funeral itself is simple an extension of the singular human obsession with ritualising everything in our reality. In order for humans to cope with the loss of members of our troupe we require closure. The psycho drama of a funeral ritual provides this closure.

    Its sod all use to the poor sod you are sticking in a hole but it does provide a useful compartmentalization for the mourning process.

    edit
    Oh And yes I would go, and have done so on an unfortunately large number of occasions.


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    #18
    faceman
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,641 CMod ✭✭✭✭faceman


    Wicknight wrote:
    Not if no one at the funeral had any clue who you were. Who would you be disrespecting then?

    the deceased


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    #19
    Bottle_of_Smoke
    Registered Users Posts: 9,770 ✭✭✭Bottle_of_Smoke


    Yeah I would. The question's a bit void - I can't think of any good friend's who either don't know some of my friends or I don't know some of theirs


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    #20
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,867 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Would and have done so in the past. It's more to show respect for the deceased and their family though.

    Although I've no religious beliefs myself however, what "annoys" me more about any catholic funeral I've been to, is that 95% of the ceremony is totally unrelated to the deceased, their family or their friends. Rather it's an opportunity to praise a God and a religion which the people attending may or may not believe in.

    Luckily however I haven't been too many at all so far.


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