Agnostic

[poliphilo]

My sister-in-law's brother died yesterday. I didn't know him well, but I liked him. He was eccentric and counter-cultural and lived by his own rules. He was 51.

I have reached the age at which it is no longer startling when a contemporary drops dead.

Brandon wasn't religious. I don't know what the family will finally decide, but my sister in law is mildly uneasy at the prospect of having a clergy-person officiate. I did a Google search and discovered something I didn't know before, that it is possible to book a non-religious celebrant through the Registry Office. Excellent. I've let Ailz know that when I get called to the choir invisible I want a Registry Office Person to wave me off.

It's not that I'm Godless. I believe in God right enough. Though Goddess suits me better. No, it's dogma I want to steer clear of. I don't think anyone knows with certainty what happens to a person after death, and I don't fancy having some sectarian breathing his/her personal opinions or party dogma over my sainted remains.

Call me Agnostic. I think of Agnosticism as a positive thing. What's so shameful about admitting you don't have the answers? None of us can actually prove our beliefs. Faith divides; acknowledgement of ignorance unites. I know nuthin and you know nuthin- we all know nuthin together.

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Our choir sings at funerals, and sometimes the person is so popular the church (which can seat over 600) is packed. At the last major funeral, for a man everyone apparently loved, folding chairs were set up in the narthex and people were even sitting up in the choir loft with the choir!

I told my family: I don't want a funeral in a big church, because the fact that I have NO FRIENDS will then become obvious to all. I told them to find a wedding chapel somewhere, so my blood kin--people who HAVE to love me--will be crowded in.

People in our choir are always saying, "I want the entire Faure Requiem sung at my funeral," and some of them aren't kidding...

I want that, too--at least the In Paradisium--but then I worry about no one showing up to sing it!

Unpopular to the last: the result of introversion and a life of self-centeredness!

So I have decided not to float around on the ceiling and watch my funeral, as I have heard must surely happen. I don't want to see how no one came.

OTOH, maybe that's part of the Life Review! Oh, I hadn't thought of that: sort of a report card on how well you've succeeded in love and charity with your neighbor...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't expect many at my funeral either. Most of my friends live in far-flung places (like Tennessee)

I haven't thought about the music I want. Perhaps a recording of the Palastinlied- a 13th century crusading ditty by Walther von der Vogelweide that makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

My other most favourite piece of music is Eliza Carthy's version of an 18th century ballad about Captain Kidd, the notorious pirate. Do you think that would be appropriate?

My name is William Kidd
As I sailed, as I sailed,
My name is William Kidd,
As I sailed.
My name is William Kidd,
God's laws I did forbid
And most wickedly I did
As I sailed.....

The cheekiest piece of funeral music I've come across was at the funeral of a Liverpudlian relative of Ailz's. The deceased had himself stipulated that we should leave the chapel to the pounding beat of "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen.