About funerals

Today, on my way home from school, a train of thought lead from religion and its craps, to rituals then to funerals. Then I was reminded of my unpleasant encounter with Christianity when my great grandmother died.

My great grandmother was a sweet old lady. She enjoyed the company of her many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was also a great cook and was loved by all of us. And naturally, everyone was saddened by her death.

In Singapore, funerals are typically held in the void deck (the ground floor of our HDB high-rise flats). So was her funeral. Apparently, she converted to Christianity during the last years of her life so she (is it we?) had a Christian funeral.

On the night before her body would be sent for cremation the next day, the priest came for the ceremony. A piece of paper was handed out to all of us which had the lyrics of the songs we were supposed to sing. And after a few words from the priest (or was it the bible), we had to sing the songs.

After the second song, it became crystal clear. The songs were ALL about praising god. Nothing other than sucking up to the sky daddy.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" bolted through my mind.

What is this crap?
Why are we singing about god at my great grandmother's funeral?
Did god just die?
Am I at the wrong funeral?
This is just wrong, 'nough said.

I stopped singing along. I felt disgusted.
I think this is disrespectful.

Why the heck do we need to praise god at someone's funeral?
God needs some sucking up before he let my great grandmother to heaven?

I remembered distinctly that on the day after the cremation. When my parents, my brother and I were on the way home in a taxi. We touched on the subject of funerals. And I said "I don't ever want a Christian funeral."

This happened a few years before I identified myself as an atheist. Even then, I wasn't "into" the whole god crap.

Just a thought... something I'd remember for a long long while...