- Feb 5, 2002
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People are kicking caskets and funerals and religious affiliation out of the way:
As a priest, I read a lot of obituaries. In line with the trend toward nones when it comes to religion, I notice that more and more obituaries showcase the deceased person's accomplishments and likes. However, there is no indication of religious affiliation whatsoever. And more and more people are opting not to have a public funeral, but rather a private family affair at a later date, which is code for there will be nothing at a later date. Cremation makes this possible and makes the remains apart of our throwaway culture, be it in the woods, on the mountains or at the beach or stuck in someone's closet.
This trend is particularly shocking in what once was called the Bible Belt. Most people in the south had a Christian burial of some kind and some acknowledgement in the obituary that they had some kind of religious affiliation even if generic. He was a Christian. He was a Catholic. He was a Jew.
What a sad society we have become in this secular world in which we live where even the dead are throwaways.
Continued below.
southern orders: THE NONES AND OBITUARIES
As a priest, I read a lot of obituaries. In line with the trend toward nones when it comes to religion, I notice that more and more obituaries showcase the deceased person's accomplishments and likes. However, there is no indication of religious affiliation whatsoever. And more and more people are opting not to have a public funeral, but rather a private family affair at a later date, which is code for there will be nothing at a later date. Cremation makes this possible and makes the remains apart of our throwaway culture, be it in the woods, on the mountains or at the beach or stuck in someone's closet.
This trend is particularly shocking in what once was called the Bible Belt. Most people in the south had a Christian burial of some kind and some acknowledgement in the obituary that they had some kind of religious affiliation even if generic. He was a Christian. He was a Catholic. He was a Jew.
What a sad society we have become in this secular world in which we live where even the dead are throwaways.
Continued below.
southern orders: THE NONES AND OBITUARIES
