No, really, it is.
What do you want done when you die?
I think atheists have a different outlook on death, or at least the ceremonies surrounding it, since we don’t believe in an afterlife. I’ve seen two themes: making the funeral as happy as possible for your remaining friends and family, and making your body as useful (or unobtrusive) as possible. For funerals people either don’t want one at all, want it to be happy and full of fun stories or in a pub, or want it to be whatever their family wants. For the body, I’ve heard mostly cremation (instead of wasting all the money and space on a coffin and embalming and all that), donating organs, donating your body to science, or just plain donating your body to the worms.
Being a strapping 21 year old, it scares me a bit to think about death… but I think I would want my organs donated, or if that’s not possible (or using the rest of it), donated to science. Straight cremation just seems like a bit of a waste. As for the funeral…as long as it’s not super religious, my friends and family can do whatever they want.
What are your preferences?
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Fascinating!
I haven't truly decided yet how I want my affairs arranged. Something I have pondered, though, ever since having that discussion with my old man. He's an old salt, and wants to be buried at sea. As a veteran, he's entitled to one burial at sea, compliments of Her Majesty's Canadian Government.
But personally? I'd like a memorial service, somewhere that isn't a church. A eulogy would be nice, if I die young. If I die old, I just want someone to say that "He lived well." I want to be buried or put somewhere in a graveyard, simply so that my final resting place can be visited by future generations researching their family lineage.
I want to die as I lived. So I want my body to be strapped to a giant bottle rocket and exploded.
The thought of death really doesn't bother me that much presently. If I end up dead tomorrow, whoops.
Still, though, I'd rather have all of my usable junk donated. May as well get as much altruism out of my carcass as possible.
The rest? Um, rig it up into a pinata, I guess?
the thing that bothers me about the rocketing rates of cremation in society are all the murders that are only prosecuted several years after interment… cremation society wide seems to me like it may hamper the justice system.
But personally I'd like to donate organs and beyond that I don't care.
@ YHG: Why does that remind me of Metalocalypse?
@ others: the subject of organ donation comes home pretty hard to me. Not because I have had an organ transplant or known someone who got one. But because I know someone who was effectively dismantled after his death. He saved seven lives, gave a burn victim a chance to have skin, and even gave up his retinas.
Twelve people in total got parts from my pal Justin. He died of a brain aneurysm at age 24 in perfect health. Just kinda who he was to give up that much of himself for others.
jemand,
Cremation only occurs with the coronor's consent, as he by law, gets dibs on all the bodies he wants.
… Actually, I like the sentiment Veritas put up there.
I want what's left cremated and suspended in an aerogel monument with 9:4:1 dimensions with some solid state (or holographic optical, really depends on tech) HDDs in it containing my message to the future in a raw video format.
And, wow. My pal Worth would have done that, had it not been cancer that got him.
Did I mention I want there to be an open bar at my funeral? People gotta get fucked up.
I just figured that was assumed.
Oh good. I mean, I'm a huge believer in an Irish-esque wake.
Just like the night that Paddy Murphy died. It's a night I'll never forget. Some of the boys got loaded drunk and they ain't got sober yet. As long as a bottle was passed around every man was feelin' gay. O'Leary came with the bagpipes, some music for to play.
…I just segued into Great Big Sea.
I have given this ALOT of thought. Two years ago I was diagnosed with HIV (There goes organ donation). Since then I have actually changed my mind numerous times. Cremation is out, I too believe it is wastefull. Donating my lifeless body to science in hopes that it will aid in some world changing research is where its at!
Yes. Yes you did. They have some good music, but I haven't listened to it that often since I stopped dating the asexual celibate otakukin who wanted me to dress up like a woman.
Just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I'm all for cremation, and a big party where everyone drinks copious amounts of alcohol and remembers the good times :)
Sorry for the lack of comments recently, was cooking dinner :)
I want to go out the way of Donny…in a coffee can being blown into the Dude's beard.
@Andre:
Well, songs like Paddy Murphy are part of the east coast folklore. They're hundreds of years old. Just you Americans won't know that, but you will likely have heard of Great Big Sea.
Wait, I just read the first part of that post. WTF dude. That's something else.
Yeah. I'd had no idea, really. But then again, it tends to be one of those things that falls into getting Covered Up, like when They Might Be Giants covered "Istanbul" by The Four Lads. People not from the area or time just know the latter, and then… yeah.
And yeah, she was a special kind of crazy. Still is, actually. Not the first girl I've dated who ended up in an institution for a bit, though.
I wouldn't expect you to know, pal. It's a local thing. I'm from the region, like we said earlier. It's in my blood, I can feel an east coast of Canada folk song from a hundred miles away. I'm sure Texas has the same sorta thing somewhere. Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah, for Dixie. Etc.
And yeah….the crazies are crazy. That's how it goes.
Actually, 'Dixie' is pretty unheard of here.
Yellow Rose of Texas is a big one. And there are some songs in Spanish that even the reddest of the rednecks will start belting out while crying.
I'm trying to remember others, but they just don't come. Most are country-esque though, as expected.
Organ donation, whatever's left to science, and whatever's left of that to the worms.
Second what alitheipsis said, plus biodegradable shroud.
I wonder if I can get a tree planted on my grave?
Latecomer to the party, but Irish-style wake (and thank you, Veritas, for the GBS reference), following donation of any still-viable organs to those in need, and the follow that up with cremation and compression into a diamond.
Because that's just cool.