Funeral denied

[Sasha]

Originally Posted by strait shooter

I would let them use the church....and i would be glad to officiate. However I would be very careful about who else officiated there.
A few years ago a man that had been a longtime Apostolic preacher passed...his wife came and wanted to have the service in our church (they had attended some years before).....however she wanted to have a Trinitarian preacher do the service. I was willing to let them use the church but not open up our pulpit to a trinny. I felt that she was doing dishonor to her late husband and our church.

Funny thing was the Trinitarian preacher did not show....and they ended up asking me to preach it (it had been changed to another church)....I preached on what the late preacher believed...truly enjoyed myself.

I am not hardhearted but there are certain things I don't allow....some of you are willing to let every theological Tom, Dick and Harry do their thing in your building? ....have at it.....but not me.

I actually agree more with Elder Epley....some flexibility in funerals.....very little on weddings.

I certainly agree with you to a point, but I had an experience in a church where i was shocked at what was allowed at a funeral.

A friend attends the Church of Christ or something like that. It was similar to a Lutheran church to me. When her father passed, her minister did the funeral, but my friend wanted another friend of her dad's to speak. Her dad's friend is Muslim. No problem.

Except he pretty much took over most of the service with his chantings, prayers, and rituals. I sat there. I told my husband to sit there. We did not bow during his prayer or his singing. We didn't close our eyes in reverence. I truly was sickened.

In addition, after he was finished, her pastor, who was a woman (not that I think there is anything wrong with that, but I think it plays into this situation), did her rituals as well but before dismissing us, she tells us something along the lines of 'pray to our brother, prophet, savior, Jesus, whatever you want to call him'...

WHAT???????????????

Are you serious?????

Whatever we want to call HIM???

At that point, I was beyond sickened. I was in shock that anyone who calls themselves a minister of God and Jesus would compromise themselves as to not offend.

I personally didn't care if my lack of reverence offended anyone. That Muslim man, knowing completely that he was in a supposed church of God who also believes Jesus is God (or maybe they don't anymore), didn't seem to care if he offended people either.

I refuse to embrace the beliefs of others for the sake of a funeral when they are so far apart from my own.

The only thing I really disagreed with was putting a 'trinnie' in your pulpit. To me, it depends on what you think his role in the funeral would be. If he's merely speaking of the dead, I don't think it matters. To preach, no, I wouldn't agree that you should allow such.