What are Protestant Funerals Like?

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That is more along the lines of what I would expect from a funeral service. However, it would come at the price of Baptists bugging me more about my faith. I doubt I could marry as easily into a family of practicing Baptists in the USA.
 
Yes, I agree that praying for them is a practical thing to do. One older pastor whose church I sometimes attend mentioned in his homily that the day was the 50th anniversary of his own father’s death and that he had prayed for his dad’s soul every day for 50 years.
 
Yes, that is commendable.
I recall a saint, upon being called a saint, said to not call him that, for then he may end up in purgatory with no one to pray for him.
 
i agree; the baptists proselytize much more aggressively than the half-dead old main line protestant denominations

the baptist funeral i went to was not that of a relative; it was my daughter’s professor
 
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Torolf said:
Most of my experience has been with the Church of the Nazarene, Assembly of God and Church of Christ but I’d assume most Protestant funerals are very similar.
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This is a bit of an overbroad assumption. As discussed above in the thread, some Protestant denominations have something that more closely resembles a church service.

Also, we weren’t talking about “the vast majority of Protestant denominations”. We were talking specifically about Presbyterians, whose church originated in Calvinism and many of whom do believe in predestination. Of the churches you mention, I believe one is Wesleyan and the others are evangelical, so they don’t have the same belief as Calvinist churches.
 
I’m in England, ex-Protestant. Some people will have a church service and then go to the crematorium or cemetery, where another short service is held. More people just have a short service at the crematorium (most people are cremated these days).

The officiating minister or vicar often has no knowledge of the deceased, as so many people don’t go to church but still want a ‘religious’ funeral. The relatives have to give him some information about the deceased, so that he or she can say a few words.

It’s very common to have secular music or songs that the deceased liked.

Both my parents (non-practising CofE) had this type of crematorium service (albeit with hymns we chose). It’s all rather impersonal.
 
Kei said:
Hello. I am wondering what Protestant funerals are like, specifically those who don’t believe that praying helps a soul (ie he’s in hell or heaven, no more helping that guy (even though God is not bound by time) types).
I believe most religious funerals involve praying for the deceased, so I am wondering what these other ceremonies are like. This includes any other religious ceremonies as well.
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What are Protestant funerals like? Well, you know what? They are just like Catholic funerals. A funeral is the vehicle that provides the acceptable setting for expressing sorrow and giving condolences to the immediate family. What is done or said will reflect not only the deceaseds spiritual belief but is also determined by geography and local customs. This is true for Catholics and Protestants. Not all Catholic funerals involve the Mass, some are held at locations other than a church and do not involve a priest.

The procedures of either a Catholic or Protestant funeral are largely determined by the family and also dictated by how the person died. That is to say, a funeral for a teenager killed in a car accident may be different than one for a 95 year old.

For anyone to go to either a Catholic or Protestant funeral only one or two times and come away judging the particular church in anyway is totally unfair and ignorant.
 
No, you see, I was wondering specifically about prayers. What is done instead of paying for the dead?
Not only Protestants but any funeral that doesn’t pray for the dead. As in, what is done in place of praying for them? I think from what I can remember, they read Scripture. But how would the passages be chosen?
 
Kei said:
No, you see, I was wondering specifically about prayers. What is done instead of paying for the dead?
Not only Protestants but any funeral that doesn’t pray for the dead. As in, what is done in place of praying for them? I think from what I can remember, they read Scripture. But how would the passages be chosen?
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That is why I wish you would have asked a different question in the title of the thread. To ask “what are Protestant funerals like” is like asking “what does pizza taste like.” :confused:

Instead of praying for the dead they would offer prayers of thanksgiving for who the person was and the life they lived. Also prayers are offered on behalf of the family even mentioning them by name. I remember a Lutheran pastor tearfully begging God to put an end to the practice that strangely developed in our community of people coming to our small city to commit suicide. It was an epidemic and his prayers were effectual. The funeral was a result of yet another suicide.

Scripture readings are chose usually by the family in either P or C situations. Quite often an OT and a NT reading.
 
There is really no typical Protestant funeral, they don’t pray for the deceased, but the exact procedure of what they do do, is pretty variable.

They minister tries to put the best spin on the life of the deceased- “you could always count on the deceased to be ready and able to hold your 50 cents” was what I heard a protestant preacher say about a man who spent most of his days bumming money in front of the liquor store.
 
i cannot watch a video ATM… could you summarize it? I thought it was a valid and licit way of reposition after Vatican 2
 
There are some things that are allowed but really shouldn’t be done.

It doesn’t respect the person.
 
Wannano said:
Well, you know what? They are just like Catholic funerals.
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This isn’t quite correct from a Catholic standpoint. A Catholic funeral generally includes a Mass and a number of specific prayers and rituals associated with death and burial. This is a very specific ritual and very different from everyone sitting around sharing some memories of the deceased, listening to some Bible readings and a homily, and that’s it.

Catholic families will sometimes have a short commemorative service at the funeral home prior to the Mass (like the day before, or a few hours before) that is designed to allow non-Catholics or those who cannot attend Mass due to work, etc. the chance to participate in a memorial service and to have other commemorations such as VFW, etc. that cannot be included in the Mass itself. This type of commemorative service is very much like the Protestant ones, but it does not replace the Mass.

I realize this sounds nit-picky, but as someone who has lost several of the dearest people in my life, there is a big difference to me between the Mass and graveside services with a priest saying prayers to help the loved one’s soul on its way to Heaven as well as to give me God’s grace to cope with the loss, and a minister just doing a Bible reading in a room at the funeral home. The latter just did not seem like enough to me. There was no chance to receive Jesus, and it was very informal. If this is enough for the Protestant mourners, fine, but to say it’s just the same as the Catholic funeral is incorrect and is to some extent the “one church is just as good as another” viewpoint that us Catholics do not believe.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
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Wannano:
Well, you know what? They are just like Catholic funerals.
Click to expand...
This isn’t quite correct from a Catholic standpoint. A Catholic funeral generally includes a Mass and a number of specific prayers and rituals associated with death and burial. This is a very specific ritual and very different from everyone sitting around sharing some memories of the deceased, listening to some Bible readings and a homily, and that’s it.

Catholic families will sometimes have a short commemorative service at the funeral home prior to the Mass (like the day before, or a few hours before) that is designed to allow non-Catholics or those who cannot attend Mass due to work, etc. the chance to participate in a memorial service and to have other commemorations such as VFW, etc. that cannot be included in the Mass itself. This type of commemorative service is very much like the Protestant ones, but it does not replace the Mass.

I realize this sounds nit-picky, but as someone who has lost several of the dearest people in my life, there is a big difference to me between the Mass and graveside services with a priest saying prayers to help the loved one’s soul on its way to Heaven as well as to give me God’s grace to cope with the loss, and a minister just doing a Bible reading in a room at the funeral home. The latter just did not seem like enough to me. There was no chance to receive Jesus, and it was very informal. If this is enough for the Protestant mourners, fine, but to say it’s just the same as the Catholic funeral is incorrect and is to some extent the “one church is just as good as another” viewpoint that us Catholics do not believe.
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I do not see you as being nit picky. You are right in saying a Catholic funeral generally includes Mass and prayers to help the person reach heaven. In that sense the funeral serves a different function, no arguement. My comment that P funeral serves the same purpose as a C funeral stems from the fact that where I live a lot of people are choosing “no service.”

I honestly never had in mind that my statement would translate into “all church’s are equal.”
 
Most of us have our funerals planned out like you’d do with a wedding. You choose the passages that reminds the family of how much Christ loves us and cares for the grieivng a couple hymns such as a Migty Fortess is Our God. A Sermon on the Resurrection and how love ones who never got to meet like my siblings and grand parents now get to be together.

Also just in a personal file I fly airliners and crop dusters. I have in my will that I will be cremated if I die in an aircraft accident that has resulted in my body being scarred or mangled beyond any sort of recognition.
 
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