The Importance Of Funerals

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“Every life comes with a death sentence” is a quote from Walter White, on the famous TV show Breaking Bad, after being diagnosed with cancer. This statement is true, and will continue to remain true for as long as humans are sentient beings. Death carries with it a number of emotional hurtles that are faced by the family and friends of the deceased. How do funerals change with different religious affiliations, specifically between Catholic, Islam and secular followers? Moreover, what values do funerals possess that have made them such a backbone to society? Overall, funerals provide a way for all people of faith or otherwise to have a socially acceptable way to grieve loved ones, which is why it is prevalent in most, if not all religious denominations. …show more content…

The same underlying practice is carried out, however some of the specifics change. For instance, all bodies should be buried, no cremation. When buried, the body must be facing Mecca. The body is cleaned and dressed in white fabric, very rarely open casket funerals are allowed. (Funeral Wise, n.d.). Another ritual that contrasts the Catholic practice is that the body must be buried as soon as possible after death, and “Certainly within three days” according to (BBC, n.d.). Another large difference in Islam is the fact that it becomes a community affair. Funeral prayers should be performed by “all members of the community” (Everplans, n.d.), however this is not practical to have an entire city praying, so this extends to all those close to the deceased. They are to pray, however not inside of the mosque, rather in a study room, or courtyard. Three lines are formed facing Mecca, with the first in line being the male that was most closely related to the deceased, followed by other men, then children, and finally women. Which is, by contrast to the Catholic version of mourning for the dead, a very strict and sexist practice.
While both religious death rituals previously mentioned feature the presence of a God, or afterlife quiet heavily, and thus they heavily influence the ceremony. In contrast, the secular world focuses solely on consoling those who have lost loved ones, as the entire celebration of life is dedicated to the legacy and memory of the person, rather than them being accepted by a

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