Reader Andrew had a relative pass away and he was unsure of what to do during one part of the funeral.
Maybe you can offer some advice:
My grandmother died recently and her funeral is this Friday. I wasn’t especially close to her, but I am (of course) upset. I have a bit of a dilemma, though. She and most of my family on her side are extremely religious — part of the Church of Scotland.
There will be a moment when we are asked to pray for her soul. I’m a fairly strong atheist, so I’m not wanting to pray, but I also don’t want to cause a scene and thereby disrupt the service. This is likely to happen if I don’t pray.
I could just pretend (drop the head, clasp the hands, etc) but that seems a bit disrespectful.
Am I being silly? Should I just play along?
I’m not sure what good would come from Andrew taking a stance for atheism here. The funeral is about the deceased, not about him. Personally, I would just go through the motions without praying.
What would you suggest?
Let me add in one twist: What would your advice be in this situation if Andrew were told to lead a prayer? Or give a reading from the Bible?
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