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I "had" to go to the funeral home the other day, my friends sister died.
I do not like funeral homes, not because of the death, but because of the ceremony of the death. Every time I go, I am more convinced that I do not want "this way" to be my exit. I can not bare the thought of being handeled and fixed up for viewing. Remeber me as I was alive, never see me dead. Life is for me to share with you, death is mine and mine alone. I want to be cremated as soon as possible after my death. I know it sounds like I think a lot about death, as someone in the threads pointed out, but there is only life and death, I have a handle on life, it's death that has me wondering. I know that the norm is to be embolmed, dressed up and lay there for everyone to come and look one more time, but for the life of me I can not stand that. I am the only one that feels that way, do you all want to be handeled and viewed? It is such an unnecessary and expensive way to leave this earth, not to mention, intrusive. What are your views on this.
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When my father died my family was annoyed that I would not go look at his body. My youngest sister took photographs! I wanted to remember him as he was, and is, alive.

Perhaps, my viewpoint was initiated when, as a child, age 9, I was taken to see the body of my parents' friend. It was not a pleasant experience, but it made me think of the value of getting to know one and another when one has the opportunity. Later, when my mother-in-law died, I recall the dying process altered her appearance; due to kidney failure she passed away carrying excessive weight. I did not want to have that experience again. I've heard the theory that viewing a dead body brings some kind of closure for those who are left behind. I don't agree, but it may help some.

I remember seeing a movie once where a woman was lonesome to see her busy children and grandchildren who never got together. She figured they would all gather together for her funeral and she would miss the occasion. She faked her death and they all did come to her funeral (with a closed casket) and she watched them from behind a curtained window. When she made her entrance they were upset, but she assured them they did not have to attend another funeral for her.

While we may humanly miss our loved ones who pass away ahead of us, we by faith, know they have only moved onward on their paradise ascent. We can be reunited in the continuing life to come.

I take every opportunity to visit with my elderly family members now believing/knowing our separation by death is only temporary, but I make no plans to attend open casket funerals. Funny thing though, I am the executor of most of my family members' estates! They can not depend upon me to attend their funerals, but they can depend upon me to take care of all the business of arranging them according to their wishes.

My executor will not have a viewing of my body.

Crazy too, teresa
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Hi Debbie,
I read your post about the death of your friends sister. You have my deepest sympathy. It is never easy to lose a friend or family member.

I have read some of your recent posts and I want you to know that I share your view about being cremated. I have been to many funerals and have been a pall bearer on numerous occasions. I also have been to memorial services for friends who passed away and were cremated. I prefer the latter. I feel it is better to remember the person the way they were in life. To me, it is not so much about the embalming, the handling of my body after I am gone, or the viewing that bothers me. I think it is easier on family and friends to have a memorial service later, so those who loved you in this life can adjust to the realization that you are gone, and share the memories you have left them. However many people seem to want, or need the closure that a funeral brings. It is very traumatic for a lot of peolpe to deal with death, and I suppose it has to do with ones faith or personal beliefs. In reality we should be happy for those who graduate this life as they move forward in the adventure of finding God our Father.
Jim
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The expense, along with the terrible manipulation of a body to "get it ready" has convinced me that cremation is the only sane course for me, and for those who love me. I went to the memorial service of one of my brothers a few years ago and it was less traumatic than any long, drawn-out funeral I've ever participated in. There was a release when his ashes were placed in the ground, and joy when me, a sister and another brother "snitched" some of his ashes and deposited them in the Mississippi River...just as he had asked.

Like Jim said, some may need it. I think it has more to do with tradition but I'm relieved that cremation doesn't hold the stigma it once did. Just seems cleaner and clearer...with less money going into the pockets of big business and more remaining with those still living in this life.

Just my opinion....

Have a calm and peaceful Thanksgiving Day.

Peace
Jo
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Hello everyone,

Learning all of the truth about life as we have from The Urantia Book is such an unspeakable blessing isn't it Image

We learn that our graduation is a celebration rather than a sadness, so all I can add is for you to all make your family and loved ones aware of what you know and how you feel, and tell them what you desire to have done when your turn arrives.

Let them know that you want them to THROW A GREAT BIG PARTY AND BE HAPPY !!

Image Image Image Image Image Image

_________________
Love is the desire to do good to others Image pg 648

http://z7.invisionfree.com/URANTIAFORUMS/index.php


Last edited by Vann on Fri Nov 28, 2008 7:45 am +0000, edited 1 time in total.

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I feel better knowing that you guys feel the same the way I do. At least about being creamated. I know that when you are dead, it is just your body left behind, but I have a really big problem thinking that someone will handlle me in the basement of the funeral home, make me up, do my hair, pose me, dress me etc....., I just can't stand the thought of it. It does not seem right to me. Leave me alone, you do not have the right. No none has the right to do this to me. I don't know how this practice has continued for so long. I understand that it may make some people feel better to see someone one last time, but that last time you saw me, was the last time you saw me. You will not see me embalmed and posed for your viewing. Death is very scarey to me, I don't really know where I'm going, I don't KNOW anything FOR SURE. I believe certian things, but I don't KNOW a praise thing.
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Debbie, like Bulldog and many others here, I have told everyone in my family I would like to b creamated and have my ashes spread in the Ocean where my brother's ashes were scattered at our favorite costal fishing spot.

You have mentioned Death and concern. You've also mentioned how TUB has help you not fear death. And I believe not fearing it is well founded. You have chosen God and Life so for you death is just a transition. I have giving you links before to Urantia excerpts concerning Survival, which is what you find after you awaken from the sleep of death which by the way is felt as the same lenght of time wether your sleep is 5 days or a thousand years.

So here's another shortcut for you Debbie. Instead of just a link here are some TUB excerpts about what happens to your REAL "being" after death. Welcome Bulldog, I look forward to your posts!

P.533 - §4 From the Temple of New Life there extend seven radial wings, the resurrection halls of the mortal races. Each of these structures is devoted to the assembly of one of the seven races of time. There are one hundred thousand personal resurrection chambers in each of these seven wings terminating in the circular class assembly halls, which serve as the awakening chambers for as many as one million individuals. These halls are surrounded by the personality assembly chambers of the blended races of the normal post-Adamic worlds. Regardless of the technique which may be employed on the individual worlds of time in connection with special or dispensational resurrections, the real and conscious reassembly of actual and complete personality takes place in the resurrection halls of mansonia number one. Throughout all eternity you will recall the profound memory impressions of your first witnessing of these resurrection mornings.

P.533 - §5 From the resurrection halls you proceed to the Melchizedek sector, where you are assigned permanent residence. Then you enter upon ten days of personal liberty. You are free to explore the immediate vicinity of your new home and to familiarize yourself with the program which lies immediately ahead. You also have time to gratify your desire to consult the registry and call upon your loved ones and other earth friends who may have preceded you to these worlds. At the end of your ten-day period of leisure you begin the second step in the Paradise journey, for the mansion worlds are actual training spheres, not merely detention planets.

48:3.8 P.546 - §1 2. Pilgrim Receivers and Free Associators. These are the social companions of the new arrivals on the mansion worlds. One of them will certainly be on hand to welcome you when you awaken on the initial mansion world from the first transit sleep of time, when you experience the resurrection from the death of the flesh into the morontia life. And from the time you are thus formally welcomed on awakening to that day when you leave the local universe as a first-stage spirit, these Morontia Companions are ever with you.

P.2015 - §7 In the vast court of the resurrection halls of the first mansion world of Satania, there may now be observed a magnificent material-morontia structure known as the "Michael Memorial," now bearing the seal of Gabriel. This memorial was created shortly after Michael departed from this world, and it bears this inscription: "In commemoration of the mortal transit of Jesus of Nazareth on Urantia."

Pretty Cool, Huh Debbie?

Here's an excerpt from the place I gave you a link to before. I don't know it you clicked on the link or not. But you can click on the blue highlighted HERE and jump to that link if you want.

What happens after Survival?
HERE

47:3.7 P.533 - §6 On mansion world number one (or another in case of advanced status) you will resume your intellectual training and spiritual development at the exact level whereon they were interrupted by death. Between the time of planetary death or translation and resurrection on the mansion world, mortal man gains absolutely nothing aside from experiencing the fact of survival. You begin over there right where you leave off down here.

48:3.8 P.546 - §1 2. Pilgrim Receivers and Free Associators. These are the social companions of the new arrivals on the mansion worlds. One of them will certainly be on hand to welcome you when you awaken on the initial mansion world from the first transit sleep of time, when you experience the resurrection from the death of the flesh into the morontia life. And from the time you are thus formally welcomed on awakening to that day when you leave the local universe as a first-stage spirit, these Morontia Companions are ever with you.

48:8.3 P.558 - §1 The mortal-survival plan has a practical and serviceable objective; you are not the recipients of all this divine labor and painstaking training only that you may survive just to enjoy endless bliss and eternal ease. There is a goal of transcendent service concealed beyond the horizon of the present universe age.

112:6.9 P.1237 - §1 The soul of survival value faithfully reflects both the qualitative and the quantitative actions and motivations of the material intellect, the former seat of the identity of selfhood. In the choosing of truth, beauty, and goodness, the mortal mind enters upon its premorontia universe career under the tutelage of the seven adjutant mind-spirits unified under the direction of the spirit of wisdom. Subsequently, upon the completion of the seven circles of premorontia attainment, the superimposition of the endowment of morontia mind upon adjutant mind initiates the prespiritual or morontia career of local universe progression.

113:6.5 P.1247 - §3 The guardian seraphim is the custodial trustee of the survival values of mortal man's slumbering soul as the absent Adjuster is the identity of such an immortal universe being. When these two collaborate in the resurrection halls of mansonia in conjunction with the newly fabricated morontia form, there occurs the reassembly of the constituent factors of the personality of the mortal ascender.

117.4.2 P.1283 - §4 Throughout the grand universe the Supreme struggles for expression. His divine evolution is in measure predicated on the wisdom-action of every personality in existence. When a human being chooses eternal survival, he is cocreating destiny; and in the life of this ascending mortal the finite God finds an increased measure of personality self-realization and an enlargement of experiential sovereignty.

Peace be with Debbie. Welcome Bulldog! God's blessing to all, Vann Teresa and Jo God's Peace be with you. :-)

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Joe - The more we discover how much we are Loved by God, the more we want to do God's Will.
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it doesn't matter to me, i'm dead. 163:2.2 One earnest disciple came to Jesus, saying: “Master, I would be one of your new apostles, but my father is very old and near death; could I be permitted to return home to bury him?” To this man Jesus said: “My son, the foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. You are a faithful disciple, and you can remain such while you return home to minister to your loved ones, but not so with my gospel messengers. They have forsaken all to follow me and proclaim the kingdom. If you would be an ordained teacher, you must let others bury the dead while you go forth to publish the good news.” And this man went away in great disappointment.

death isn't that important jesus was saying.

dkr315d wrote:
I "had" to go to the funeral home the other day, my friends sister died.
I do not like funeral homes, not because of the death, but because of the ceremony of the death. Every time I go, I am more convinced that I do not want "this way" to be my exit. I can not bare the thought of being handeled and fixed up for viewing. Remeber me as I was alive, never see me dead. Life is for me to share with you, death is mine and mine alone. I want to be cremated as soon as possible after my death. I know it sounds like I think a lot about death, as someone in the threads pointed out, but there is only life and death, I have a handle on life, it's death that has me wondering. I know that the norm is to be embolmed, dressed up and lay there for everyone to come and look one more time, but for the life of me I can not stand that. I am the only one that feels that way, do you all want to be handeled and viewed? It is such an unnecessary and expensive way to leave this earth, not to mention, intrusive. What are your views on this.
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You have mentioned Death and concern. You've also mentioned how TUB has help you not fear death. And I believe not fearing it is well founded. You have chosen God and Life so for you death is just a transition.


We keep remembering you here. Wait for us there !

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Rajan C Mathew, India.
Guide Us Father to Live according to Your Plans !
http://rajan-c-mathew.blogspot.in
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