Non-Religious Funerals and Memorials. For those that choose to live without religion.
Humanists work on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical lives on the basis of reason and humanity. We promote Humanism, a secular state, and equal treatment of everyone regardless of religion or belief.
( THE ABOVE IS TAKEN FROM THE HUMANISTS WEBSITE )
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The death of anyone we have known and loved, is no less sad, shocking or painful for those of us who choose to live without religion.
Funeral celebrants are trained and experienced. They will usually meet with the family or friends who are most closely connected with the person who has died. They will want to learn as much about the person as possible, so that the funeral or memorial tribute justly captures the life and personality of that person.
Humanist funeral celebrants will be sensitive to your wishes yet ready to give clear guidance and to answer questions when required. They are familiar with cremation and burial procedures. They will welcome your ideas for readings and music and, if required, will be ready with suggestions suitable for the kind of ceremony you want. They empathise with the experience of bereavement but will get on with preparing the ceremony you want and will be ready to lead it on the day.
Like many non-religious people you may want to make advance plans for your own funeral or memorial ceremony. Why not? It takes a great deal of pressure off friends and family at a stressful time if you leave clear instructions regarding your wishes in this area. There’s no set way of doing this, but it is important that you write down what you would like to happen and very important that you give a copy of your plans to a close family member or friend who is likely to take charge of the event.
You might like to think about the music you would like played and the poems or texts you would like to be read. You might consider writing a short personal history, mentioning the people and events that have been important to you. This can help make the funeral more meaningful for those who attend. If you want to have a non-religious funeral or memorial ceremony conducted by a Humanist funeral celebrant, you should specify this. Many of the celebrants can assist with making such plans.