Expert: Aupmanyav - 2/12/2008

Question
Hi Mikeal! I consider myself an atheist but I am not sure how I, or atheists, deal with death, literally. Where would I be buried if not at a church? Where would a "service" be held should I not want it done by a religious figure? Is there a way to have a burial, or cremation, without involving the religious side that normally comes with it? I know this isn't really the normal philosophical type questions you are asked, but I like the way in which you answer questions and would like your thoughts on this. Thanks in advance, Brian.

Answer
I had chanced on your question yesterday and sent a reply. But that seems to have been lost in the net somehow. I am sure Mikeal would reply to your question. But in case you would like to hear from an atheist hindu as to what I think about funeral, here is it.

I will befurcate the subject in two realms. The religious and the traditional. The religious realm has no value for me. I know that death and decomposition of the body entails a re-distribution of atoms. There is nothing like soul and nothing like God.

Tradition has a great value for me. That makes me an Indian and a hindu and makes my society. I will like my son to follow the tradition, which means a cremation, immersion of ashes at the same place where the ashes of my great-grandfather were immersed (i.e., Haridwar, hindu families have their particular places for immersion of ashes of the dead), and where I immersed the ashes of my grandfather and my father.

The 12-day death ceremonies will include lighting a lamp in my memory every evening, my son chanting his name with my name 108 times on the concluding day (this creates a strong posthumous bond between the father and the son, and reassures the son that he would be remembered in the same way by his own son). The ladies of the family will prepare the dishes of my choice and give the food in charity. The family would remember me twice a year, give charity in my name, probably keep a fast once every year for me. I suppose that should be enough for the dead as well as the living. The death ceremonies have their psychological value not for the dead but for the living.