Another quote of the day
“They said I couldn’t shoot him til he was inside the house, so I waited til he got in the door and then I shot him.” Sarah McKinley, after killing Justin Martin, a burglar, with the permission of the emergency services. Can’t give you a link to the story because it’s in the Times (paywalled). […]
Quote of the day
The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years, yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone. Book of Common Prayer (1928)
What do you want?
James Leedam, a good friend of the Good Funeral Guide, is collecting info about what people want at funeral, how they would find out about it, and what influences their choices. As the ceo of Natural Burial Grounds, James is especially keen to find out what influences those who go green when they die. He’d very […]
Immortalising mortality
The Dying Matters Coalition is holding its very own Death Booker (well, something like that). Dying Matters is offering a prize for “new creative writing about dying, death and bereavement. Anyone touched by dying, whether directly or as a relative, friend, colleague or carer, can enter.” The judges will be looking for original writing in […]
Who says?
“The current law exists to protect those who are sick, elderly, depressed, or disabled from feeling obliged to end their lives. It requires every case to be reviewed by the police and the DPP to determine whether a prosecution is appropriate. The present law protects those who have no voice against exploitation and coercion, acts […]
Two weeks ago I told a man that he was dying…
Here’s the beginning of a brilliant post by an American doctor, Jordan Grumet, who blogs over at In My Humble Opinion. Do follow the link at the end and read the rest. Two weeks ago I told a man that he was dying. We sat together in the mid afternoon haze. Puffs of snow meandered […]
Unrecognised rituals
Posted by Gloria Mundi There’s been some very interesting stuff recently about the importance of ritual, and how we need to develop more ritual forms for secular funerals. Vide, for example, The extra-rational power of ritual I find it difficult to draw a line between “ritual” and “ceremony,” and maybe there is no satisfyingly sharp […]
Clergy: watch out for the mystery mourner!
From yesterday’s Independent: The Church of England is asking its followers to give feedback on funerals and christenings in a drive to make services more popular. The Archbishop’s Council has commissioned independent researchers to delve into how the Church ministers to its faithful at the key moments of birth and death. The research is partially […]
Quote of the day
“All doctors have the knowledge and – usually – the means to end their lives … and quite a few use this privilege, even if it doesn’t appear on their death certificates. Doctors are also more likely to have medical friends and relations prepared to assist if necessary. As a doctor, this is a great […]
All the world’s a stage
“A couple of parting thoughts on the development of new ritual for secular funerals before I switch off the computer for Christmas,” wrote our religious correspondent, Richard Rawlinson some days before the onset of festivities. Yikes, sorry, Richard; we lost that post in the tinsel. We’re not letting it go, though; your thoughts about […]
