Changes

== Quotes on secular funerals ==

== Quotes on secular funerals ==

"And it was here, in this, the religious part of the service, that Cilla was not a celebrity standing before an audience, but a human being standing naked before God. There is a basic democracy in this aspect of religion that is often absent from the secular funeral." - Giles Fraser, British Reverend, ''The Guardian''<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2015/aug/21/at-a-christian-funeral-all-are-equal-before-god-even-cilla-black At a Christian funeral all are equal before God – even Cilla Black], The Guardian</ref>

"And it was here, in this, the religious part of the service, that Cilla was not a celebrity standing before an audience, but a human being standing naked before God. There is a basic democracy in this aspect of religion that is often absent from the secular funeral." - [[Giles Fraser]], British Reverend, ''The Guardian''<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2015/aug/21/at-a-christian-funeral-all-are-equal-before-god-even-cilla-black At a Christian funeral all are equal before God – even Cilla Black], The Guardian</ref>

Penelope Nixon, ''The Guardian'', letter to the editor concerning a ''Guardian'' article by the Reverend Giles Fraser:

Penelope Nixon, ''The Guardian'', letter to the editor concerning a ''Guardian'' article by the Reverend Giles Fraser:

Life tends to be short in east London, so I have attended scores of funerals in my 68 years. Secular funerals are often dominated by those with the loudest voices and the crassest anecdotes. They confuse the function of the funeral with the function of the post-funeral wake.

{{cquote|Life tends to be short in east London, so I have attended scores of funerals in my 68 years. Secular funerals are often dominated by those with the loudest voices and the crassest anecdotes. They confuse the function of the funeral with the function of the post-funeral wake.

The one humanist funeral I have attended was well-ordered and polite but had to be followed by religious services for family who found the secular event lacked comfort. I am grateful to the Rev Giles Fraser for being so honest in saying what needed to be said.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/26/secular-funerals-can-lack-the-requisite-dignity-and-fail-to-provide-comfort Secular funerals can lack the requisite dignity and fail to provide comfort], Penelope Nixon, ''The Guardian'', letter to the editor concerning a ''Guardian'' article by the Reverend Giles Fraser</ref>}}

The one humanist funeral I have attended was well-ordered and polite but had to be followed by religious services for family who found the secular event lacked comfort. I am grateful to the Rev Giles Fraser for being so honest in saying what needed to be said.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/26/secular-funerals-can-lack-the-requisite-dignity-and-fail-to-provide-comfort Secular funerals can lack the requisite dignity and fail to provide comfort], Penelope Nixon, ''The Guardian'', letter to the editor concerning a ''Guardian'' article by the Reverend Giles Fraser</ref>}}