Posted by:
benben
(
)
Date: October 24, 2010 04:45PM
So no-longer-tbm-wife's grandfather just passed, and the funeral is tomorrow (monday.) I have just been asked to give the closing prayer. There are other people who could give it if I politely decline, so that is not an issue.
However, I am a strong-agnostic, leaning atheist ex-mo. So for me, giving a prayer would be very meaningless. And I would not give the standard mormon prayer and would rather give some sort of non-religious benediction (the grandfather was not a mormon either, but many in the family are.) I think my main hold up would be how to appease people but stay true to myself. OR more precisely, how does an agnostic pray without it just being a lame collection of words?
If worse comes to worse, I am not soooo much on a high-horse that I couldn't just say a prayer to appease the grieving family and just shrug it off as offering comfort to people. I think only one or two people would take it as a sign of "oh...he wants to return to church. He gave a prayer." But I can deal with that.
My plan for the moment would be to accept with the full disclosure that it would probably be a non-religious, non-mormon benediction. And if they are fine with that, then I am too.
Anyways, what are your thoughts? Any examples of non-religious, but still respectful prayers that any of you have given? Unfortunately, I will be in funeral-arrangements mode pretty much until tomorrow morning before the funeral. but I will check back as much as I can here. Thanks everyone!