Britain: Humanists Snub Cemetery Service

In Suffolk, a humanist group is refusing to attend the ceremonies at the opening of a new cemetery because, they say, the services will be too religious. Apparently this is a public cemetery where one would expect less of a push to promote Christianity, but Christianity is the only religion in evidence.

The East Anglian Daily Times explains:

[T]he service has been criticised by members of the Suffolk Humanist Group, who claim the "mini-church service" is too exclusive with many Christian hymns and readings planned. Group member Margaret Nelson said: "This is not a church or a church facility - it is a public facility.

"It is disappointing that this is a missed opportunity to give the right sort of message about what this facility is for. When I was invited and given the order of the service, there was no way I would be comfortable participating in what is really a mini-church service. I don't go to church and I don't expect to be asked to do something which is essentially a Christian service."

Cemetery owners insist that the service is inclusive of any and all religions, not just Christianity, but it sounds like the only religious representatives who will be there are Christian (Church of England, Catholic, and Methodist). Also, how many of the hymns are non-Christian (as if there were such a thing)?

I certainly haven't seen the order of the services, but I wonder if this is a case where devout Christians fail to see the inherently Christian nature of what they are doing because they are unable to step beyond their religion and see their actions from the perspective of an outsider. Sometimes, assumptions are treated like the only "natural" way of thinking or doing things, preventing people from understanding that not everyone thinks and acts the same way.

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