Thank you James for your reply! As to your first paragraph I could not agree
more fully, there is an awful lot of superstitious nonsense that is spoken
of when it comes to cemeteries etc. 
I was thinking more of a "service in a church building", where unfortunately
even many evangelicals end up not speaking the truth. My step father died a
few months back, and his funeral was taken by a well known reformed man in
the Welsh valleys, and it left me feeling sick. My step father was not a
believer and didn't confess to be one, yet the pastor read from John 14,
1.Cor:15 etc, the only difference between him and an out and out
Unaversalist was that they would openly state that the deceased has gone to
be with the Lord, where as this man implied it. I not sure that a funeral is
the place to preach hell fire and damnation, but I do think that when some
one dies, then most folk are open to the gospel for a short period of time
as they are confronted with the reality of death.

Neil   

-----Original Message-----
From: James W. Allen [mailto:jallen@...] 
Sent: 23 June 2004 00:07
To: soundofgrace@...
Subject: Re: [soundofgrace] Officiating Pastors

I guess, Neil, it would depend on what you mean by a "Christian burial."

We are not Catholics, to believe that the ground is sacred or that the
disposal of the body in some specific manner has spiritual value for the
deceased, so the term really has no meaning in that context.

If, however, you mean a "service in a church" or a "service with a pastor,"
I guess that depends on what the pastor is going to do. If the deceased is
an unbeliever, and his family want to have a service in the church in which
Christ can be exalted, then I see no reason to deny them this opportunity to
have the truth presented to their families and friends. It is a tricky thing
to do well, but I have seen it done well.

On the other hand, if you mean "should a preacher speak as if the man was
saved," then the answer is "no." A funeral is no excuse for dishonesty.



James W. Allen
jallen@...

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