Shirley H Wife, mother, veteran in the spiritual war we all face!

Colossians 3:14, 17, "Over all these clothes put on love, the perfect bond....and whatever you say or do, let it be in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God the Father through him."

Galations 5:22, "On the other hand the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace kindness, goodness truthfulness, gentleness and self-control.."

For a christian, doing the thing that shows love and kindness can only produce a reflection of Jesus.

Who knows? Someone at that funeral, could be inspired to look at you and who you are, what you believe. Maybe God is sending you to witness!

1Corinthians 1, "Make love your aim.."

1 Corinthians 13:1, " Though I command languages both human and angelic -if I speak without love, I am no more than a gong booming or a cymbal clashing." Vs.8, "Love never comes to an end."

Pray, ask God, do what is love, you can't be wrong.

September 10 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that it would depend on the relationship that the Christian had with the deceased during the deceased's life. The time for the Christian to have witnessed to or evangelized the deceased would now be past, and the deceased's "record" with respect to salvation would now be closed. If the Christian had love or respect for the deceased purely on a human level, I would see nothing wrong with the Christian attending the funeral to offer condolences to the survivors and others who are experiencing loss as a result of the deceased's death.

I feel, however, that it would be inappropriate in such a setting for the Christian to actively witness to the mourners, just as it would be inappropriate for those officiating at the funeral to require the Christian to actively participate in any professions or actions related to the religion of the deceased that would violate the Christian's faith. The Christian's mere presence would (in my opinion) be an adequate demonstration of a loving attitude toward the deceased and toward those who are mourning. (However, if the mourners would initiate a discussion on the subject with the Christian, that would be a different matter with respect to witnessing.)

September 09 2018 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

Here is a different perspective. As Christians we are called to be "in this world" but not "of this world". As such we are always to keep our allegiance to Jesus Christ foremost in our minds, always asking ourselves if our intentions and actions will bring honour and glory to God.

Nowhere in Jesus example in the scriptures do we see him entering the temples of false gods in order to witness to the kingdom of God. He conducted his ministry to the world in public places. He was invited into people's homes for a meal, fellowship and teaching opportunities, but these locations did not have any religious significance. The only religious places he entered to teach and witness were the temple in Jerusalem and the synagogues in other towns & villages. He met with Samaritans and Gentiles in public places (private meetings were forbidden under Jewish law) because his mission is to the whole world.

A funeral service of another faith is a religious service. It is designed for people who share that common faith to come together to grieve, mourn, comfort and support those who have lost loved ones. To get some hope and encouragement from their religious beliefs about life after death. When a Christian (or any non-believer) attends a religious service of another faith it creates confusion for those participating. Why are you here? Do you share our beliefs?

If we want to show love, compassion, empathy, comfort, encouragement, support, etc. To people we know who have lost loved ones, there are many ways to do this outside of a religious service of another faith. Here are some examples:

1. Send a sympathy card with personal words of condolence and support
2. Send a bouquet of flowers (if that is welcomed under the beliefs of that faith)
3. Drop by the family home with a hot meal for those who are grieving
4. Drop by for a visit (especially after family and friends have left) to provide comfort and encouragement, a listening ear to the pain of grief and loss.
5. Make a sincere effort to develop friendships with the family and get to know the departed person through the stories of the family

No matter what our prior relationship was with the deceased and/or their family, if God has placed a burden of care on our heart by bringing their sorrow to mind, then we are to follow Jesus example and bring God's love to them in their time of loss. True friendship will always lead to opportunities to share the gospel. People want to "know that you care" before they "care what you know" (ie the gospel message).

In my view, attending any kind of religious service of another faith is not in keeping with the teachings of the bible and should be avoided. We can show our love in so many other ways that don't taint our testimony.

September 20 2018 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report