I tried to wait until after the service was over to say this...
I'd just like to say that I am shocked at some of the horrible disrespectful posts that were posted during this service.
This is a service for Shaniya by her family. It is what they beleive. Not what anyone else does.
As the dad was walking into the service, someone just couldn't beleive he had SUNGLASSES on. So what??? What difference does that make????
What does it matter that dad wore sunglasses, or said God is good?
This was his goodbye to his daughter. Why do some people here feel this is the time to pick BL and the whole service apart???
In the faith of those who officiated, they beleive this is a celebration of life. It is a going home service. They see this as a good thing. That she is with our Lord.
Not everybody thinks funerals are sit down, cry, wipe tears and listen to sad songs.
Many people also use funerals as an oppurtunity to reach out to lost souls. That's why they talk so much about forgiveness and such. They want everyone in the church to "get right" now before it's too late. This is a beleif. Maybe not yours, but theirs.
God bless this entire family. All of those who knew and loved Shaniya.
I really wish some of these comments would have been posted AFTER.
Very disrespectful IMO.
AMEN.
(A little negativity is in this post, not much. It's MOO and I am not meaning to make anyone feel bad, just think harder. Thanks.)
If you've never been to a black service, you should go before you criticize. I think some of their services could truly force the devil down the aisle towards salvation. I couldn't tell what faith the church is, someone mentioned Pentacostal. But the faith is very strong and the going home is glorious. Most black services and funerals that I've been to are similar to this and if you thought you could go and weep quietly in the corner, odds are that you were wrong.
[Christianity has long honored fathers of children; some faiths more than others. And if this is a church where BL is active, then they are going to help him in his time of need, pure and simple. That's the whole meaning of brotherhood. Even if he is not active, they are going to honor Shaniya by supporting her father, WHOM SHE LOVED, despite anyone else's opinion.]
[I wish people would return to the habit of reading a thread before posting. So much valuable information is missed, and it's information or emotions that the poster has put a lot of time and energy into creating to share with us. It seems selfish to me not to go back and scan those posts, give credit where credit is due, and cut back on time spent answering questions already answered. I know we don't have a forum yet, but we are adults and can make this work.]
I posted my thoughts for today on page one of this thread this morning, hoping it would inspire others to realize what a special day today would be. Thank you to those that thanked me for that post. Bascially, I felt that today is not the day to digress the case in my opinion. When does a person ascend to heaven? In case today was Shaniya's day, I was hoping our positive thoughts and prayers would help guide her, and petty bickering and morbid observations would not be a part of that ascension.
Shaniya's community and family came together to say goodbye and to recognize their beliefs that she is in God's hands now. They are to be honored for representing how the world now feels about this little girl.
[[I realize that we all have different religions and beliefs and I am NOT saying that if you don't have any you are bad or wrong. It's just about respect for those that do have them. I myself have a very difficult time with many belief systems but have a deep respect for the values of others (unless they are evil beliefs, of course.]]
For those who said they didn't want to watch the funeral because they didn't want to remember her that way, I'd far rather remember that beautiful display of coffin, flowers, and pictures than remember the bewildered look of a baby in front of an elevator, gazing up, unaware that she is looking at her new home.
I'm done, fwiw. Have a great Sunday.