Bunch of idiots. They made his funeral look like a joke. Totally agree with you David. Glad i didnt see it on my way home

Stupid and disrespectful. Period.

I disagree. If his family were content with the spirit with which his friends attended the funeral why should anyone else be so intolerant or demanding of a certain conformity.

Colm

If you agree that is is disrespectful, no explanation is necessary.

If you do not agree, no explanation is possible.

When these boys grow to be mature adults, if that happens [ the maturity ] , they'll cringe too.

They're not making Englishers the way the used to, that's all that I can say.

Phantom

It isn't exactly how I would like to see a turnout at a funeral but so what. All I would ask is that they sought the approval of Ben's family to attend in the attire that they did.

And I don't want to add however indirectly to their troubles, but you would think that when kids are about to do something that is beyond stupid in a most public place, that someone has to be the adult and say " No. Please don't do that. There are other ways of dealing with this. Lets talk"

I have to think that the family would not have realized the extent of some of what went on.

The family was vulnerable. This is almost like they were pranked by these "friends"

I wonder if anyone would complain if I showed up at Maggie Thatcher's funeral like that?

Any way, I could think of better ways to pay your respects but as Colm said, as long as the family okayed then why should we judge?

That's just rude. Someone should have snatched that disrespectful crap off of their heads and slapped those boys silly.

I have to admit David, I also am quite surprised that the Church allowed them in. Maybe they didn't and these people stayed outside. I don't know how the Church operates in England but here in Ireland they even banned Flag draped coffins inside the Chapels. You had to remove the Flag from the coffin at the door.

You wouldn't think that the church would need to have security or attendants at the door to ensure that no one came in to make a mockery of the occasion. You'd be wrong.

Maybe the next funeral can have jugglers and a standup comedian.

Tend to agree with Colm on this. I don't see that they intended to mock the occasion at all and as long as the family were OK with it.

If anything it reminds us that the victim was only a kid and a real person. These are just kids, celebrating the life of their friend, and dealing with their own loss in a way that they thought he would like. They are probably right. They knew him and we didn't. He was only 16.

For your information this funeral was NOT turned into a circus, and no, the youngsters did NOT disrespect Ben, his family or the Catholic Church. These youngsters did NOT wear their colourful shades and wigs into the church, No-one had to ask them to remove these trappings, they know how to behave and did so impeccible, so give these kids a break. With comments such as those I have read here is it any wonder so many youngsters treat adults like aliens. For goodness sake, let them express themselves and when you only see half the picture, who on earth are you to judge? What these youngsters DID do was to behave with the utmost respect THROUGHOUT the entire church service. Yes, there were many youngsters torn with grief during that service but having shared the pain of losing Ben, and with many, I cannot think of anything more uplifting than the unconventional final musical farewell to Ben, which helped those youngsters smile again and perhaps remember that life is for living and that they should live it to the full, so damn well back off calling silly. You saw half a picture and joined the dots in the wrong places - who's silly?

Interesting comment, attendee.

Alright, perhaps those young men who were dressed in the wigs etc, took them off before going into the church, I dunno what went on precisely, so I can't comment on the particular events of this poor young lad's funeral.
But what I will say, speaking in GENERAL, is this:
A Catholic (or Anglican, for that matter) funeral service is a Christian religious service. If you want to take part in such a service within a church, then you abide by the church's rules and general demeanour. That means that the music played should be hymns, not pop songs, and the readings should be from the Bible, and not extracts from the collected wisdom of Bono, Nelson Mandela and Duncan Goodhew.

In fact, just as there are registry offices where people who never set foot in a church all their lives can get married, I favour the creation of state "cessation offices", where those same people could conduct their own secular "sending-off" ceremonies, without the inconvenience of having to hijack a church.

I also think there should be separate "secular" cemeteries for the non-religious, so that I no longer have to put up with looking at all those tacky graves adorned with wind-mobiles, flags, football emblems and so forth, which so spoil and degrade the atmosphere created by the more traditional Christian gravestones. Cemeteries are starting to look more and more like Walt Disney theme parks every year, it's an utter disgrace.

If you want nothing to do with Christianity or churches during your everyday life, then that's fine, no-one is forcing you to. Only, please don't turn around and have the hypocrisy to hijack it for your weddings/funerals/graves.

and, not for nothing

I kinda-sorta know all the other participants here, but I don't know who "Attendee" is, if he/she really attended, and if he/she did actually did attend whether he/she is telling the truth.

With mystery comments such as that which I have read here is it any wonder so many bloggers treat trolls and mystery posters like aliens

Phantom

Whether 'attendee' was actually at the funeral or not, I think the sentiments expressed in his/her opposed have great merit.

Tom

While I have a lot of sympathy with your stance on the 'hijacking' of Churches for services held in a largely secular manor, I can't agree with you on the cementries. Most cemetries are not owned by church organisations but by local authorities and while there should be some light regulations to be adhered to I do not accept their should be a bias towards religous adornements. What might seem tacky to you is very moving to another person and vice versa.

The whole idea of these public specticals where everybody and anybody turns a solumn event into a carnival is ludicrous.

Many, so called social-psychologists, say it's part of the closure ritual. Boo Hoo. I'm missing you.

Actually, for many it's just an excuse to parade around and be seen.

When my time comes I have told my kids they have 6-hours to:

1) Tag me

2) Bag me

3) Burn me

4) And last, but not least PARTY HARDY!

Heck, I know they'd do #4 whether I requested it or not.

Eddie

1 - 3 sounds like a typical Muslim burial.

OMG. I agree with O'Dwyer.

"1 - 3 sounds like a typical Muslim burial."

Sorry COLM,

I'm far from being Muslim.

It may sound like a Muslin funeral but I'm actually a Born-again atheist, but occassionaly I substitute as an altar-boy at the local Scientology church. But that's only till I earn enough "L. Ron Hubbard" frequent flyer miles to get a free trip to Nirvana, Mexico.

EDDIE

Im well ahead of you there. I've earnt enough to have a 10 second handshake with Tom Cruise !

Black may not have been an appropriate colour to wear to the funeral as it would only remind the parents of who stabbed their son to death, and who are causing most or even all of the knife mayhem in England. There is no 'knife problem': there's an immigrant problem.

Considering that the majority of the black people in England where actually born there, I would say that it isn't an immigrant problem and you are a complete Racist Cunt.

Thanks, Seamus. I wear the term 'racist' with pride when it comes from people like you. Considering that most (or is it all?) of the perpetrators are indeed black, then we have a black teenager problem.
BTW Seamus, I now read elsewhere that the bodies of the dead Israeli soldiers exchanged for the child-killer had been mutilated WHILE THEY WERE ALIVE (the rabbi preparing them for the funeral procedings said so). You wrote that they died from wounds received during the abduction. Were you lying or BS-ing?

"BTW Seamus, I now read elsewhere that the bodies of the dead Israeli soldiers exchanged for the child-killer had been mutilated WHILE THEY WERE ALIVE (the rabbi preparing them for the funeral procedings said so). You wrote that they died from wounds received during the abduction. Were you lying or BS-ing?"

What I would say is that Lebanon received many bodies back from the Israelis. If the Lebanese Imam had said that Israeli had tortured and mutilated them before killing them, would you believe him?

Now, considering that the Doctors, who probably know better than a Rabbi, said that the two soldiers had been killed during the initial attack, I think would believe them.