1) The cause of death was suicide by hanging. He was scheduled for release next month. In light of this and the aforementioned life he led, the pastor and all attending still spoke of him in heaven and "being called on by god". Is this not hypocritical? Or is it ok to be a complete scumbag and kill yourself and still be all good in the eyes of your god?
this is actually a difficult question to answer, for there are many answers. the pastor could just be saying those words to make the family feel better or he is saying those words to reinforce hope in those attending. or still, we donot know if the person repented of his sins and just could not take life outside of prison anymore? then you have to factor in God's grace and how He acted inthat boy's life. unfortuantely, no one will really know till they get to heaven what God did for that boy.
those words have nothing to do with looking good in God's eyes' they seem strictly to come from the pastor and he does NOT have th efinal word on who gets to heaven. of course it would help to know if this was a christian protestant funeral, a protestant one or a R. catholic one.
a lot of information is missing in the OP.
2) Is it appropriate to use a service for a deceased person as your (the pastor) pulpit and to preach about your own supposed salvation? Is this a christian tradition?
bible college students and seminarians are taught that funerals are for the living, so yes it would be appropriate to use the serice as a pulpit. i do not neccessarily agree withthat idea as the message of the gospel can be given in so many different ways than holding participants hostage as they mourn a dead person.
™ Version 4.2
