Funeral Services for Kenny Regan Pulliam

Funeral services for my friend Kenny Regan Pulliam, 50, of Loganville, GA, who died Friday evening, October 29, 2010, will be Wednesday at 2 PM at the Ginn Funeral Home chapel, with the Rev. Todd West presiding. Internment will be in the Franklin Memorial Gardens. The body is at the Ginn Funeral Home, Carnesville, GA. Visitation will be at 1 PM before the service.

I have been shaken by Ken's death at the young age of fifty. It's causing me to rethink why I spend so much time on a computer when there is a life to be lived at my age of 56.

I'm planning on sending flowers since I cannot attend. Ken's family and most of his personal acquaintances are all staunch believers, so I'd like to send him a big floral arrangement from skeptical fans of his. I'm looking for about $100-150. If a few people gave $5-$10 then that's good I think, although a little more would be nice. [Edit: We've reached our goal of $150. Thanks everyone so much! I'll call it in tomorrow.]

18 comments:

Andrew said...

I donated but I couldn't find a way to earmark it for Ken.

Anonymous said...

Andrew, got it. Anything that comes in today will go toward his floral arrangement.

Clare said...

At the risk of sounding disrespectful myself, why are the family not respecting Dr Pulliam's wishes and philosophy? Could they not have found a secular person to preside rather than a Rev?
(unless this Rev has also deconverted)
I hope at least that no-one at the funeral says "He has gone to a better place"

Unknown said...

I just donated $10. I'll post this link on my Facebook account and try to up the donations.

It's a shame that Ken's family is so disrespectful that they are giving him a bogus religious funeral. That someone can put their love of an invisible sky daddy above the love of their real and tangible family member continues to blow my mind in every example I run across.

Rick Mueller said...

My condolences to you John on the loss of your friend. I have read a few of his works and was impressed with his scholarship and dedication to reason.

I, too, am 56 and have experienced the loss of contemporaries with similar introspection on how best to spend my time. I have found both solace and inspiration in taking up gardening in the past couple of years. It puts me in touch with living things and the constant regeneration of nature.

Solipsister said...

I was disgusted reading the mean-spirited "he's in hell" or "his deconversion doesn't count because he said the sinners prayer" nonsense posts on the FB page and saddened at news of what appears will be a funeral inconsistent with his beliefs. I'm glad I read all the remarks, though, since, based on her FB post, the guy left a hell of a legacy in his daughter, who cuts through the bullshit and I think implicitly rebukes the rude christians: "Daddy, I miss you so much. I hope you know now how important you and your wisdom were to so many people. You were a kind hearted loving dad who taught me so much. Your patience and understanding helped guide me through the years. Through the good and bad times, our family seemed to get through them. You were the smartest man I know, I could ask you anything and you always had an answer. You touched many people's lives throughout your time, we all lost a good teacher, mentor, friend, loved one, and dad. Regardless of what everyone else believes or doesn't believe, I know you are now in my heart and I will keep you there as long as I am here. I love you."

Jim said...

I just dropped a few bucks into the "flower jar"--Ken will be greatly missed.

His blog was in my top 3 for daily review and I really liked his scholarly look at issues like the Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theory.

What a great loss . . .

I have somewhat mixed feelings on a "religious" funeral. I'm an ardent atheist, and I've told my family I'd rather just be cremated and have my ashes sprinkled in the woods, but since they probably won't be able to resist having a religious funeral I don't think it can possibly insult me personally because my stream of consciousness will have ceased and I will be "uninsultable."

Funerals are for the living, not the dead. If there are known fellow unbelievers at Ken's religious funeral, then I see it as more of an affront to them than to Ken--and perhaps a sort of affront to all of us unbelievers.

Sort of like the Mormons holding "baptism" ceremonies for the dead who wouldn't have wanted to be Mormons. It's creepy and weird and insulting to the living non-Mormon family members and friends of the deceased, but probably meaningless to the deceased themselves (I say "probably" because Mormonism could be true! Ha ha!). Like the discovery that they "baptized" Barack Obama's mother Ann Dunham (who was non-religious).

Goodbye, Ken! Your memory will live on for me with all the work you've done on your blog. Well done, Sir!

Anonymous said...

Yes, Solipsister, her thoughts brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for the donations and for your additional thoughts everyone.

Lee said...

Contribution on its way . . . thanks for thinking to take care of this. Ken's death is a sad loss--he had so much to say, and said it all so well. (And I'm 58 an also spending way too much time in front of a computer).

Lee

Abyssal said...

Wouldn't it make more sense to donate money to a heart-related charity in his memory? Why would we want to waste money on flowers that don't do him or anyone else with heart problems a damn bit of good? I know we can't bring him back, but we can decrease the probability of anyone else dying the same way with more prudence and less sentimentalism. Isn't this more inline with someone who lived for rationalism would want.

Anonymous said...

Abyssal, we can do both. Start a fund.

Sending a floral arrangement tells his believing family there are skeptics who care.

Anonymous said...

Hi John,
Just made a contribution. I think the family will be happy to know that the followers of his blog will miss not only his ideas, but also him as a person-even more.

Thanks for giving us an opportunity to do something.

Josephs4Pres said...

Maybe it's just me but Ken is gone and if it make the family feel better to have a religious service, what's the big deal? Unless he has some will somewhere explicitly stating that he doesn't want it, then I don't see why it would be a problem. If he didn't leave some will or something, it won't disrespect him because he doesn't know (I guess it doesn't matter if he did leave some instructions behind forbidding a religious service for this very fact too). If someone wants to have a religious service for me when I die, I guess they can, I won't be here. It won't be my wife putting on at least. She de-converted a couple months and independently after me (I never told her I didn't believe any more until after she told me she didn't).

Anonymous said...

Here is a note Cheryl sent me on Facebook:

John I just read some of the comments on your blog. Could you let people know that Ken's funeral is not a religious service. We are not having a rev. officiate (that was a mistake made by someone in the family) I understand how they feel as I would feel the same. I am honoring my husband with a funeral befitting the beliefs he's had for the last 16 years. It will be nontraditional and unorthodox so I'm sure Christians in the family will be a little shocked (especially in this small country town) I say O well!If Kenny is listening he would be pleased. Thanks. cheryl

mikespeir said...

"Ken's family and most of his personal acquaintances are all staunch believers...."

Mine are, too. This is the kind of thing really bothers me about dying. As for myself, I won't care. I just hate the thought of people I love being convinced I'm frying in Hell.

Clare said...

Thank you Cheryl for putting us straight on the funeral arrangements. You sound like a wonderful compassionate person to put your husband's value system above your own.
My sincere condolences.
Also,Dr Ken Pulliam will live forever if his book is somehow finished and published. Perhaps John L can help.

David B Marshall said...

John: Sorry to hear about your friend. May his memory remain a blessing and source of inspiration to you.

thegrandverbalizer19 said...

With the name of Allah, Peace be unto those who follow the guidance from their Lord.

someone told me about his passing via my e-mail account and I thought this was another internet prank etc.

That does seem quite sudden at 50 something... I think he was a good man who had a very good heart. He never showed me any disrespect as a Muslim, though he obviously did not share my world view.

His on going series on the Atonement was very eye opening for me and invaluable. In all honesty I would encourage you people to read what he put on his blog.

There is nothing like it on the whole of the internet that dealt with this very crucial aspect.

I can pretend that I knew him (outside of the net world) as this is not truthful but I think he would want everyone to remember what he left behind.

I think all of us have world views, prepositional or not that can inhibit us, and down right cripple us. Ken was doing his best to 'set the captives free'.

That was his contribution, though I think it's good introspection on John's behalf. We could all use a break from the internet, it's a big world out there.

So because I come from a different world view than the people here I will conclude by saying (surely we are God's and unto God we return).

I hope he rest in peace.