Not a typo.
Christians seem to believe among other errors that they have some special universal privilege when the end of a human life occurs.
This "mandate" is self serving and oblivious to the possibility that the deceased person had no desire to be a part of these cult proceedings.
There is plenty of opportunity for the purveyors of grizzly and goulish fairy tales and god myths to work their "magic" AFTER the coroner has done his business.
Hanging around the scene of a tragedy trying to weasel their way into the situation is grizzly and goulish.
I realize that many peopole are duped into believing that a priest or other form of witch doctor will be some benefit to the dead person or give comfort to the greiving relatives should they be present. They remind me of ambulance chasing lawyers.
There could just as well be no benefit to the dead and the people close to the departed might find the presence of these johnnie on the spot god pushers to be in bad taste...if not insulting to the intelligence.
Just because you believe people are "duped" does not make you right. That is your opinion, not a fact. For those who believe, clergy does provide a benefit of comfort/strength for the grieving. Again, just because it doesn't
for you does not mean it is of no benefit to
someone else.
This is also true. For those who do not believe, the presence of clergy is meaningless, unnecessary, and nonsensical.
So ... should clergy stay away from scenes like Oso because those who not believe think they are nonsensical, leaving the believers grasping for the comfort/strength they gain from having clergy nearby, or should clergy go to scenes like Oso for those who do believe, and the non-believers can simply look the other way?
Huggy, did you lose someone in the mudslide?