{"id":11760,"date":"2022-06-05T20:03:45","date_gmt":"2022-06-05T10:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/?p=11760"},"modified":"2022-07-15T22:23:22","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T12:23:22","slug":"what-are-the-selection-criteria-for-state-funerals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/05\/what-are-the-selection-criteria-for-state-funerals\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the selection criteria for state funerals?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mp_wrapper\">\n  <div class=\"mepr-unauthorized-excerpt\">\n    <p>Editor\u2019s note: If you would like to submit a letter for possible publication, please email it to editor@rationalist.com.au. See our Publishing Guidelines.\nDear Editor,\nI would like to pose some questions about the rationale of state funerals.\nHow, and by whom, are decisions made about offers of state funerals? Are there defined selection criteria for such offers?\nShould there be an opportunity for community consultation? The cost must be significant. Taxpayers deserve to have some input about whether the expenditure could be better directed elsewhere \u2013 perhaps to help victims of natural disasters, even in another state.\nConsider the case of a hypothetical person who displayed a level of sporting prowess but had admitted to cheating on his\/her spouse and using illicit substances. Would such a person be a suitable recipient for a state funeral?\nJeff Lerner\n&nbsp;\nThe Big Bang or a miracle?\nDear Editor,\nCurrently, there are two dominant explanations for the existence of the cosmos: traditionally variations of the creative being idea and, more recently, variations of the Big Bang theory.\u00a0\nThe former supposes either that the creative being either existed always or created itself; the latter that the Big Bang either occurred in a void or was born out of existing energy. In either case, something had to be created out of nothing \u2013 which our scientific understanding says is both impossible and illogical \u2013 as an effect must be preceded by a cause.\nIn other words both theism and atheis...<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"mepr-unauthorized-message\">\n    <hr style=\"width: 100%;max-width: 1000px !important;height: 5px;border-width: 0;color: red;background-color: red\" \/>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<h3><em>You're part way through this article. Want to keep reading?<\/em><\/h3>\n<h4><em>Only members of the Rationalist Society of Australia can read our Premium articles.\u00a0<\/em><\/h4>\n<h3 style=\"height: 20px\"><span style=\"color: #c83200\"><em><a style=\"color: #c83200\" href=\"https:\/\/rationalist.com.au\/membership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Become a member today.<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<h4><em>Already a member? 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