DC Locales

Hi, Lizzy. I know there was one in Tennessee several months ago--Murphreesboro (spelling?). It was sponsored by a Unity church. Our Unity (where my husband is minister) has sponsored four in Nevada, starting in May of 2013. In Nov of 2013, Unity of Auburn in California asked me to facilitate one there. Have Gun Will Travel! I'll go anywhere to facilitate these discussions because I feel they are so vitally important to have. If my expenses are paid, I'll facilitate one just about anywhere!

Posted by Paula Schneider

Hey lady,

I know there has been one in Murfreesboro, TN and there is a Death Cafe Memphis as well. I'm not sure about the other ones. Hope this helps :)

Great Question!

That's a very good question ("why do you suppose that is?"), and though I have nowhere near enough information to claim an answer, there is one thing that comes to mind for me. I wonder if religion is a factor. I know that churches and other religious organizations are often very interested in, and supportive of, Death Cafe. But I'd guess some less than others. We collect evaluation forms at the end of our events, and one of our questions is about religious/spiritual identity. With a few exceptions (Unitarians and Buddhists, for example), people who identify with any mainstream religion are relatively rare at our events. Also, in this city that has been named "the least religious city" in the United States, the demand for Death Cafe seems almost insatiable, with our events consistently seeing 60+ participants, sometimes many more. I'm very curious as to how religion might affect people's interest in Death Cafe. And I wonder, if religion is a factor in some people's lack of interest in Death Cafe, whether we should work to reach out to those populations, or if they're getting their needs met in other ways?

Posted by Kate Brassington

CHPN

My experience in hospice is that the most fundamentalist, rigid believers are often the most resistant to accepting dying. In fact it is not uncommon to find magical thinking around the words death or dying...they become alarmed and fear the spoken words will increase the likelihood of dying. What is the purpose of a belief system that leads to more suffering at the end of life?

Posted by Ellen

thanks

Thanks all for your comments. Glad to hear about TN. Interesting comments on religion. I think the diversity of religion at events depends a lot on method of advertising and also location. In general, I think the older adult population is more likely to self describe affinity with a specific religion...and the older adult population is more likely to hear about events from newspapers, community newspapers or radio. My two cents.

Posted by Lizzy Miles