What's wrong with "Rest in peace"?

When they are dead, what dies it matter? When they are dying, if they want to listen, there is much we can share.

Rest in peace & Dust to dust both feel like they could go either way, atheist or religious.

"All things considered I'd rather be in Philadelphia'

S/he came and went!

Let's face it all the words, strings of words, phrases, sentences or entire eulogies are just there to console the living left behind. One of my favourite family members who was born in 1900 and became a declared atheist after his return from a prolonged WWI said at my mother's funeral: "Sad event. Let's have a few drinks and tell a few jokes. It might be the last time we see each other!" He was dead the next day: Fatal accident on the return journey from the the funeral.

Rest in peace seems fine to me

Something like "Back to stardust because he shone brightly in life" or "From starsdust we came to stardust we go".

Rest in Bliss

I was born in a very orthodox christian family, when i grew up i got completely detached from it and grew up with no religion. Ever since i am happy.

This is always a tough one.

Honestly, because funerals are more about the living saying a last goodbye to someone no longer with us regardless of beliefs, I don't bother analyzing it. I block out what others say and just say good bye and I'll miss you and leave it at that. Lashing out at others because I don't agree in a time like that is a sure fire way to alienate myself and cause even more pain to others in a very painful and difficult time. That's the last thing anyone needs.

@AmyLF nailed it - I couldn't have written a better response.

Whenmy wife died gave here a christion funeral same later when my sun died it was appropriate
For my wife but not my son who was a atheist but kept it to himself to not hurt me learned this
From his girlfriend after his death I feel so ashamed because I to was a skeptic but stayed
In the closet.we could have been moral support for each other if we had spoken about it

Thoughts and Prayers:

Why does "rest in peace" only apply to the religious?

"I'm here for you if there's ANYthing you
might need. The memories I have of (whoever) will remain for as long as we remain. If you'd enjoy my company for any reason, please don't hesitate to call.

I have never minded saying "Rest in Peace", it's a common vernacular that I use without much thought or worry. And most of what is said after someone dies is for those of us still alive; if it offers comfort to those family and friends, what is the harm? Of course, to take another course with this thread, when my beloved travel trailer was destroyed in a freak windstorm and I shared the story, my one photo was not RIP, but rather "Rest in Pieces"...

Well, at least they don't have to pay any more taxes.

I will remember you with fondness my dear friend!

My father, and my personal atheist hero always used Omar Khayyam's excerpt:

"Dust into Dust, and under Dust to lie
Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer, and--sans End!"

At my friend's wake, a rabid Blue Oyster Cult fan, we played

Don't Fear the Reaper

It seemed satisfactory for everybody, religious or not.

Mel Blanc, that's all folks

May the force be with you. May the farce(religions) be with you. Humans and post death....we know nothing. Get used to it. Embrace it.

Call me. Let's do lunch.