Cremation?

[brofoster]

I personally do not like the idea. Burial is a necessity of any society, however on most occassions it turns into a religious ceremony. My rule for anything religious is to search the scriptures for direct commands, guidance or an example. I feel that when we do things the way early Christians did, we are on the right track.

With that being said, how did they dispose of their dead. In most cases there was some type of PREPERATION and BURIAL of the body. NEVER A BURNING OF THE BODY. For example,

Gen 50:2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.

Mat 27:59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

Mat 27:60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

So here we see several examples of Old Testament and New Testament examples of how to handle bodies.

In many religious ceremonies, the Paghans burned bodies, and Christians obstained from such practices.

 

[Hawkeye]

I should state right up front that cremation affects no one's Salvation. If you are Saved when you die, nothing done afterward has any bearing on you. However, we're not talking about Salvation here, we are addressing the God glorifying Christian way to handle the bodies of our family and friends. In our day, sound Biblical judgment is clouded by man's vain philosophies, secular humanism, and social practicality, but these are not valid replacements for sound Biblical principles. The rising acceptance of cremation in the modern Church has (not coincidentally) coincided with a marked departing from the faith, and a falling away from adherence to traditional Church values and sound doctrines based upon the doctrines of sola scriptura.

Cremation was a problem for the early Church which historically taught that burial was the 'Christian' (Biblical) thing to do for loved ones. Unfortunately, today humanistic reasoning and changing cultures seem to be the determining factors of what is considered biblical or unbiblical in making funeral arrangements. The whole mindset has changed, and this is a substantial shift from the historical Church teaching on the matter.

It should be self evident to anyone reading scripture that burial, and not cremation, is in full harmony with (and is a testimony to) the hope of the resurrection. And this is what often get's lost in all the rhetoric of those who support cremation. It is hard to even imagine God appointing cremation in anticipation of raising His only begotten Son from the dead. In fact, historically cremation has been associated with the efforts of pagans in their denial of the resurrection of the body. While Burial has been seen as the 'signification' God uses in the resurrection figure, and has been the way that Christians show respect for God and honor His example when their loved ones die. We should not desire cremation, and indeed it is our obligation to choose burial whenever possible. When we look at these reasons carefully, we understand that it is more than just a custom or tradition, it is a Biblical figure instituted as a separation or division of heathen and Christian heritages. It was a Biblical 'sign' of the division of the dead in preparation for resurrection, and for destruction. Historically God illustrated this.






It is a Pagan Practice
It can be demonstrated that cremation has its origins in paganism, and for thousands of years has been practiced by the those who do not know God. Used both as a cause of death, and as an after death practice, it is never used by God's people as anything good.

2nd Chronicles 33:5-6

"And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger."
The pagan nations have always used cremation in their varied religious practices. Some as a release (supposedly) of the spirit at death, while others used the practice in idolatrous pagan fire worship. Still others used it as the aid or help in reincarnation. As an example, there are religions (such as the Hindus), which practice cremation in support of reincarnation, and then sprinkle the ashes of those who are burned up upon the Ganges river. These false religions deny any bodily resurrection and their practices are a sign of that.
But God declared that His people were to be separate from the traditions and practices of their pagan neighbors. He forbade the believers of the Old Testament from following the religions and customs of the un-Godly foreigners, and commanded His Children that they should bury their dead bodies.

Deuteronomy 21:23

"His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance."
This is God giving specific instructions of what was to be done with dead bodies. God said it was to be buried that the land be not defiled. He could have very easily said burn it to ashes like the heathen do, but God wants his people to be separate and distinct from the customs of those around them.
It is interesting that cremation in Christian culture was extremely rare until the nineteenth century. It was not even legal in England until 1884. The first crematory in America was built in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1876 by non-christians who cared nothing about Godly practices. In this country cremation has historically always been unpopular, and deemed unchristian. In point of fact, as late as the 1970's only about eight percent of those who died were cremated. But along with the changing moral values and increase in eastern religious influences in this country, came the rise in the acceptance of burning bodies.

There is no scripture which ever speaks of a Christian ever being cremated. This alone should alert the Biblically minded student that it is something that God has not assigned for the Child of God. Burning is a 'scriptural' symbol or sign of destruction, and thus is not to be the figure for a Christian. The heathen nations burned the bodies of their dead, but God's people buried their dead in the earth or in sepulchres. When we read the accounts of the early martyrs of the Church, we see that the faithful treated the bodies of the dead in the traditional way, with respect, as they were taken away for burial. And we have clear historical precedent that the Roman (pagan) practice of cremation was shunned by Christians.

 

[Tim L]

I should state right up front that cremation affects no one's Salvation. If you are Saved when you die, nothing done afterward has any bearing on you. However, we're not talking about Salvation here, we are addressing the God glorifying Christian way to handle the bodies of our family and friends. In our day, sound Biblical judgment is clouded by man's vain philosophies, secular humanism, and social practicality, but these are not valid replacements for sound Biblical principles. The rising acceptance of cremation in the modern Church has (not coincidentally) coincided with a marked departing from the faith, and a falling away from adherence to traditional Church values and sound doctrines based upon the doctrines of sola scriptura.

Cremation was a problem for the early Church which historically taught that burial was the 'Christian' (Biblical) thing to do for loved ones. Unfortunately, today humanistic reasoning and changing cultures seem to be the determining factors of what is considered biblical or unbiblical in making funeral arrangements. The whole mindset has changed, and this is a substantial shift from the historical Church teaching on the matter.

It should be self evident to anyone reading scripture that burial, and not cremation, is in full harmony with (and is a testimony to) the hope of the resurrection. And this is what often get's lost in all the rhetoric of those who support cremation. It is hard to even imagine God appointing cremation in anticipation of raising His only begotten Son from the dead. In fact, historically cremation has been associated with the efforts of pagans in their denial of the resurrection of the body. While Burial has been seen as the 'signification' God uses in the resurrection figure, and has been the way that Christians show respect for God and honor His example when their loved ones die. We should not desire cremation, and indeed it is our obligation to choose burial whenever possible. When we look at these reasons carefully, we understand that it is more than just a custom or tradition, it is a Biblical figure instituted as a separation or division of heathen and Christian heritages. It was a Biblical 'sign' of the division of the dead in preparation for resurrection, and for destruction. Historically God illustrated this.






It is a Pagan Practice
It can be demonstrated that cremation has its origins in paganism, and for thousands of years has been practiced by the those who do not know God. Used both as a cause of death, and as an after death practice, it is never used by God's people as anything good.

2nd Chronicles 33:5-6

"And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger."
The pagan nations have always used cremation in their varied religious practices. Some as a release (supposedly) of the spirit at death, while others used the practice in idolatrous pagan fire worship. Still others used it as the aid or help in reincarnation. As an example, there are religions (such as the Hindus), which practice cremation in support of reincarnation, and then sprinkle the ashes of those who are burned up upon the Ganges river. These false religions deny any bodily resurrection and their practices are a sign of that.
But God declared that His people were to be separate from the traditions and practices of their pagan neighbors. He forbade the believers of the Old Testament from following the religions and customs of the un-Godly foreigners, and commanded His Children that they should bury their dead bodies.

Deuteronomy 21:23

"His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance."
This is God giving specific instructions of what was to be done with dead bodies. God said it was to be buried that the land be not defiled. He could have very easily said burn it to ashes like the heathen do, but God wants his people to be separate and distinct from the customs of those around them.
It is interesting that cremation in Christian culture was extremely rare until the nineteenth century. It was not even legal in England until 1884. The first crematory in America was built in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1876 by non-christians who cared nothing about Godly practices. In this country cremation has historically always been unpopular, and deemed unchristian. In point of fact, as late as the 1970's only about eight percent of those who died were cremated. But along with the changing moral values and increase in eastern religious influences in this country, came the rise in the acceptance of burning bodies.

There is no scripture which ever speaks of a Christian ever being cremated. This alone should alert the Biblically minded student that it is something that God has not assigned for the Child of God. Burning is a 'scriptural' symbol or sign of destruction, and thus is not to be the figure for a Christian. The heathen nations burned the bodies of their dead, but God's people buried their dead in the earth or in sepulchres. When we read the accounts of the early martyrs of the Church, we see that the faithful treated the bodies of the dead in the traditional way, with respect, as they were taken away for burial. And we have clear historical precedent that the Roman (pagan) practice of cremation was shunned by Christians.

Well maybe the issue here really isn't cremation, but being embalmed and sealed in a casket.....If a person could still have a "traditional" burial, that is being laid to rest in a more natural way so that eventually your body returns to the earth...well..at least in my mind that would be preferable...

 

[pendy]

Hawkeye

Thanks for your #44 post. I think it said it best.

 

[StriperAddict]

Hawkeye, I agree with Pendy... thanks for sharing

 

[Lady Ducked'up]

To each his own but for me cremation just isn't right. I could not stand the thought of having a loved ones body burned. Just my 2 cents.

 

[leroy]

I think it is ridiculous for us as Christians to be debating this because guess what it dosent matter. If you are buried, cremated, or fed to the coyotes you have already walked through the pearly gates and into Gods Holy presence. We need to be concerned with what goes on with our bodies while we are on this earth but after that its all null and void.

 

[patchestc]

amen. it's life that counts. once dead, who cares??