Should Christians Be Cremated ?

[Riverwolf]

Agreed.

Not me.
MEDCURE. Portland, OR.
Free cremation with whole body donation.
Just a thought.

 

[Lewis]

Let me ask this, when Joseph was embalmed' well let me put it this way, gutted and dried out for a total of 70 days. Was that in style at the time for the Hebrew community no of course not. Embalming was for the heathens. But yet it is excepted widely today by the people of God. Let me tell you something if you don't want to be cremated fine' then don't get cremated.

 

[Free]

Let me ask this, when Joseph was embalmed' well let me put it this way, gutted and dried out for a total of 70 days. Was that in style at the time for the Hebrew community no of course not. Embalming was for the heathens. But yet it is excepted widely today by the people of God. Let me tell you something if you don't want to be cremated fine' then don't get cremated.

Apples and oranges. Embalming may have merely been something that the Hebrews knew nothing about but that really is quite different than cremation versus burial. Afaik, there is not one example of Christians being cremated as an acceptable form of dealing with the dead, and I'm fairly certain the same would go for practicing Jews.

Cremation has only ever been used by non-Christians and carries with it a large amount of negative connotation and meaning.

I think that financial and especially personal preferences should be considered after one considers the above.

 

[Potluck]

Firemen have been known to die in fires to save others.
They made a decision, they knew there was great risk of being burned alive but did it anyway.
If the argument is based on selected scripture then I must assume the exceptions are also written. If not then a Christian fireman making such a decision cannot be in heaven.

I think I smell legalism in this thread, because to support a Christian must be buried then there has to be some legalistic jargon to cover all other exceptions.

I just don't see much difference in the way one returns to the earth, whether through the process of degeneration, digested by worms or through cremation except time maybe. And here again, it's the "If it's not in the bible..." argument.

there is not one example of Christians being cremated as an acceptable form of dealing with the dead

Actually, you better move to the Mediteranean basin, since America is not mentioned in Scriptures, you are not allowed to live here...;)

/Potluck files that one away for future reference.

 

[Lewis]

Yeah an example all the people burned alive in the Trade Towers at 9/11, many were Christians. Did God say hold it, now I know you are not trying to sneak up here burnt up like that, just look at yourself in the mirror. Michael kick these burned up people back to the ground, they can't come up here. What's that you said Michael, they are saved. Well I am God and I don't want them in my Kingdom. What's that you say Michale" I know that their bodies are in the ground and just their spirits are here, but there burned bodies has affected my decision, do like I said Michael and Gabriel and kick them out of my kingdom of heaven. And that goes for you to Jesus, do as I said. How dare you Jesus, Michael and Gabriel come to me with this nonsense. I can't except people who's bodies have been burned, saved or not saved. What's that you say Jesus my Son ? You and I have the power to give them new bodies and that we have to do it anyway ? Well I am God and I am not going to allow it. These people are burned beyond recognition, get their spirits out of here NOW.

Do you get the picture ?

 

[Free]

Firemen have been known to die in fires to save others.
They made a decision, they knew there was great risk of being burned alive but did it anyway.
If the argument is based on selected scripture then I must assume the exceptions are also written. If not then a Christian fireman making such a decision cannot be in heaven.

I think I smell legalism in this thread, because to support a Christian must be buried then there has to be some legalistic jargon to cover all other exceptions.

I just don't see much difference in the way one returns to the earth, whether through the process of degeneration, digested by worms or through cremation except time maybe. And here again, it's the "If it's not in the bible..." argument.

No, this is not "if it's not in the Bible...". This is a "it-doesn't-ever-appear-in-the-history-of-Christianity-and-only-in-paganism" argument. This is significant. And please, address the points, and if you can't then don't say that some are being legalistic.

Yeah an example all the people burned alive in the Trade Towers at 9/11, many were Christians. Did God say hold it, now I know you are not trying to sneak up here burnt up like that, just look at yourself in the mirror. Michael kick these burned up people back to the ground, they can't come up here. What's that you said Michael, they are saved. Well I am God and I don't want them in my Kingdom. What's that you say Michale" I know that their bodies are in the ground and just their spirits are here, but there burned bodies has affected my decision, do like I said Michael and Gabriel and kick them out of my kingdom of heaven. And that goes for you to Jesus, do as I said. How dare you Jesus, Michael and Gabriel come to me with this nonsense. I can't except people who's bodies have been burned, saved or not saved. What's that you say Jesus my Son ? You and I have the power to give them new bodies and that we have to do it anyway ? Well I am God and I am not going to allow it. These people are burned beyond recognition, get their spirits out of here NOW.

Clearly the analogies of firemen and what happened on 9-11, and any other such analogies such as dying in a burning house or being burnt at the stake, are false. They completely miss the point on both sides of the argument. The point is whether a Christian should consciously choose to be cremated.

I will again state that, afaik, there is not one single example in the history of Christianity where a Christian chose cremation or where cremation is said to be an acceptable way of dealing with the dead. This speaks volumes, as does the fact that history is replete with examples of pagans and those in other religions where people are cremated.

 

[jasoncran]

simple solution if its a sin to you then dont do it. look i find it ironic that some posters on the anti-cremation side are for paganistic christmas and yet also are against cremation.

i know the origins of the christmas holiday and yet i dont feel its wise to celebrate but that it between the person and God and frankly so is cremation.

burials arent cheap and i think in japan it becoming way to expensive to bury the dead on skyscrapers in the cities.

and that is who they do it in tokyo and other cities. so would you place the burden of that on your family if you lived in tokyo.

 

[Rageprophet]

I find this post inronic at best.

Creamtaion no creamation but I though that was why we chose Christianity so we wouldn't have to be creamated for eternity.

When I die I simply do not care what happens to my broken husk that has been ravaged by sin, it almost seems more fitting that it should be burnt. I will have no use for it whatsoever, so why would God even care about a dead sack of flesh or how it is disposed.

 

[Buzzy]

The wife and I plan on being cremated when we die. Part of it is economics, part of it is that we understand we will no longer need these worldly bodies then, part of it may even be that I dont' need a tiny little spot of earth for my body to "own" when I go to live with my Lord Jesus in heaven. I'm comfortable with our decision and I won't judge you if you dont' believe the same.

 

[Timothy]

In truth the issue isn't one can answer without looking into the culture of the time when it comes to this issue. Cremation was not something practiced by in general by those who wrote the scriptures. It may have had nothing to do with right and wrong. And for them the issue came down to having a tomb and preparing the body themselves for burial. Now days the fees for this come into play.

Some people just cannot afford the cost of it. My father was cremated last year. A lot of financial hardship at the time for the whole family so he was cremated. He had choose this years and years before because he didn't want to be a burden on the family. He wrote it into his will. Truth is this was his last selfless act of giving his family something.

But if you want to get into this, and bring legalism into it then you should truly follow Jewish custom and bury the body whole without the embalming. This isn't something they practiced after all!