The Bible and Cremation

Vee said:

I saw an article about newt ways people are using to deal with the remains of their loved ones, and it got me thinking if there is anything in the Bible in the form of instructions.
Cremation is becoming more popular and I can see why. I also saw something about burying a persons remains and turn them into a tree. That one had a certain touch of beauty to it.
I did some research and there is no Bible command regarding either burial or cremation of the dead.
There are examples of both and no indication that one is more acceptable than the other. I know some people think cremation dishonors the body, but the Bible says that those who die return to the dust, which is what naturally happens to a corpse when it decomposes. (Genesis 3:19) Cremation actually speeds up the process.
Looks like it's a personal decision. I hope I don't have to make it anytime soon.

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I believe going through the fire would not be pleasant for a person who does not know enough to leave the body.

MikeF said:

My thought on burial is to be encased in cement and dropped in a sea that in 250 million years will become an eroded plateau upon which I will potentially be discovered.

Have to find a geologist to give me the best candidate sea, though.

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I believe seas are corrosive. It would be more likely to be preserved in a desert.

stvdv said:

Jesus says "Follow Me"

So, I plan to arise from the grave after 3 days. I don't want to risk messing this up, hence cremation is a "no go"

And when it doesn't work out then I think cremation is nice and clean. All these animals nibbling my flesh would not be my first option, hence "cremation is the way to go"

I hope I have enough years to decide which to choose

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I believe cremation can be delayed for three days. For longer there is embalming. My wife once asked about that having dreamed our son died and rose from the casket after embalming. I told he that was not a problem; the God who can turn water into wine can turn embalming fluid into blood.

URAVIP2ME said:

ALL the resurrections Jesus performed were happy-and-healthy physical resurrections.

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These are more properly called resuscitations: the receiver will die again.

Muffled said:

I believe seas are corrosive. It would be more likely to be preserved in a desert.

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Indeed. I certainly haven't worked out the details of how it might work. Certainly the biggest challenge is forecasting the state of affairs of a point on the earth today, 250 million years into the future. There is a possibility that a point buried in a desert today may eventually be subducted into magma in the future, let alone simply continuing to erode and breaking down and dispersing my remains before they can fossilize. The idea of a sea assumes that silt will continue to accumulate for some long period of time and pressure will eventually turn that burial site into a rock formation, creating a very durable tomb in a way.

Really, its just a fanciful thought experiment. Part of the of the fun is thinking about what to bury with yourself, as the hope is you are creating a time capsule for a very distant future, not the typical 100 year ones we see communities create today.

Muffled said:

I believe cremation can be delayed for three days. For longer there is embalming. My wife once asked about that having dreamed our son died and rose from the casket after embalming. I told he that was not a problem; the God who can turn water into wine can turn embalming fluid into blood.

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I totally agree, that God can do that

Quite a scary dream it seems that your wife had, that your son had died.
I have had myself a dream about my parents and one about my grandfather dying...didn't happen, but those were very intense emotional dreams. Family bonds are strong

URAVIP2ME said:

Yes, 'flesh and blood' (physical) is Not resurrected to Heaven - 1 Corinthians 15:50-54
Those ' brothers ' (1st Cor, 15:1) who have that first or earlier resurrection - Revelation 20:6; 5:9-10 - to serve in Heaven with Jesus do Not take a physical body to Heaven.
At 1 Corinthians 15:40 mentions both a heavenly body and a earthly body.
The meek who will inherit the Earth are resurrected in physical earthly bodies.
Thus, the majority of mankind can have a physical resurrection in a healthy physical body resembling the old one.

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1 Cor 15:40 does not mention that there will be both, but that there currently are both - for the context of the pericope is creating a dichotomy between what exists now, and what will be in the future - the point being that the two are incompatible.

...food for stomachs, and stomach for food, God will do away with them both.

muhammad_isa said:

I don't think crematoriums existed when Abel & Cain were around. I don't like the idea of being burnt in a fire .. but hey, it could happen to any of us.

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Even by the time Cain died it is quite possible for persons to have died because of fire.
What we can learn for the Bible is that the dead do Not burn but are sound asleep:
- John 11:11-14; Psalms 37:38; Psalms 92:7; Psalms 104:35; Ecclesiastes 9:5; Isaiah 38:18
Just as there was No post-mortem penalty for Adam, No double jeopardy for Adam there is none for anyone else.

DNB said:

1 Cor 15:40 does not mention that there will be both, but that there currently are both - for the context of the pericope is creating a dichotomy between what exists now, and what will be in the future - the point being that the two are incompatible.
...food for stomachs, and stomach for food, God will do away with them both.

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Sound as if you are saying the meek who will inherit the earth will never eat .
On the other hand, Psalms 72:8 gives us a preview of how Jesus' coming rulership will bring relief to mankind.
There will be plenty to eat (indicating stomachs) at Psalms 72:16; Isaiah 30:23 besides Isaiah 35th chapter.

In a sense 'the two are incompatible' in that those called to heaven will have a spirit body like Jesus.
These are called by God as holy ones / saints - Daniel 7:18; Luke 22:8-30 - who have that first or earlier resurrection to govern in heaven with Christ - please see Revelation 20:6; Revelation 5:9-10
Govern over earth from the heavens for the meek who will inherit the earth ( earthly realm of God's kingdom )
The kingdom that we pray for to come ( thy kingdom come......)
We don't ask to be 'taken up' to the kingdom, nor pray to be 'taken away' to the kingdom.

As a plant becomes a plant only after the 'seed' dies so those resurrected to heaven will have spirit bodies.
Those resurrected on earth will have physical bodies as Adam had
As Adam was offered 'everlasting life on Earth as long as he obeyed God', so too with physically resurrected ones.
Remember: the majority of mankind lived and died without getting to know about Jesus.- John 3:13
The physical resurrection for them will give them that opportunity to put faith in Jesus.

Last spring we scouted where we would disperse ashes. We knew the general whereabouts, but hadn't looked at specifics. Either one of us, or accompanied by a child or two, all depending on when the transition happens, will be standing on a fairly remote old truss bridge watching the other's ashes from this body, this lifetime, go down to the river below, and head west to the Pacific. We are proactive, not reactive. The children have been informed of said wishes.

pearl said:

These are more properly called resuscitations: the receiver will die again.

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Yes, Jesus' 4-day dead friend was then killed - please read John 11:17 and John 12:1; John 12:9-10
So, Jesus' friend did die again and Jesus was not there this time to resurrect his '4-day dead' friend again at that time.
So, Jesus' dead-again friend will Not have another resurrection until Resurrection Day (Jesus 1,000 year Day of governing over Earth). That is why the future tense is used at Acts of the Apostles 24:15 that there ' is going to be ' a resurrection.....
ALL the people Jesus resurrected died again whether that day or were dead for days.
Jesus was giving us a preview on a small scale or what he will be doing on a grand-global scale during his Millennial reign over Earth for a thousand years.
This time only resurrected people who prove to be wicked people will die again (second death) - Psalms 37:38; Psalms 92:7; Psalms 104:35

IndigoChild5559 said:

Traditionally, Jews and Christians have been opposed to cremation, since the idea was to have an intact body for the day of resurrection. However, this way of reasoning has its drawbacks. For one thing, buried bodies from thousands of years ago are often torn apart and partial, not intact. Are these people unable to be resurrected? Problem 2, what about all the Jews who were cremated in death camps, will they not be resurrected? Most Jews would take issue with that. Problem 3, the truth is that burial is simply too expensive for a lot of people -- they opt for cremation because that is the only thing they can afford. Does God punish the poor by not resurrecting them?

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'Body' not needed but the 'Book' is:
God's Book of Life - Exodus 32:33; Psalms 69:28; Daniel 12:1 B
Both rich and poor can be in God's memory, in His Book of Life.

MikeF said:

Indeed. I certainly haven't worked out the details of how it might work. Certainly the biggest challenge is forecasting the state of affairs of a point on the earth today, 250 million years into the future. There is a possibility that a point buried in a desert today may eventually be subducted into magma in the future, let alone simply continuing to erode and breaking down and dispersing my remains before they can fossilize. The idea of a sea assumes that silt will continue to accumulate for some long period of time and pressure will eventually turn that burial site into a rock formation, creating a very durable tomb in a way.

Really, its just a fanciful thought experiment. Part of the of the fun is thinking about what to bury with yourself, as the hope is you are creating a time capsule for a very distant future, not the typical 100 year ones we see communities create today.

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I believe Adam was found buried in the desert in what is now Iraq and there is no telling how old his remains were. Recently there was an article about China finding remains of a million year old person. It is a crap shoot though since the number of ancient finds is small compared to the world's population.

stvdv said:

I totally agree, that God can do that

Quite a scary dream it seems that your wife had, that your son had died.
I have had myself a dream about my parents and one about my grandfather dying...didn't happen, but those were very intense emotional dreams. Family bonds are strong

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I believe in God's timing. I had the radio set to a Christian station and my wife woke up to a sermon on the resurrection.

Muffled said:

I believe Adam was found buried in the desert in what is now Iraq..

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What??
How do they know it was Adam, exactly?

muhammad_isa said:

What??
How do they know it was Adam, exactly?

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Drivers license found with the body perhaps?

Muffled said:

I believe in God's timing. I had the radio set to a Christian station and my wife woke up to a sermon on the resurrection.

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God's Timing is perfect
Tuning into God
Is my key too

muhammad_isa said:

What??
How do they know it was Adam, exactly?

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MikeF said:

Drivers license found with the body perhaps?

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I was joking of course. It was most likely the missing rib and a petrified fig leaf that provided positive identification.

Vee said:

I did some research and there is no Bible command regarding either burial or cremation of the dead.

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I gather the standard Biblical process for dealing with the dead is;
1) Put the body in a tomb
2) Roll a big rock over the doorway
3) Go back in two days to make sure they haven't suddenly got better and wandered off.