The cremation process occurs in the cremation chamber (sometimes called the retort), a masonry-lined enclosure that can produce and withstand temperatures in the range of 1800°F to 2000°F. The deceased human body is positioned in a wood or cardboard casket, and placed in the chamber. Within a few hours the body is vaporized and reduced to bone fragments.
These fragments are removed from the cremation chamber and placed on a table where the crematory operator removes, by hand or with a magnet, all metal debris such as screws, nails, surgical pins or titanium limbs/joints. These remains are called cremains (or ashes). The fragments are then placed in a special processor that pulverizes the bone to a fine powder. These cremains are placed in a plastic bag within an urn or a temporary cremation container and returned to the deceased’s family.
Death
has always been accepted as a negative event. It was imposed upon the race of
mankind as a result of sin. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the paradise of
Eden, they immediately received the ultimate consequence: separation from God. Romans 5:12 (ERV)
says, “Sin
came into the world because of what one man did. And with sin came death. So
this is why all people must die—because all people have sinned.”
This
separation, while initially a spiritual one, affected the body, soul, and
spirit. Spiritually, man (and women) lost the right to have fellowship and
communion with God. The body also suffered in that it took on the properties of
corruption, began to decay, and counted its existence in time -- culminating in
death. This was the origin of an issue, ultimately evolving into a problem:
“What is to be done with the dead body?”
The Bible, however, nowhere answers the question as to the method of disposal. Moral and religious questions are raised as to the right to “destroy” the body through cremation of the remains. Often, even the procedure of autopsy is challenged on religious bases when the cause of death requires further investigation. These questions, ultimately, can only be answered in an individual’s or family’s conscience. The Bible has remained silent as to a correct technique.
The Bible, however, nowhere answers the question as to the method of disposal. Moral and religious questions are raised as to the right to “destroy” the body through cremation of the remains. Often, even the procedure of autopsy is challenged on religious bases when the cause of death requires further investigation. These questions, ultimately, can only be answered in an individual’s or family’s conscience. The Bible has remained silent as to a correct technique.
Whether a person is buried or cremated,
God will give all of His children a glorious and incorruptible new body to
dwell with Him forever in Heaven (upon His return to earth). Once and for all
the negativity of death and separation from God will be nullified. “It will all
happen so fast, in a blink, a
mere flutter of the eye. The last trumpet will call, and the dead will be
raised from their graves with a body that does not, cannot decay. All of us
will be changed.” (1 Corinthians
15:52, VOICE)
As for biblical support for the anti-cremation position, it’s often pointed out that Abraham purchased a burial site for himself and his wife Sarah (Genesis 23:9). Joseph commanded that his bones be carried out of Egypt (Genesis 50:25). The Lord Himself provided for the burial of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). The same practice continued in the New Testament with the burial of John the Baptist (Mark 6:29), the Rich Man (Luke 16:22), Lazarus (John 11:17-19), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:6-10), and Jesus Himself (Mark 15:46). There are no recorded cremations in the New Testament. There are no cremations mentioned in the New Testament.
For my part, I don’t believe that cremation needs to be viewed as a spiritual issue. One could just as easily argue that the custom of burial in ancient Israel was nothing more than a reflection of the Bible’s cultural context. Nevertheless, the fact remains that all physical bodies suffer disintegration, whether through decay or through fire (Genesis 3:19). God does not need our specific ashes and chemical components to bring about resurrection because the resurrected body is a new spiritual creation. “The body that is “planted” is a physical body. When it is raised, it will be a spiritual body. There is a physical body. So there is also a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:44, ERV)
The first mention of cremation in the Bible is 1 Samuel 31:11-13 in the Old Testament: “The people living in Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines did to Saul so all the soldiers of Jabesh went to Beth Shan. They marched all night, went to the wall of Beth Shan, and took down the bodies of Saul and his sons. Then they carried them to Jabesh. There the people of Jabesh burned the bodies of Saul and his three sons. Later, they buried the bones of Saul and his three sons under the big tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh showed their sadness. They did not eat for seven days.” The Philistines had cut off Saul’s head, and the bodies were likely mutilated and decaying by the time the men of Israel retrieved the remains. It was probably considered more honorable to cremate the royal entourage than attempt to haul the mutilated, stinking bodies elsewhere for the usual Jewish burial ceremonies.
The only other references to cremation (direct or indirect) are in Amos 2:1, Amos 6:8-10, and Leviticus 20:14. On 200 occasions in the Old Testament, burial is mentioned as the standard disposition of dead bodies.
“Give, give, give
- what is the point of having experience, knowledge or talent if I don't give
it away? Of having stories if I don't tell them to others? Of having wealth if
I don't share it? I don't intend to be cremated with any of it! It is in giving
that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine.” (Isabel Allende) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“Answers” By BGEA Staff
·
“Christian Views on Cremation” by All about God
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