What The Bible Teaches About Cremation

For example, as Christians:

• We can not allow others to do our thinking for us when it comes to deciding what is RIGHT and what is WRONG.

• We can not just ignore these issues we face and hope they will go away.

Through the ages of time, God’s people have had to face difficult situations in society head on. Then they had to take a stand for what they believed would please God, whether it was popular or unpopular.

In this course we are going to deal with four things that today’s Christians are facing the choice of cremation.

In the past, cremation was a matter that many of us put on the back burner, because we felt it was something we would never have to deal with.

Because it was not such a big issue, many never felt the need to reach a decision about what they believed about cremation.

If you attend many funeral services these days, you will notice this issue has been taken off the back burner and we are having to deal with it.

As you go into the sanctuary of many churches where funeral services are conducted, there is no longer a casket surrounded by beautiful flowers. Instead, you have a container called the Urn, sitting on the table, and it contains the ashes (at least some of them) of the deceased.

Some people really use their imagination when it comes to having a loved one being cremated.

There is a company in Florida that is called “Eternal Reefs, Inc.”.

This is a company that creates permanent living legacies that memorialize the passing of a loved one, by turning their ashes into a reef.

They say that the reason they offer families of the deceased this choice is because it provides a new memorial option that replaces cremation urns, and ash scattering, with a permanent environmental living legacy built in their loved ones memory and honor.

They further state that the reason they offer this is because many families and individuals that decide on cremation, often choose expensive cremation urns, thinking of them as a permanent final resting place for their loved ones remains.

However, frequently they do not realize these urns are more of a temporary resting place. These urns and their cremated remains are passed on to future generations for them to care for. Ultimately they have the responsibility to find a truly permanent memorial.

They state, “We have found that more than 47% of families that take their loved ones cremated remains home, still have them more than six months later.”

Why? They say:

• It may be that family members can not bring themselves to scatter the ashes of the deceased.

• It may be that the family needs and wants a physical location to be able to visit and reflect.

They say that “Eternal Reef” can provide the closure for the family that they seek and need.

Cremation is rapidly becoming more popular. In fact, today it has become so accepted that many believe it will become standard practice very soon. Look at these statistics:

The data comes from the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) report:

UNITED STATES DATA:

• 1998—553,000 Cremations – 24.1% of all deaths

• 1999---598,721 Cremations – 25.0% of all deaths

• 2000---604,828 Cremations – 25.5% of all deaths

• 2010 projected figure will be 1,552.800 Cremations – 40% of all deaths

There are over 30,000 funeral homes in the United States and Canada offering cremation services. There are also hundreds of cremation or memorial societies.

Worldwide, about 50% of the dead are cremated.

WHY IS CREMATION BECOMING SO POPULAR?

There are many reasons that people choose cremation over burial.

1. It certainly is more economical, because a simple container can be used in place of an expensive casket.

2. There is no cost associated with perpetual care of a grave site, or tombstone.

3. It allows scattering of the remains in a place of significance to the deceased.

4. Some people would rather have their body disposed of quickly by heat, rather than allowing it to decay in a grave.

All of these seem to be legitimate reasons for cremation.

As Christians, we do not make our decisions:

• Based on what is popular

• Based on what is convenient

• Based on cost

• Based on preference

Our decisions are to be based on the Word of God.

Before we look to the Scriptures to determine what we believe about Cremation, we need to ask some questions.

(1) WHAT IS CREMATION?

The word cremation comes from the Latin word cremo which means "to burn" - particularly the burning of the dead.

(2) HOW DOES CREMATION TAKE PLACE?

Generally, it takes place when the body is placed in a wooden box. The wooden box is placed in a furnace, with the temperature between 1400 and 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. The wooden box and the body are almost completely consumed. The remains, bone fragments and particles which generally weigh from 4 to 8 pounds, are ground into granules and placed within the urn. The process takes 3 to 5 hours.