I don't see cremation in Scripture as something that is prescribed for God's family. I do see the pagans using this form of burial but no where do we see the followers of Christ burning the bodies of the deceased in order to bury them as a common practice. However, I also don't see a prohibition against it so really, I think it's up to each individual. I personally will not have any of my family members cremated. You can do a lower cost funeral without having to burn the body.
-
Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
Is Cremation Scriptural
- Thread starter salzer mtn
- Start date
I want my body burned.
Just not good stewardship to spend money on something hidden in the ground, that no one wants to visit, and especially dig up. All a waste of time and money.
Told my wife to have a hole drilled in the urn with my eye over the hole so I could keep an eye on what is going on after I die.
When she dies (if not remarried) to tuck me in with her, and let the children fund the burial. They can afford it. Besides it is Scriptural.
Just not good stewardship to spend money on something hidden in the ground, that no one wants to visit, and especially dig up. All a waste of time and money.
Told my wife to have a hole drilled in the urn with my eye over the hole so I could keep an eye on what is going on after I die.
When she dies (if not remarried) to tuck me in with her, and let the children fund the burial. They can afford it. Besides it is Scriptural.
I want my body burned.
Just not good stewardship to spend money on something hidden in the ground, that no one wants to visit, and especially dig up. All a waste of time and money.
Told my wife to have a hole drilled in the urn with my eye over the hole so I could keep an eye on what is going on after I die.
When she dies (if not remarried) to tuck me in with her, and let the children fund the burial. They can afford it. Besides it is Scriptural.
You say it is scriptural and what scripture is that?... Book, Chapter, and Verse please... Brother Glen
Was not Joseph instructed what to do by the father?
Did not Joseph in turn instruct his children?
Who bore the expense of burying the dead in the OT? It was the children was it not? Was that not part of the inheritance they gained?
I suppose David paid life insurance premiums to Jerusalem Life and Trust and didn't rely upon Solomon to fund the burial.
I want my body burned.
Just not good stewardship to spend money on something hidden in the ground, that no one wants to visit, and especially dig up. All a waste of time and money.
Told my wife to have a hole drilled in the urn with my eye over the hole so I could keep an eye on what is going on after I die.
When she dies (if not remarried) to tuck me in with her, and let the children fund the burial. They can afford it. Besides it is Scriptural.
I am somewhat older than Mrs. Rolf. She will probably outlive me. I have told her that I want to be buried here in the States, and not cremated. I want her to have a place to go to in her grief if she needs to.
I also told her to bury me in my leather flight jacket...if it still fits.
If she does not, I have threatened to haunt her from the grave. *laugh*
Kevin
Active Member
I had to face this decision when my wife went home to be with the Lord in June. We had discussed it, and it was what she wanted, and I knew of no Biblical reason against it. I might add it is also what I want for myself when the time comes.
I find comfort in her being here with me, I look up from the computer and see her on the table. Well the remains of her human body which she doesn't need anymore.
If I move to another part of the country, she is going with me. My relatives who have had traditional burials, I don't go to their graves to remember them, and they do not cross my mind very often.
This might just be me, but when I think of someone who has been buried, I can't get past thinking of what nature is doing to their body. That alone would have caused me more heartache, and guilt on top of what I was already dealing with
I find comfort in her being here with me, I look up from the computer and see her on the table. Well the remains of her human body which she doesn't need anymore.
If I move to another part of the country, she is going with me. My relatives who have had traditional burials, I don't go to their graves to remember them, and they do not cross my mind very often.
This might just be me, but when I think of someone who has been buried, I can't get past thinking of what nature is doing to their body. That alone would have caused me more heartache, and guilt on top of what I was already dealing with
Last edited:
See, for me, being burned is a nightmare. I can't imagine what a body goes through being burned up. I'd rather think of the body decomposing like God designed it. It just makes me feel more comfortable.
Kevin
Active Member
I see this as something that we do based on our own feelings about it, and no one is wrong. The house I am in was my in-laws, which was left to my wife and I. Their cremated remains are here too, but they want to be scattered around the ranch. My Brother in Law asked if I was going to scatter my wife's when he did theirs. That is something I won't do, but her folks requested it for themselves.
I might be taking this a bit far, but what happens to the cremated remains of someone, once they run out of folks who knew and cared about them?
Kevin
Active Member
Thank you, and I appreciated what you had to say very much. Oh and I sent a reply
Kevin, you have my sincere sympathy. I was faced with these choices six months ago when my wife of 35 years died. We had not talked about what she would want -- I brought up where I would like to be buried once, and it wasn't something she wanted to even consider -- so it was up to me and her family and our kids. I didn't really consider cremation because it had never been done by her family or mine. The biggest decision, then, was where she would be buried -- here or our original home where parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and brothers are buried. The kids were for here; her family would support what we did, though I know they would really have liked to have her close to them. I made the choice: a spot a few miles away with a view of the mountains she loved.
I am considering cremation when my own mortal existence comes to an end. I think the kids would accept it because I will still be buried next to their mom. Burial still seems to me to be the best option; I wouldn't want to saddle the kids with caring for my remains, and certainly don't want to pass that responsibility to another generation. Realistically, only those people who actually know us will care about such things decades from now. Besides, the cemetery gave me one plot if I bought one, so I already have the space.
My heart agrees with Baptist Believer that cremation has not -- until now -- been a popular choice among Christians for good reason. The body, though flawed and subject to the ravages of sin, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it is to be respected because it will be resurrected. We are not Vikings to be incinerated in our long boats. My head is not so sure -- there are many practical advantages to cremation, not the least of which is that it doesn't squander an inheritance that could be put to use for the living.
In the end, I think God will forgive us if we make a wrong choice about such things. After all, we are told not to seek the living among the dead.
I am considering cremation when my own mortal existence comes to an end. I think the kids would accept it because I will still be buried next to their mom. Burial still seems to me to be the best option; I wouldn't want to saddle the kids with caring for my remains, and certainly don't want to pass that responsibility to another generation. Realistically, only those people who actually know us will care about such things decades from now. Besides, the cemetery gave me one plot if I bought one, so I already have the space.
My heart agrees with Baptist Believer that cremation has not -- until now -- been a popular choice among Christians for good reason. The body, though flawed and subject to the ravages of sin, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it is to be respected because it will be resurrected. We are not Vikings to be incinerated in our long boats. My head is not so sure -- there are many practical advantages to cremation, not the least of which is that it doesn't squander an inheritance that could be put to use for the living.
In the end, I think God will forgive us if we make a wrong choice about such things. After all, we are told not to seek the living among the dead.
I have researched this topic a lot brother! And I have entrusted the same question to many pastors I am acquainted with, pastors that have congregations that are of mega size, and the community church size! All of them feel there is no problem with cremation, per scripture.
I did approach Pastor Chuck Smith, Founder of the Calvary Chapel movement, and I he said more than once, that cremation is not a sin and more of a persona preference! Furthermore, he would say that "cremation does in 30 minutes what nature needs 30 years to do. Return us to the ashes from which we came!"
I know you have gotten many answers, and some very good advice! I wish you Godspeed in this decision because if you are asking, there is a process going on within your spirit to do the right thing with the body you have been given to live this life out in! Shalom!
salzer mtn
Well-Known Member
Job said, Cpt19:26 Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall see God.
I don't plain on being cremated. I have two aunt's living out of twenty aunt's and uncles. These last two aunt's will be cremated if it is left up to their children, by their request. Both aunt's, one on my dad's side, the other on my mothers side were raised by God fearing parents, but they are not saved. They know resurrection scripture of the changed body I'm sure but I get the feeling they might think if their bodies were burned they could somehow not be found at the resurrection. My mind goes to the scripture in Rev. 6:16 Hide us from the face of him that setteth on the throne and from the wrath of God. Who knows what really goes on in the minds of lost people when it comes to death. I've known bad, mean men that wouldn't take anything from anyone and would fight at the drop of a hat that I believe had a notion that when they died they could resist the devil and put him on the run.
You could leave final instructions in your will if you want. Otherwise, I'd ask someone to scatter my ashes someplace (for me it would be a stables with a lot of horses or the mountains
).You could leave final instructions in your will if you want. Otherwise, I'd ask someone to scatter my ashes someplace (for me it would be a stables with a lot of horses or the mountains
Dust thou art dust and to dust thou shall return... Speaking of the dear departed what is dust?... Brother Glen
Kevin
Active Member
You could leave final instructions in your will if you want. Otherwise, I'd ask someone to scatter my ashes someplace (for me it would be a stables with a lot of horses or the mountains
My plans which I will make known to the poor folks who will be honored (OK, stuck) doing my final arraignments are to be cremated, then my wife's and my remains will be buried, or put in some type of permanent storage, probably at a cemetery.
If I was going to be scattered somewhere I would have to go with Church, and/or a MotoCross track.
I have to say that growing up near a large cemetery, I was always fascinated by the names, dates and possible stories that graves tell us. We went to a cemetery on Block Island, RI and some of the graves were from the 1600s! I love that I'm able to take my children and someday my grandchildren to the graves of my family to tell them more about them and to show that yes, they really did once walk the earth. So to me, I love having a "place" to remember my dear loved ones. I know not everyone feels the same but that's how it is for me.
salzer mtn
Well-Known Member
Many people are having their children's names placed on their tomb stones and I like this because a lot of people have the same names but it will be easier to figure out who this person is a hundred years down the road if their children's named are placed there.I have to say that growing up near a large cemetery, I was always fascinated by the names, dates and possible stories that graves tell us. We went to a cemetery on Block Island, RI and some of the graves were from the 1600s! I love that I'm able to take my children and someday my grandchildren to the graves of my family to tell them more about them and to show that yes, they really did once walk the earth. So to me, I love having a "place" to remember my dear loved ones. I know not everyone feels the same but that's how it is for me.