Most select cremations because they're more cost-effective than funerals with casket burials. And others select cremations because of the various options after the final service. For instance, families can scatter the ashes, place the urns in columbariums, or take the urns home.
Cremation or burial:
Direct cremations are more cost effective than direct burials, as they do not require embalming. In addition, you have the option of keeping the body in an alternative container instead of a coffin. Cremation is a simpler process that also helps save floor space, unlike in the case of a burial.
According to most Biblical study websites, there is no explicit scriptural command for or against cremation. There are no passages that forbid cremation, according to most Biblical scholars. However, some passages describe standard death practices during these times.
Body is More Respected
On the other hand, with burial the body is placed in a beautiful casket, the loved one can be dressed in their nicest attire, and family members can add in special mementos into the casket. These are common reasons why people choose burial over cremation.
Eastern Orthodox
The Church is a branch of Christianity in which cremation is strictly prohibited. The Church interprets what the Bible says about cremation to mean that the practice interferes with resurrection — as the body will no longer be in its original form.
In Christian countries, cremation fell out of favor due to the Christian belief in the physical resurrection of the body. Christians also used burial as a mark of difference from the Iron Age European pre-Christian Pagan religions, which usually cremated their dead.
Cremation is prohibited under Islamic law because, unlike in some cultures, it is considered a violation of the dignity of the human body. Based on reports attributed to Prophet Muhammed it is mustaḥab (or preferred)—i.e., not farḍ/wājib (compulsory)—to bury the dead bodies quickly.
During cremation, the body parts that do burn consist of organs, soft tissue, hair, and skin, while the water in our bodies evaporates. The body parts that do not burn are bone fragments.
Of all world religions, Islam is probably the most strongly opposed to cremation. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, there is little diversity of opinion about it. Cremation is considered by Islam to be an unclean practice.
To Protect the Corpse from Being Stolen. Snatching dead bodies was common in many parts of England and Scotland in the early 1800s. Therefore, graves were always dug six feet deep to prevent body snatchers from gaining access to the buried remains.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven.
Yes. In May 1963, the Vatican's Holy Office (now the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith) lifted the prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation. This permission was incorporated into the revised Code of Canon Law of 1983 (Canon # 1176), as well as into the Order of Christian Funerals.
In the Bible, there are no passages that prohibit or encourage cremation and scattering of ashes. However, many Christian sects believe a burial funeral aligns with best end-of-life practices. As a result, some Christian clerics may discourage cremation or prohibit it entirely.
The bones, which are the last to go, become calcified as they are exposed to the heat and begin to flake or crumble [source: Pope]. An average human body takes from two to three hours to burn completely and will produce an average of 3 to 9 pounds (1.4 to 4.1 kilograms) of ash.
Cremation (using fire and heat) is the process by which the body of the deceased is reduced to its basic elements. Cremation is permitted for Catholics as long as it is not chosen in denial of Christian teaching on the Resurrection and the sacredness of the human body.
Advantages of Cremation
Ashes are stored in an urn, and they can be taken home, stored, or scattered where the deceased has requested. Being cremated wastes fewer resources than a burial. Funeral services or memorials can be held later, allowing friends and family to arrive from far away.
One of the biggest reasons as to why Catholicism has been so against cremation for centuries is due to that very fact: Catholics believe the deceased should be buried in the same was as Jesus Christ, who was laid in a tomb after his death. This is because Catholics believe in the resurrection of the body.
A Hindu's body is normally cremated within 24 hours of death, the ashes scattered in sacred water or a sentimental place, and a ceremony held 10 days later to free the dead person's soul so it can rise to heaven.
New Testament
Since the Bible does not ban nor promote cremation, most Christian denominations do not consider cremation to be sinful.
We think this is an urban legend. We've witnessed many cremations and never heard a scream. But then again, cremation retorts aren't silent either. Now, bodies do make all kinds of gnarly noises.
The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive. When a person dies, their brain stops sending signals to the body. This means that the person cannot feel pain or any other sensation.
Yes, the coffin is also cremated. A deceased person is not safely placed within a crematory unless a coffin is used.
Jewish law and tradition consider cremation as destruction of property. Jewish mysticism, or Kabbalah, also holds that the soul does not immediately depart the body. Rather, it slowly leaves the body as it decomposes; cremation therefore is considered to cause pain, even after death.
Buddhists and cremation
Due to their belief in reincarnation, cremation is seen as the preferred choice when a loved one dies. The physical body holds little significance to the Buddhist faith, it is merely a vessel for holding the soul. Buddhists also believe in organ donation as it is seen as a good deed.
Orthodox Christians should reject cremation, in accordance with the Church's teachings about the sanctity of the human body and its role in our salvation. Cremation treats the body violently, without the respect due to it as the temple of the Holy Spirit.