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I totally agree. I want to be cremated when I die,but before that I want the doctors to harvest any and all organs from my body that can be used to help other people...eyes,liver,kidneys,whatever it is..take it. I feel like also with cremation,it's so much cheaper & less of a burden for anyone left that has to be in charge of disposing of your remains...besides,use that space in the ground to plant a tree or something,why should my fat butt take up that space. LOL
Hi trukin,
While traditional burial is still preferred, the Catholic Church allows cremation now (since 1963) as long as the reasons for doing so are not contrary to Christian teaching (cremation was a pagan practice and so the Church forbid it for many centuries).
The Church has allowed cremation however since 1963, particularly under circumstances such as yours where financial resources were not available for a burial.
The allowance of cremation in the Catholic Church was again revised in Canon Law in 1983....
While cremation is allowed these days, the practice of scattering ashes is still forbidden by the Church.
While traditional burial is still preferred, the Catholic Church allows cremation now (since 1963) as long as the reasons for doing so are not contrary to Christian teaching (cremation was a pagan practice and so the Church forbid it for many centuries).
The Church has allowed cremation however since 1963, particularly under circumstances such as yours where financial resources were not available for a burial.
The allowance of cremation in the Catholic Church was again revised in Canon Law in 1983....
"The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burying the bodies of the dead be observed; it does not, however, forbid cremation unless it has been chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching" (Canon 1176).
The further revised funeral rites, Order of Christian Funerals, in use since 1989, maintain this tradition of preference for burial of the body: "Since in Baptism the body was marked with the seal of the Trinity and became the temple of the Holy Spirit, Christians respect and honor the bodies of the dead and the places where they rest..."
While cremation is allowed these days, the practice of scattering ashes is still forbidden by the Church.
I like the idea of a green burial, but even these can be quite costly. I say throw me in a cardboard casket and bury me in the woods haha. I am fine with cremation too. I would not like to be buried in a fiberglass, plastic or -whatever they make them out of- casket under a foot of concrete though. We put enough garbage in the ground that isn't biodegradable.
When I went to have my license renewed I had them list me as an organ donor.
This is the first I've ever heard of water cremation and all I can say is eww.
When I went to have my license renewed I had them list me as an organ donor.
This is the first I've ever heard of water cremation and all I can say is eww.
Jesus physical body was raised, else it would still be in the tomb. Thus the dust will give us up too. Remember the Messiah's restoration of all things doesn't do away with the physical, it rejoins the physical to the spiritual. Thus Christ's body, raised physically, will be spiritual as well.
That doesn't mean you can't cremate or donate. The physical/spiritual interface occurs on the subatomic level, and your atoms can never be destroyed, just changed in their form with others. Thus the dust will give us up too; from as far as the eye can see.
That doesn't mean you can't cremate or donate. The physical/spiritual interface occurs on the subatomic level, and your atoms can never be destroyed, just changed in their form with others. Thus the dust will give us up too; from as far as the eye can see.
I don't see that scripture commands one or the other. Whether buried or cremated, God can still resurrect that person, as nothing is difficult for Him, the creator of all things.
Cremation does have pagan roots, believed by some to be an act that denies the resurrection of the body, but it's harmless to believers that are saved by the blood of Jesus and choose to do it based on cost. My preference would be burial, because Jesus and the OT believers were buried in tombs
As for donating organs, I don't see the harm in it, because you're helping others. Anyway, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord
Cremation does have pagan roots, believed by some to be an act that denies the resurrection of the body, but it's harmless to believers that are saved by the blood of Jesus and choose to do it based on cost. My preference would be burial, because Jesus and the OT believers were buried in tombs
As for donating organs, I don't see the harm in it, because you're helping others. Anyway, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord
My grandmother is against cremation, and had my grandfather buried. (We had hoped she would allow cremation, so we could lay him to rest at a military cemetery in San Diego right next to the ocean; but we had to settle for burying him in Riverside, far away.) Money can be an issue too, so I think it all just depends on what is financially viable.
Personally, I'm all for cremation. In fact, I'd like to have a Darth Vader-style funeral pyre... Otherwise, I'd be good with a Viking style funeral, with my body, all my belongings, and my wife sent off in a flaming boat, (she can jump off once the boat starts to sink, heh heh).
Personally, I'm all for cremation. In fact, I'd like to have a Darth Vader-style funeral pyre... Otherwise, I'd be good with a Viking style funeral, with my body, all my belongings, and my wife sent off in a flaming boat, (she can jump off once the boat starts to sink, heh heh).
D
I recently decided to be an organ donor. My mother didn't believe in organ donation and that's how I was raised to believe. But I came across a story of a child that donated some organs and made a difference in the lives of others.
My wife, being the cynic that she is, said now the EMT won't try to save me in case of an accident because they'll want my organs. This coming from a woman who won't learn CPR to revive me in the case of cardiac arrest.
I told my family to just throw me out with the trash when I pass. Or, option number two is dig a hole somewhere and drop me in. When my mom passed, my younger brother handled the funeral arrangements while I was attending to other matters. He got a fancy casket and underground vault. I ended up being stuck with the bill for something like ten grand. My mother didn't believe in unnecessary spending. She must have been rolling over in that casket.
When I depart, I want no part of the funeral home rip-off. I guess I better start planning now. While I'm at it, I'll work on getting some CPR training for my daughter. The wife won't be cashing in on that life insurance policy anytime soon if I can help it.
My wife, being the cynic that she is, said now the EMT won't try to save me in case of an accident because they'll want my organs. This coming from a woman who won't learn CPR to revive me in the case of cardiac arrest.
I told my family to just throw me out with the trash when I pass. Or, option number two is dig a hole somewhere and drop me in. When my mom passed, my younger brother handled the funeral arrangements while I was attending to other matters. He got a fancy casket and underground vault. I ended up being stuck with the bill for something like ten grand. My mother didn't believe in unnecessary spending. She must have been rolling over in that casket.
When I depart, I want no part of the funeral home rip-off. I guess I better start planning now. While I'm at it, I'll work on getting some CPR training for my daughter. The wife won't be cashing in on that life insurance policy anytime soon if I can help it.
B
On dealing with the flesh once the spirit has left, the bible gives absolutely no instruction. For this reason we can treat the remains of the passed in anyways consistent with the laws of men. I myself, my wife and our cherished animal kids will all share common urn. Some have issues with pets going to heaven but that's that persons personal issue so I will not derail by discussing it here. The fact remains it is a long held tradition of men to place families near each other and in my case we wil be mixed together. We call it a family urn.
On cremation having pagan roots. This is true but only in the narrowest sense. The fact it mankind's history is full of large scale disasters. War, plagues, famine, floods and so on. Cremation was a way to deal with safely getting rid of remains before they began serious decomp. and became a threat to the community. While there are many that have tied some religious significance to cremation, that remains mostly a cultural act.
As to organ donation, First the Word does not tell us we can't and therefore we can. God places great value on the lives of people, higher than that of animals and plants, and if He sees us as valuable then we ought to as well. I would caution to have very specific instructions made out legally setting the conditions for organ harvest. We have to be honest with ourselves and admit that mankind as a whole is not. There is serious money in transplants and a less than ethical doctor could pronounce you dead for purposes of organ harvest when you are not. Keep in mind that doctors can not wait till actual death to begin harvesting as our organs immediately begin to break down. Some faster than others but all start at the same point.
I am an organ donor but I have placed the condition of brain death with independent verification, meaning my wife and lawyer must also agree, for them to harvest my organs. I may not be able to prevent a doctor from acting unethically but I can make it harder for them.
In Christ,
Bishop SEH
On cremation having pagan roots. This is true but only in the narrowest sense. The fact it mankind's history is full of large scale disasters. War, plagues, famine, floods and so on. Cremation was a way to deal with safely getting rid of remains before they began serious decomp. and became a threat to the community. While there are many that have tied some religious significance to cremation, that remains mostly a cultural act.
As to organ donation, First the Word does not tell us we can't and therefore we can. God places great value on the lives of people, higher than that of animals and plants, and if He sees us as valuable then we ought to as well. I would caution to have very specific instructions made out legally setting the conditions for organ harvest. We have to be honest with ourselves and admit that mankind as a whole is not. There is serious money in transplants and a less than ethical doctor could pronounce you dead for purposes of organ harvest when you are not. Keep in mind that doctors can not wait till actual death to begin harvesting as our organs immediately begin to break down. Some faster than others but all start at the same point.
I am an organ donor but I have placed the condition of brain death with independent verification, meaning my wife and lawyer must also agree, for them to harvest my organs. I may not be able to prevent a doctor from acting unethically but I can make it harder for them.
In Christ,
Bishop SEH
B
The "water" cremation is a decietful moniker... it isn't water at all. The idea, I think, is sopanification of the body. I never heard of it till now... but I do make soap...so I know what sodium hydroxide does to fat and flesh. Aside from sounding gross, I agree it is not a respectful or honoring way to handle the body... flush my gramma down the sewer... I DON'T THINK SO!!! Otherwise I don't think creamatin matters and the "nays" come from the idea of the body not being able to be risen... I think God knows where all the ash particles are. Further the whole "embalming" is the what I have a problem with as that DOES spring from superstition making sure the body un-resurrectable and a totally unnecesary proceedure...IMO.