While I do not recommend Ecclesiastes to establish doctrine, there is a very appropriate verse in Eccl 6:3 for the practice of burial: If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. Does this verse tell us that burial is important? Absolutely.
So we need to go back to what was said to Adam (Gen 3:19): In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Since Adam is the ancestor of the human race, it is reasonable to conclude that this applies to all humanity. And there is no mention of "ashes to ashes" as is commonly and falsely said by many at burials.
But the strongest support for Christian burial is (a) the burial of Christ, (b) the burial of Stephen the first Christian martyr and (c) the fact that Christ will summon the bodies which are in their graves at the resurrection (John 5:28). Even though Christ was entombed, He spoke of His "burial", and so did Paul. And ever since it has been an invariable CHRISTIAN PRACTICE worldwide. That should be proof enough, and goes back to the practice of burial by the Hebrews since the time of Abraham.
In the Bible the burning of bones is associated with pollution and as a punishment for evil and idolatry: And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words... And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem. (2 Kings 23:16,20).
On the other hand cremation is a pagan practice which actually began in India, the home of Hinduism:
"Hindu beliefs about death
The Hindu faith is centred around reincarnation; the belief that when someone dies, the soul is reborn as a different form. They believe that although the physical body dies, their soul remains and continues to recycle until it settles upon its true nature. This can take many lifetimes, and with each death they strive to move closer to Brahma, the Hindu God. Additionally, they believe their soul’s next incarnation will depend on the actions throughout their previous life, this is also known as Karma.
Why do Hindus cremate?
After death, Hindus believe that the physical body serves no purpose, and therefore does not need to be preserved. They choose to cremate their loved ones as they believe it’s the quickest way to release the soul and help with reincarnation. Historically, Hindu cremations would take place on the Ganges River, India, and the family would carry the casket to the crematorium site. Nowadays, Hindus are cremated locally, and most funeral directors can accommodate the traditions and rituals of a Hindu cremation.
What are Hindu funeral rites?
Traditionally, Hindu funeral rites take the form of chants or mantras which are overseen by an officiant, usually a Hindu priest or the eldest son of the bereaved. They will gather the family and friends and lead them in the various Hindu death rituals. These include:
According to Hindu death rituals, the body should remain at the home until cremation –"
https://www.funeralpartners.co.uk/h...nerals/hindu-funeral-rites-and-death-rituals/
Christians in India will only bury their dead to distinguish themselves from Hindus.
So we need to go back to what was said to Adam (Gen 3:19): In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Since Adam is the ancestor of the human race, it is reasonable to conclude that this applies to all humanity. And there is no mention of "ashes to ashes" as is commonly and falsely said by many at burials.
But the strongest support for Christian burial is (a) the burial of Christ, (b) the burial of Stephen the first Christian martyr and (c) the fact that Christ will summon the bodies which are in their graves at the resurrection (John 5:28). Even though Christ was entombed, He spoke of His "burial", and so did Paul. And ever since it has been an invariable CHRISTIAN PRACTICE worldwide. That should be proof enough, and goes back to the practice of burial by the Hebrews since the time of Abraham.
In the Bible the burning of bones is associated with pollution and as a punishment for evil and idolatry: And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words... And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem. (2 Kings 23:16,20).
On the other hand cremation is a pagan practice which actually began in India, the home of Hinduism:
"Hindu beliefs about death
The Hindu faith is centred around reincarnation; the belief that when someone dies, the soul is reborn as a different form. They believe that although the physical body dies, their soul remains and continues to recycle until it settles upon its true nature. This can take many lifetimes, and with each death they strive to move closer to Brahma, the Hindu God. Additionally, they believe their soul’s next incarnation will depend on the actions throughout their previous life, this is also known as Karma.
Why do Hindus cremate?
After death, Hindus believe that the physical body serves no purpose, and therefore does not need to be preserved. They choose to cremate their loved ones as they believe it’s the quickest way to release the soul and help with reincarnation. Historically, Hindu cremations would take place on the Ganges River, India, and the family would carry the casket to the crematorium site. Nowadays, Hindus are cremated locally, and most funeral directors can accommodate the traditions and rituals of a Hindu cremation.
What are Hindu funeral rites?
Traditionally, Hindu funeral rites take the form of chants or mantras which are overseen by an officiant, usually a Hindu priest or the eldest son of the bereaved. They will gather the family and friends and lead them in the various Hindu death rituals. These include:
- Washing the body with ghee, honey, milk, and yoghurt
- Placing essential oils on the head of the deceased (turmeric for females, sandalwood for males)
- Placing the palms in a position of prayer and tying the big toes together
- Dressing the deceased’s body in smart clothes (contemporary) or wrapping it in a white sheet (traditional)
- Placing a garland of flowers and ‘pinda’ (rice balls) around their loved ones
- Putting a lamp near the head or sprinkling water on the body
According to Hindu death rituals, the body should remain at the home until cremation –"
https://www.funeralpartners.co.uk/h...nerals/hindu-funeral-rites-and-death-rituals/
Christians in India will only bury their dead to distinguish themselves from Hindus.
Was Christ buried six feet under in a casket or in a tomb in which one could enter in and out? If it’s Christian practice, then we should make sure we get it right.
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