Burial or cremation

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Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
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#41
Our bodies are temples of the holy spirit.
Also the Bible says believers are vessels of honor, and will be saved. Not vessels of dishonor, meant for destruction.
So, I know which one I'd rather be,

A lot of people dont seem to know what Jesus saves us from. Do they understand what perishing means or what hell really is. Maybe they dont.

I pray believers truly understand this.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,688
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#43
Just to say, people are finding skeletons thousands of years old.
And what about dionsoures? They are millions of years old.
Bone decay depends on the environment. In a warm, damp, bacteria-rich environment, decay is rapid. In an arid or oxygen-deprived environment, decay is very slow.

As for dinosaurs, I hold to a young earth (~6,000 years old) so I reject that dinosaur skeletons are millions of years old. Plus, very few dinosaur bones have been found; most are fossils. The few actual examples of dinosaur bone point to a recent extinction.
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,869
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#44
Whether we are cremated to ashes, or rot naturally in a casket, God CAN put us all back together again.. :)
 

PS

Senior Member
Jan 11, 2013
5,399
695
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#45
Bone decay depends on the environment. In a warm, damp, bacteria-rich environment, decay is rapid. In an arid or oxygen-deprived environment, decay is very slow.

As for dinosaurs, I hold to a young earth (~6,000 years old) so I reject that dinosaur skeletons are millions of years old. Plus, very few dinosaur bones have been found; most are fossils. The few actual examples of dinosaur bone point to a recent extinction.
Well, it is your choice, but if you are going to date the age of the earth from the Bible, then you need to be aware that Cain was living at a time when they were building a walled city (v17 chapter 4 Genesis) they were making musical instruments like the harp and organ (v21) and verse 22 tells us they were working in brass and iron. This is the Bronze Age and they were a relatively modern people. Remember, the Bible is about one nation, but the Chinese and the native red-skinned Australians were much earlier. Verse 16 confirms people were already living in the land of Nod where Cain went to live.

I'm inclined to think the dinosaurs became extinct on the forth day of creation when the sun was blotted out, before man ever existed, like the Bible says, however, you believe the earth was only ten thousand years if you want, despite it taking millions of years for coal to form. Apart from that, you are spot on with other things. Blessings to you.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,688
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#46
Well, it is your choice, but if you are going to date the age of the earth from the Bible, then you need to be aware that Cain was living at a time when they were building a walled city (v17 chapter 4 Genesis) they were making musical instruments like the harp and organ (v21) and verse 22 tells us they were working in brass and iron. This is the Bronze Age and they were a relatively modern people. Remember, the Bible is about one nation, but the Chinese and the native red-skinned Australians were much earlier. Verse 16 confirms people were already living in the land of Nod where Cain went to live.

I'm inclined to think the dinosaurs became extinct on the forth day of creation when the sun was blotted out, before man ever existed, like the Bible says, however, you believe the earth was only ten thousand years if you want, despite it taking millions of years for coal to form. Apart from that, you are spot on with other things. Blessings to you.
I would conclude that we've been reading different material regarding the age of the earth. While I think it's an important issue, I see no reason to debate it in this thread. Blessings to you as well.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
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#47
Whether we are cremated to ashes, or rot naturally in a casket, God CAN put us all back together again.. :)
Apparently only the wicked rot, the righteous are preserved.
Check out
Leviticus 26:39
Proverbs 10:7

We have an inner man...our soul and our skeleton
2 Corinthians 4:16

Elishas bones were special...

2 Kings 13:21
 

Silverwings

Senior Member
Jul 27, 2016
1,368
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#48
Does the Bible say cremation is wrong?
Answer: The Bible does not give any specific teaching about cremation. There are occurrences in the Old Testament of people being burned to death (1 Kings 16:18; 2 Kings 21:6) and of human bones being burned (2 Kings 23:16-20), but these are not examples of cremation.
 

Silverwings

Senior Member
Jul 27, 2016
1,368
495
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#50
The cost difference between regular burial and cremation is vast. And even the cost of cremation can vary quiet a bit for funeral home to funeral home. You might want to check it out and get more life insurance.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,885
26,046
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#51
Thank you :)

This is what gotquestions says on the matter
: The Bible does not give any specific teaching about cremation. There are occurrences in the Old Testament of people being burned to death (1 Kings 16:18; 2 Kings 21:6) and of human bones being burned (2 Kings 23:16-20), but these are not examples of cremation. It is interesting to note that in 2 Kings 23:16-20, burning human bones on an altar desecrated the altar. At the same time, the Old Testament law nowhere commands that a deceased human body not be burned, nor does it attach any curse or judgment on someone who is cremated.

Cremation was practiced in biblical times, but it was not commonly practiced by the Israelites or by New Testament believers. In the cultures of Bible times, burial in a tomb, cave, or in the ground was the common way to dispose of a human body (Genesis 23:19; 35:19; 2 Chronicles 16:14; Matthew 27:60-66). While burial was the common practice, the Bible nowhere commands burial as the only allowed method of disposing of a body.

Is cremation something a Christian can consider? Again, there is no explicit scriptural command against cremation. Some believers object to the practice of cremation on the basis it does not recognize that one day God will resurrect our bodies and re-unite them with our soul/spirit (1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). However, the fact that a body has been cremated does not make it any more difficult for God to resurrect that body. The bodies of Christians who died a thousand years ago have, by now, completely turned into dust. This will in no way prevent God from being able to resurrect their bodies. He created them in the first place; He will have no difficulty re-creating them. Cremation does nothing but “expedite” the process of turning a body into dust. God is equally able to raise a person’s remains that have been cremated as He is the remains of a person who was not cremated. The question of burial or cremation is within the realm of Christian freedom. A person or a family considering this issue should pray for wisdom (James 1:5) and follow the conviction that results.
 

PS

Senior Member
Jan 11, 2013
5,399
695
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#52
The reason for the Roman Catacombs
Christians did not agree with the pagan custom of burning the bodies of their dead, for which reason to solve problems created from a lack of space and the high price of land they decided to create these vast underground cemeteries.

The catacombs possess a huge number of subterranean passageways that form real labyrinths that are several kilometres long, along which rows of rectangular niches were dug out.

The corpses were wrapped in a sheet and placed in the niches, which were then covered with gravestones made of marble or, more commonly, baked clay. Subsequently, the name of the deceased was carved on the cover accompanied by a Christian symbol.

Roman law at the time prohibited the burial of the deceased in the interior of the city, for which reason all of the catacombs were located outside of the walls. These separated and hidden places below ground constituted the perfect refuge in which the Christians could bury their own, freely using Christian symbols.

https://www.rome.net/catacombs-rome

There used to be a couple of web-sites that gave a pictorial tour of the Catacombs, but they seem to have been taken down. Maybe someone will have more luck than me.
 

Kavik

Senior Member
Mar 25, 2017
793
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43
#53
Don't want to derail the thread, but someone mentioned a Viking funeral - couldn't resist......

1560777832525.png
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
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#54
Churchyards used to be places christians buried their loved ones, now they are just ugly parking lots. I dont know why that is, but if you ever tried gardening in a parking lot, its not that easy. Chances are you might get run over, which is why many gardeners are required to wear high vis vests.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,313
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Tennessee
#55
What is biblical? What do believers choose? Burial or cremation. Cremation is burning right?
For the dead.

I would like to know. Thanks.
I would have no qualms about being cremated and don't believe that there is anything scriptural against it, especially since you are dead and no longer in the shell of your previous body. Personally, I would want to keep my arrangement simple and currently trending towards a pine box for a casket. No flowers or music either.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,313
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Tennessee
#56
Either or for me.....I want a Viking funeral.....build a massive funeral pyre, chunk me on it with about 10 gallons of diesel and light........or just dig a hole and chunk me in.........we return to dust anyway.......
We think a lot alike in this regard. Clean and simple and then move on to your next life.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,313
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Tennessee
#57
But isnt flesh subject to decay, while bones arent. In cremation, the cremations machine crushes the bones to powder. Its not just roasting the body. Also, once you are dead, its not your choice its whoevers left behind has to deal with your body. Didnt Joseph of Arithmea beg the body of Jesus? I wonder what would have happened to Jesus body if Joseph did not intervene and provide his family tomb for him.

MAry also anointed Jesus body for burial, Jesus somehow knew they would not burn him or crush his bones.
If Joseph had not intervened then the dead body of Jesus would have probably been tossed in the local trash heap outside of town.
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,869
9,601
113
#59
Apparently only the wicked rot, the righteous are preserved.
Check out
Leviticus 26:39
Proverbs 10:7

We have an inner man...our soul and our skeleton
2 Corinthians 4:16

Elishas bones were special...

2 Kings 13:21

Righteous or evil, FLESH ROTS..
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
113
#60
Righteous or evil, FLESH ROTS..
Read my post its talking about bones. . Do you know the difference between bones and flesh? The holy spirit knows.
Hebrews 4:12 talks about the holy spirit being sharper than a two edged sword, that divides between soul and spirit, joint and marrow.

Look up what joint and marrow is.

Also I have seen no good bible verses advocating cremation for believers. There are cerrtainly many talking about fires of hell for unbelievers.

Its kind of weird that some people are advocating hell for themselves much sooner, and dont seem to care. Even when they know Jesus talked about it.
Cremation or burning contributes to a lot of air pollution. I dont know how its ok to burn a human body when theres fire restrictions on most homes now and people cant have open fires or incinerators or burn rubbish, yet its ok for humans. They arent making biochar either, the remains are not pyrolised so are completely useless for the garden.