A: In the Bible, cremation is not labeled a sinful practice. Frankly, the topic is not dealt with at all in terms of the detailed lists of instructions for living and dying set forth by almighty God in the Old and New testaments. The short answer to your question appears to be no, cremation is not a sin.
That said, the biblical recordings of funerals explain that God’s people were laid to rest in tombs; usually a hewn rock of some sort with a stone seal. Bodies of loved ones were wrapped or covered in cloth, scented with herbs; their corpses left undisturbed in their caves to return to dust in a natural state.
Cremation, the burning of the corpse, was a custom only practiced by numerous pagan (demonic) religions in ancient times: the corpse was placed upon towering funeral pyres and set ablaze. Supposedly the essence of the deceased was sent to the afterlife through the smoke of their remains. Some biblical references of burning a person with fire seem to suggest the type of life they lived - the enemies of God and God’s laws were promptly cremated as a form of capital punishment.
There is, however, one instance where we find a significant cremation: “The day after the battle, when the Philistines returned to the battlefield to take the weapons of the dead Israelite soldiers, they found Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines cut off Saul’s head and pulled off his armor. Then they put his armor in the temple of the goddess Astarte, and they nailed his body to the city wall of Beth-Shan. They also sent messengers everywhere in Philistia to spread the good news in the temples of their idols and among their people. The people who lived in Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s body. So one night, some brave men from Jabesh went to Beth-Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons, then brought them back to Jabesh and burned them. They buried the bones under a small tree in Jabesh, and for seven days, they went without eating to show their sorrow” (1 Samuel 31:8-13, CEV). Saul, the predecessor of David, was an anointed king who lost his way. He died in his paranoid madness; lustful for more power and in battle. His heirs (save one) died with him. The deceased were disfigured so badly by their enemies that a handful of compassionate men decided on cremation as a dignified disposal. Yet, they still buried the royal bones left behind from their blaze.
What, then, is the answer to the modern-day cremation question? Let us consider a few things using common sense: God is supernatural and omnipotent. He is the inventor and creator of humankind. He used atoms, molecules, cells and zillions of tiny parts to create every human being who has ever lived. We must conclude then, that God is fully capable of locating all of our parts to reconstruct us as we “meet him in the air” when Jesus returns on resurrection day (1 Thess. 4:17). Nobody will be demoted to the rubbish pile or forced to forfeit heaven because God couldn’t find all your pieces! Plus, the idea of being reduced to ash is not that far from the original dust we all came from: “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19, NASB).
God weighs the contents of our hearts to see how we live. He is not focused upon our preferred method of corpse-disposal. Those final details of our existence are personal and left up to us. If your spirit is convicted by the idea of cremation as a type of pagan alignment, then it is not for you. If you feel free to return to the dust you came from; go ahead. But be sure by the time you reach your final day, you’ve left behind a testimony to Jesus Christ and his powerful gospel message of saving grace.
Do you have a question or comment for Pastor Adrienne? Send your inquiries to: info@adriennewgreene.com or write to P.O. Box 214, Harrison, OH 45030. For more information on Pastor Adrienne, or to purchase her book, “Ask Pastor Adrienne: 100 Best-loved Columns,” please visit www.adriennewgreene.com.
A: In the Bible, cremation is not labeled a sinful practice. Frankly, the topic is not dealt with at all in terms of the detailed lists of instructions for living and dying set forth by almighty God in the Old and New testaments. The short answer to your question appears to be no, cremation is not a sin.
Is cremation a sin? Burying the dead was the usual practice in Biblical times, and until recently, the preferred method for most people when they passed. Even though many Bible passages see cremation as necessary in only dire times, nowhere in the Bible is cremation directly condemned.
But the Bible does not say a cremated body can't rise. In fact, the Vatican explicitly approved cremation in 1963 as a final disposition as long as the practice remains in line with the fundamental belief in the resurrection.
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. Teeth usually burn during cremation, but not entirely.
The Bible neither advocates nor condemns the act of cremation or keeping your loved one's cremated remains in your home. The closest thing to keeping cremains at home that the Bible mentions is the story of King Saul's men burning his son's bodies to cleanse them and respect their memories.
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.
You can't find ashes to ashes, dust to dust in the Bible because it isn't there! The phrase comes from the funeral service in the Book of Common Prayer, and it is based on Genesis 3:19, Genesis 18:27, Job 30:19, and Ecclesiastes 3:20. Those passages say that we begin and end as dust.
We enter heaven immediately upon our death, or our souls sleep until the second coming of Christ and the accompanying resurrection. Most have chosen to believe what the Bible appears to overwhelmingly propose: our souls (spirits) penetrate heaven immediately after we take our final breath.
Judaism. Traditional Jewish law strictly forbids cremation, requiring burial. The Jewish belief is that a body and soul will be reunited after death; therefore, a body is considered sacred and must be buried.
Cremation becomes the most beautiful ritual for expressing the ephemeral body and the eternity of spiritual life. In native cultures, cremation is also the most complete symbol of life and death, as birth comes in as a spark of life, the Vital Spirit, and so Fire becomes the symbolic reversal to set the spirit free.
Does the body feel pain during cremation? 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.
Do bodies move during cremation? If a body is burned at a low enough temperature and quickly after death, movements are possible. Because of the efficiency of modern cremation chambers, however, the body immediately begins its dissolution, and movement is unlikely.
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.
While cremated remains can be committed to the sea or to the ground in an urn, coffin, or other suitable container, the Church believes that the scattering of ashes is an irreverent treatment of the human body.
Certain cultures and religions have embedded the thought that keeping ashes in one's home can bring about bad luck. This may still be the case for many superstitious individuals; but for most, keeping ashes at home is a normal and quite common thing.
Cremation does not require a grave or headstone, and cremation urns are typically cheaper than caskets and don't require pallbearers. By comparison, the median cost of a burial with a coffin and full funeral home services is about $7,500.
Since cremation does not affect one's soul, the Church says there are no doctrinal objections to cremation. The Church no longer opposes cremation, but it does offer guidelines on how the ashes should be cared for following cremation.
A most hopeful scripture is John 5:28, which gives us the words of Jesus Christ: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice.” This promises us that everyone who dies will live again, in a better place and a better time.
Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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