How does God feel about cremation?

Answer 1

The Bible does not expressly say. I have heard that historically, Jews thought that a body had to be buried in the Earth in order that the body could return to the dust of the ground as foretold in Genesis (but cremation turns one into dust too). The early church seems to have adopted Jewish teachings on this matter, and buried people rather than cremate them as was Roman custom.

"In 1886, the Roman Catholic Church officially banned cremations. Church members as recently as World War II were excommunicated for arranging them. The Eastern Orthodox ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople stated in 1961 that 'There is no formal Orthodox rule against cremation, but there is a heavy weight of custom and sentiment in favor of Christian burial' "

It seems that most Christian denominations have no formal opinion on the matter.

Try reading the article at the link below. It seems to analyze both sides of the issue from an objective, but still Christian, perspective. You can decide for yourself.

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"Cremation is completely banned by traditional Jews. Orthodox and Conservative practice would allow it only in a time of plague. Otherwise, interment in a Jewish cemetery is mandated." These beliefs are reinforced by recent memories of the millions of Jews who were cremated in the death camps of Nazi Germany. However, some rabbis in the Jewish Reform movement support cremation if it is the wish of the deceased."

Answer 2

Haven't gotten a specific Word from Her/Him/It/Them, so...just take this as my own interpretation; your mileage may vary.

Any omnipotent deity that *needs* to resurrect an earthly body is going to have to cope with damage or deterioration of some sort; not everyone is "lucky" enough to buried with all their parts intact. Can't see why my being turned to ashes (minus anything that was transplantable or usable for research) is going to significantly cramp the Eternal's style....

It's an economical, practical, respectful way to dispose of corpses nowadays, so what's wrong with it? I'd rather my kinfolk take the money that would be saved by cremation (versus ground burial: when you count the site, usually a vault, opening and closing costs, and tombstone---it's not unusual to run $2000 or so in the US just for this stuff) and put it into charity!---much more useful and beneficial for more people.

Answer 3

As I haven't read the Bible outside of church, I cannot provide any sound scripture, but I do know that our bodies are The Lord's temples. The Temple of God. If one cremates oneself, then they are, in turn, cremating the Temple. The Lord made us in His image, and I'm sure that He does not want us destroying what he made so sacred.

Answer 4

Against cremation. With the second coming of Christ our bodies will be resurrected to heaven. Not sure about what happens to people who are cremated or die in fires.

Answer 5

First of all, nobody can say how God feels about such, or any other things. We can only receive His messages or learn out of His Word. I think that our bodies is nothing without our soul, so it doesn't really matter what happens to our bodies after we die.

Answer 6

and they created a great smoke which rose into the heaven and did please the nostrils of the Lord. Read details of how sacrifices are to be performed in the old testament. God loves the smell of burning flesh.

Answer 7

Burn us or bury us, the atoms in the molecules of the elements that comprise our bodies don't change. God can put them back together either way.

Answer 8

It's just a faster way of returning the body to dust.

Answer 9

The material body is an empty shell after death. I think God would believe it is unimportant how it is disposed of.

Answer 10

Thats the burning question?