What do Christians believe about Cremation?

Question

Do they believe you can still reach heaven? I'm just wondering because on judgment day Christians believe that the dead return to their bodies, but how can they if their bodies are ashes?

Answer 1

As long as you believe in the Resurection, creamation is ok. There are many bodies lost or disintegrated other than creamation. It remains a mystery as many things are.

Answer 2

In the Bible cremation is portrayed only as an exceptional method of disposing of bodies. Most often cremation took place in the midst of unusual circumstances. For example, in 1 Samuel 31:12 we read about the men of Jabesh-Gilead who burned the corpses of Saul and his sons in order to prevent desecration of their bodies at the hands of the philistines.
We don't find cremation mentioned in the New Testament. Burial is the normal method. Moreover, the church fathers preferred "the ancient and better custom of burying in the earth."
However, there is no actual prohibition against cremation in the pages of Scripture. And if a Christian does get cremated, this poses no problem for God in resurrecting that person's body from the dead (1Cor 15:42-44).
We read in 2 Cor 5:1, "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." It does not matter how our "earthly tent" (body) is destroyed; all that matters is that God will raise it from the dead. Even those who are buiried eventually dissolve into dust and bones. So regardless of whether we're buried or cremated, we can all look forward to a permanent resurrection body that will never be subject to death and decay.

Answer 3

Apparently up until WW1 in Britain popular christian belief held you needed to be buried whole (in order to have an intact body at the resurrection). However during the war literally thousands of man, fighting what they believed was a just war in the sight of God, were completely lost. Bodies could be blown to pieces, buried in collapsed trenches, corpses disinterred and spread around when new trenches were dug. In the popular imagination how could such men not be judged worthy of eternal life by a merciful God, therefore the culture moved away from the emphasis on intact burial and cremation became acceptable

Answer 4

Our bodies are just shells, anyway. Your body is not WHO you are. You are a soul and a spirit. Your body just houses that soul and spirit while you are on earth. It makes no difference if you are cremated or not. Upon entering the Kingdom of Heaven, you will be given a new, resurrected body.
My brother was cremated because of the condition of his body. I have to say, I am not against cremation.

Answer 5

Let's put it this way - it states in the Bible that when we die, we return to the dust. Cremation just speeds up the process.

God can rebuild the bodies, no doubt. After all, consider those who have been dead for thousands of years and those who died at sea - some of them many, many years ago. No meat left there (gross, I know) and many of them, the bones are decayed.

Answer 6

Once I am dead I no longer need this "mortal" body. I won't be in it..so I don't care what happens to it..I kind of like the idea of letting vultures and such eat the corpse. as I think some Buddhist monks do. It might as well be used for something.

Answer 7

We will get new bodies in Heaven. I don't think cremation is an issue.

Answer 8

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life and no ones comes to the Father except through Him. If you want to know how it works, read the Holy Bible. I suggest the New Living translation which is written in plain modern English.

Answer 9

There would be no point in coming back to a material concept of life, so cremation is the only way to go. :)