What Does The Bible Say About Cremation?

Pastor's Corner


What Does The Bible Say About Cremation?


Isaiah 55:8-9

   For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. [9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.



Does the Bible support cremation for the believer or teach burial? A careful examination of Scriptural evidence along with earnest prayer should lead us to an understanding of God's will.

Cremation has been practiced for thousands of years and was a method that was used by the Greeks and other ancient empires. When the Romans eventually adopted Christianity as their state religion, cremation was replaced by Christian burial. Early church saints did not practice cremation because of its pagan influence. Cremation was even prohibited by the Catholic Church in the late nineteenth century. Some other ancient cultures such as the Egyptians carefully embalmed their precious dead in preparation for an afterlife. During the new millennium however, cremation has become more popular here in America. Cremation seems to be a sensible answer to the limited number of available gravesites and the rising cost of burial. Before we draw a conclusion on this important subject, let us consider what the Bible has to say. 


I. The Patriarchs of the Bible were "careful." 

Genesis 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.

A. Dust to dust, not dust to ashes. 

The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed life into him. We are to return unto dust or to the dust. I believe this to mean that we are to be buried in the dust or dirt and not necessarily turned into dust. 

Cremation: The New American Way of Death

Thursday, June 13, 2013 | By Josh Sanburn

Lars Tunbjörk—Agence Vu for TIME
A dead body ready for cremation has just been inserted into an eco-friendly Resomator machine. Instead of flames, this stainless steel chamber owned by Bradshaw Funeral and Cremation Services uses a combination of water, potassium hydroxide and heat to break down bodies into peptides, soaps, salts and sugars.





Swedish photographer Lars Tunbjörk has documented frenzied consumerism, the soul-deadening effects of office life and the strange theatrics of U.S. politics, always displaying a sense of humor and a grasp of the absurd that would not be out of place in a George Saunders short story. For our feature on the increasing popularity of cremation around the country, TIME sent Tunbjörk deep into the American heartland to chronicle the goings-on at three separate crematories.

For decades, burial has been by far the most common form of disposition in the United States. Most Americans never gave it a second thought: their grandparents were buried; their great-grandparents were buried—it just made sense that they’d get buried, too, in the family plot, beside their closest relatives.

(Click here to read TIME’s special report on cremation and find out why our changing attitude toward this final rite of passage says everything about the way we live now.)

But today we’re a far different society than we were just a few decades ago. Within the next few years it’s projected that, for the first time, more Americans will get cremated than buried.

Much of the recent rise of cremation’s popularity can be credited to the Great Recession. Cremations can cost as little as a quarter as much as traditional burials. But it’s not just the price tag that makes cremation a popular alternative.

For one, we’re a much more mobile society today. We don’t buy family plots the way we used to because more of us get an education, start a family, get a job and retire far from our birthplaces. When it comes time to find a final resting place, transporting an urn is much easier than dealing with a casket.

Historically, the U.S. has been a majority Christian nation, and Christianity favors burial for a number of reasons. But Americans are becoming increasingly secular and many of us now identify as atheist, agnostic or, even if we consider ourselves religious, aren’t affiliated with a particular faith. That separation from a religion with ties to traditional burial has led to more Americans exploring other options of disposition.

Cremation has also appealed to those looking for a more eco-friendly solution than burial, which involves placing a body filled with embalming fluids on a plot of land that will need to be maintained in perpetuity. And while flame-based cremation is a more environmentally sensitive solution than traditional burial, a new breed of eco-friendly cremations is just starting to become popular. “Green cremations,” which use a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide, are available in a handful of states and are outpacing flame-based cremations in the areas where they’re offered.

The practice of cremation will in all likelihood only grow as we become more mobile, secular and eco-conscious as a society. In fact, in the not too distant future, burial might well be seen as a peculiar option in light of the eminently reasonable, less expensive and environmentally sound method now so widely available—and increasingly embraced.

Click here to read TIME’s special report on cremation and find out why our changing attitude toward this final rite of passage says everything about the way we live now.

Lars Tunbjörk is a photographer based in Stockholm. He previously photographed the 2012 Iowa Caucuses for TIME.

Josh Sanburn is a writer/reporter for TIME in New York. Follow him on Twitter @joshsanburn.



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Should Christians be Cremated?

-by Tony Warren

Today one of the most frequently asked question concerns Christians and Cremation. In modern times this question has come to be a very controversial one, but historically the issue was a non-issue. Given serious thought and study to the question (both of the proper handling of the body of deceased Christians, and the reasons that attitudes about it have changed), my opinion is that it should still be a non-issue to the Church. For there is nothing that has changed in the word of God. It is social attitudes of men that have changed.

Can cremation (rather than historical burial) be an option for the believer? From my understanding of scripture, I must in all good conscience say that unless it is 'absolutely' unavoidable, the answer is an unequivocal no. Normally, christians and cremation should be an oxymoron. Sometimes it can be unavoidable (as I understand burial is not permitted in some major cities of Japan, thus cremation is pretty much a requirement), nevertheless, this is not the proper Biblical Christian way to handle deceased loved ones.

I should state right up front that cremation doesn't affect anyone's salvation. If you are saved when you die, nothing done afterward has any bearing on you. However, we're not talking about salvation here, we are addressing the God glorifying Christian way to handle the bodies of our family and friends. In our day, sound Biblical judgment is clouded by man's vain philosophies, secular humanism, and social practicality. But these are not valid replacements for sound Biblical principles and judgments. The rising acceptance of cremation in the modern Church has (not coincidentally) coincided with a marked departing from the faith, and a falling away from adherence to traditional Christian values and sound doctrines based upon the doctrines of sola scriptura.

Cremation was not an issue for the early Church, which historically taught that burial was the 'Christian' (Biblical) thing to do for loved ones. Unfortunately, in today's world, finances, humanistic reasoning and changing cultures seem to be the determining factors of what is considered biblical or unbiblical in making funeral arrangements. The whole mind set has changed, and this is a substantial shift from the historical Christian teaching on the matter.

In my thinking, it really should be self evident to anyone reading scripture, that burial and not cremation, is in full harmony with (and is a testimony to) the hope of the resurrection. And this is what often get's lost in all the rhetoric of those who tacitly support cremation. It is hard to even imagine God appointing cremation in anticipation of raising His only begotten Son from the dead. Symbolism is important in scripture, and we should not deviate from that Christian practice. In fact, historically cremation has been associated with the efforts of Pagans in their denial of the resurrection of the body. While burial has been seen as the 'signification' God uses in the resurrection figure, and has been the way that Christians show respect for God, and honor His example when their loved ones die. thus I believe that we should not desire cremation, and indeed, that it is our obligation to choose burial whenever possible. When we look at these reasons carefully, we understand that it is more than just a custom or tradition, it is a Biblical figure instituted as a separation or division between Heathen/Pagan and Christian heritages. It was a Biblical 'sign' of the division of the dead in preparation for resurrection, and for destruction. Historically God illustrated this separation of Pagan customs and practices from the practices of the Children of God.

It is a Pagan Practice

It can be demonstrated that cremation has its origins in Paganism, and for thousands of years has been practiced by the those who do not know God. Used both as a cause of death, and as an after death practice, it is never used by God's people, nor illustrated in scripture as anything good.

2nd Chronicles 33:5-6

•"And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
•And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger."

The pagan nations have always used cremation in their varied false religious practices. Some as a release (supposedly) of the spirit at death, while others used the practice in idolatrous pagan fire worship. Still others used it as the aid or help in reincarnation. As an example, there are religions (such as the Hindus), which practice cremation in support of reincarnation, and then sprinkle the ashes of those who are burned up, upon the Ganges river. These false religions deny any bodily resurrection, and their practices are a "sign" of that.

Christians and cremation do not go together. God declared that His people were to be separate from the traditions and practices of their Pagan neighbors. He forbade the believers of the Old Testament from following the religions and customs of the un-Godly foreigners, and commanded His Children should bury their dead bodies.

Deuteronomy 21:23

•"His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth the thee for an inheritance."

This is God giving specific instructions of what was to be done with dead bodies. God said it was to be buried that the land be not defiled. He could have very easily said burn it to ashes like the heathen do, but God wants his people to be separate and distinct from the customs of those around them.

It is interesting that cremation in Christian culture was extremely rare until the nineteenth century. It was not even legal in England until 1884. The first crematory in America was built in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1876 by non-christians who cared nothing about Godly practices. In this country cremation historically has always been unpopular and deemed unchristian. In point of fact, as late as the 1970's only about eight percent of those who died were cremated. But along with the changing moral values and the increase in false and eastern religious influences in this country, came the rise in the acceptance of burning bodies.

There is no scripture which ever speaks of a Christian ever being cremated. This alone should alert the Biblically minded student that it is something that God has not assigned for the Child of God. Burning is a 'scriptural' symbol or sign of destruction, and thus is not to be the figure for a Christian. The heathen nations burned the bodies of their dead, but God's people buried their dead in the earth or in sepulchres. When we read the accounts of the early martyrs of the Church, we see that the faithful treated the bodies of the dead in the traditional way, with respect, as they were taken away for burial. And we have clear historical precedent that the Roman (pagan) practice of cremation was shunned by these Christians.

Biblical Precedent

As a matter of Biblical precedent, all of the examples of the Saints in scripture show that they were either entombed or buried. We have clear examples of this in passage after passage:

Job 19:25-26

•"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
•And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:"

Clearly Job understood that he would be buried, and that the worms of the earth (not fire) would destroy his body that it return it to the dust from which it came. And yet he intimately ties it to the resurrection, exactly as we see done all throughout scripture. That was/is the normal Godly way to deal with loved ones who die. Again, as attested to by the Biblical records of the purchase of land by Abraham (precisely for this purpose).

Genesis 23:19-20

•"And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
•And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth."

Genesis 25:9-10

•"And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
•The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife."

Genesis 49:30-32

•"In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.
•There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
•The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth."

We don't see Biblical precedent of God's people burning dead bodies (except it be testimony to the heathen, judgment, or a sinful practice), and so why any Biblically minded Christian would even consider cremation defies any reason or sound logic. We should be persuaded by the witness of scripture that the Biblical practice of handling the dead, is in burial.

Moreover, God Himself buried Moses in a valley in the land of Moab over against Bethpeor (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). What more witness of scripture do we need for the Christian method of burial? Unfortunately in our day, no amount of Biblical evidence against this practice seems to be enough. For much of the Church today is caught up in the will of man (lust of the flesh) to do what seems right in their own eyes. This, coupled with the cultural humanistic changes of society, has caused many to depart from the historical Christian teachings. They look upon these Biblical precedents as old fashioned or Old Testament thinking, oblivious to the truth that the Bible is a timeless book. In fact, the same Biblical precedent for burial in the Old Testament continues right into the New Testament era, as we read that Lazarus (whom Jesus loved) was buried in a tomb.

John 11:38-39

•"Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
•Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."

But when they took away the stone from the tomb, and Jesus said, 'Lazarus, come forth,' He came forth, again, a signification of the resurrection unto life. The burial, and the resurrection of him that was buried, is a theme which goes hand in hand throughout the scriptures and should not be cast aside as insignificant. One of the most compelling arguments for burial in the New Testament is the example that God gives of Himself.

John 19:40

•"Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury."

The Jews were the Covenant Children of the Living God, and the Godly manner they practiced was the burial of their dead. So not only was the body of Christ prepared with spices and then buried, but God clearly and unambiguously 'alerts' us that this was, 'the manner that the Chosen people of God handled their dead' also! If there is any question now about precedent in the scriptures (both Old and New Testament), then it can only be because man is predisposed to reject truth because of a hardness of his heart, or a determination to believe whatever they want. If authority of scripture doesn't matter, then Biblical counsel becomes 'just words.'

Proverbs 12:15

•"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."

It is a more aesthetic, sanitary, and economical practice

The 'aesthetic argument' is without a doubt the most ridiculous and self-serving defense for cremation that I have ever heard a professed Christian attempt to make. What Christian is going to have to look at a decaying corpse after it is buried? For the most part, once a corpse is buried, it stays buried. And even if moved, the loved ones never see an exhumed body. So this is a spurious defense, and really beneath the Christian to attempt to use it to justify himself.

Another weak argument for cremation is the Hygiene question. This has nothing to do with biblical principles or sound Christian behaviour, it leans upon social philosophy and science, rather than theology. The current graveyards pose absolutely no problem in terms of hygiene and health. The argument that burial is unsanitary (particularly in this country), is to dabble in absurdity and is just another excuse which some people choose to use in order to ease their mind and allow this un-christian action.

As for the 'economics defense,' it is somewhat true that there is a price difference, but it is not that great a price difference 'providing' one chooses a reputable funeral director, and an economical coffin and service. Of course if one is encouraged by funeral directors to select the best of everything, funerals can run well over the $10,000 figure. The point is to have a simple funeral service with a simple coffin, and the price will not be much more than cremation, and will be totally in line with the scriptures and the Christian faith. What is the price put on doing the right (Biblical) thing? And the bottom line really is, Christians should try to do the 'Biblical' thing. To surrender 'all' for the cause of Christ.

Burning People is a figure of God's Judgment

For faithful Christian, the question should be, "What does the Bible have to say about cremation?" In the history of the world, not only has burning been traditionally reserved for the ungodly, such as heretics and witches, but the scriptures consistently indicate that having one's body burned is a curse of God, thus certainly not anything that a Christian would desire. Why indeed would any Christian want to give his body over to such an obvious 'sign' of judgment?

Leviticus 20:14

•"And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you."

Leviticus 21:9

•"And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire."

It is quite obvious that God is signifying the burning of people as a 'signification' of their judgment in Hell fire. It is not something which signifies a return to the earth (as burial is) but which signifies destruction and desolation of that which is abominable to God.

Deuteronomy 7:25

•"The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God."

Joshua 7:15

•"And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel."

This is the only case recorded by God of a body being burned in Israel, and it is used of God as an illustration of his fierce anger and judgment. Aachan, of the tribe of Judah, and his family, were taken by Joshua and stoned to death, and their bodies were ordered to be burnt with fire 'because' of their abominable sins against God. Another stark example that burning a body was a "signification" that the judgment of God lay upon them, not something the Christian would want done to them. If we are going to let the Bible be it's own interpreter, then all these facts speak for themselves.

2nd Kings 23:19-20

•"And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.

•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."

This burning of men's bones was a 'sign' of God's wrath and judgment upon these wicked priests, an abomination unto God. Moreover, in the book of Amos God lists the burning of a body as, 'a transgression' which brought His judgment.

Amos 2:1-2

•"Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
•But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:"

Here God is clearly saying that the transgression of Moab was that He cremated the body of the King of Edom until it was lime. Burning bodies was seen as an act of desecration, or an act of God's judgment upon them. Why would any Christian think to have such things done to his, or his loved one's body? God declares in Amos that this act of sin in doing this, was one which He would not draw back the punishment thereof. Clearly evidence that cremation is not a Godly practice.

Our Body is a Temple

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit of God, and therefore, even after we have died, they should be treated with respect for the creator who made them. We should endeavor to remember that we are not our own, and that our bodies belong to God, therefore they should not be burned into lime even after our spirit has departed.

1st Corinthians 6:19-20

• "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
•For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

There is a true sanctity of the Christian body, and it should not be disrespected by our burning it up after death. The body was sanctified and set apart by the blood of Christ, and thus we are not our own, and should 'accordingly' take God glorifying action concerning it. We must remain separate from the ways of the world.

I believe that the scriptures commend burial by equating the burial of the believer with the planting of a seed (1st Corinthians 15:35-44), giving witness to the hope of the final resurrection. It is quite conclusive that the scriptures describe burial as the 'normal' action taken for the body of the Christian who dies. It is part of the cycle of life ordained by God. The scriptures teach that man was formed out of dust.

Genesis 2:7

• "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." And after the fall, death was introduced into the world, and the "natural" destination of man after death, is to return to the earth. God Himself declares:

Genesis 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."
Man should return to the ground upon death of the physical body. Christ is our example, so following Him, 'burial' is a correct biblical method. That is to say, if we keep our eyes focused on Him and the scriptural record and not the humanism of the world.

But again I reiterate, 'burning a body in cremation in no way affects God's ability to resurrect either the believer, or the unbeliever.' Unfortunately, because of this Biblical fact there are some who rationalize that, 'because we know that cremation doesn't affect anyone's Salvation or judgment, therefore it doesn't matter how we dispose of a loved one's body.' That is an untrue, and misleading conclusion. It matters because the desire of the Christian is to do the will of God, not to sin that Grace may abound. It matters because it's a matter of Christian principle and because the Word of God itself matters.

Pastors, Elders, and other Church leaders should be teaching the congregation of the truth of burial, instead, in many cases they are in league with the world and giving tacit approval of cremation, not willing to offend. It is painfully clear from the witness of scripture that the standard for Christians has always been (and remains), burial. The burning of a body is spoken of as either a transgression of the laws of God, or as a judgment of God upon wickedness. These are things which cannot be gainsaid or denied. Certainly to be accidentally burned up in a plane crash, or house fire, or to have loved ones bodies burned in circumstances beyond one's control in no way affects our standing with God. But to willfully burn a body is contrary to scripture, and should not be done by the faithful Christian. The Church has always (and should always) continue to get their instruction for dealing with the dead from the examples and precedence set in the Word of God. Let us in the burial of our loved, see it as a sign of their rising to be with God. Let us joy in this and not worldly traditions.

And may the Lord who is gracious above all, give us the understanding to discern these truths, and the wisdom needed to separate His thoughts from our own.

Amen!

Peace,

Copyright ©2001 Tony Warren
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Karel Nowak: A Last Farewell

September 2011 »


At memorial service, Karel was remembered as a beloved husband and father, an esteemed colleague, and a man of deep conviction



Relatives and friends of Karel Nowak came from across the Czech Republic and Europe on Monday, September 5, to remember a man of “great wisdom, kindness, and commitment.” The memorial service, held at a crematorium in Prague, Czech Republic, was marked by many tributes to Karel from both work associates and family members. Karel died in Cairns, Australia, on August 19, while en route to an International Religious Liberty Association event in Sydney. Dr. John Graz, IRLA Secretary General, travelled from Australia to Prague with Karel’s ashes and stayed to represent the IRLA and the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at the memorial service.

In his tribute, Dr. Graz described Karel as someone who was always easy and pleasant to work with. “He was wise, kind, and competent, and we relied on his as an invaluable source of knowledge about the state of religious freedom in Europe,” he said. “Karel has made a difference for the good for many people and now God has welcomed him in His rest until the Resurrection day.“

Pastor Bruno Vertaillier, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Euro-Africa region, spoke about Karel’s deep faith and his commitment to God’s service.

At his death, Karel was Secretary General of the Euro-Africa Chapter of the International Religious Liberty Association, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director for the Adventist Church in Euro-Africa, and editor of the publication, Conscience et Liberté. He advocated for religious liberty at local and Europe-wide meetings, including the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the European Union in Brussels and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations in Geneva.

Karel was born December 10, 1950, in Velopoli, Moravia, Czech Republic. He originally trained as a tinsmith but later studied theology and graduated from Andrews University in Michigan, United States, with a Master of Divinity degree.

He pastored a church in the southern Moravia town of Znojmo from 1973 to 1978, and later directed the Czechoslovakia Publishing Department of the Adventist Church before serving as the first post-Communist president of the Czechoslovakia Union from 1989 to 2004. In 2005 he became Public Affairs and Religious Liberty and Communications Department Director of the Adventist Church in Euro-Asia, headquartered in Bern, Switzerland. Since 2010, he concentrated exclusively on the areas of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty. 


Karel and his wife Dana were married on July 5, 1979. in Prague, had three daughters: Alena, Eva and Jana. He was a loved husband and father. “He taught me to fight opinions, not people,” said Alena Nowak, the eldest. “I remember how as a teenager I felt so irritated when he constantly asked for my reasons and motives. But it was a great lesson that you should think carefully about what you are doing and once you decide it is worth it, you should fight for it.”

Jana Nowak, the youngest daughter, remarked that, “My dad found deep joy in Christ and was able to experience it every day, even in this imperfect world.” And describing her relationship with her father, she said “My dad was an authority to me, he has my deep respect and still we had fun together. I smile when I think of him!”

“It is still so unreal knowing my beloved daddy is not coming back from his trip,” said Jana, “however, I know I have a heavenly Father who is very much alive. Being in His hands, I find shelter even during these hard days.” [By IRLA/APD-Ch/ ANN/ CD-EUD]

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Note: Highlights and Bolds added.
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Related:


Euro-Africa religious liberty director dies in swimming accident
Nowak was to attend IRLA meeting of experts in Sydney
19 Aug 2011, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
ANN staff

Karel Nowak, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Euro-Africa Division, died while swimming in the ocean off the coast of Australia this morning.

Nowak, 60, was snorkeling with colleagues off the coast of Cairn, Queensland. A rescue helicopter brought him to Cairns Base Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said Corrado Cozzi, Communication director for the Euro-Africa Division, based in Berne, Switzerland.

Nowak was to attend next week's International Religious Liberty Association's 13th Meeting of Experts, held this year at the University of Sydney School of Law. It begins August 21.

Source: Adventist News Network©

http://news.adventist.org/2011/08/euro-africa-religiou.html
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Cremation -- Is It Christian Or Pagan?

Cremation
Is It Christian Or Pagan?

In recent months, a number of people have asked me if cremation is Scriptural and acceptable to God. It is a subject that most people would rather avoid, but in recent years it has become quite an issue. More and more people are electing to have themselves or their loved ones cremated due to the reduced cost compared to customary burial. The purpose of this tract is to take a brief and concise, but in-depth, look at this subject. We will see what the Bible has to say about it, and then, as a Christian, you can decide what to do regarding this sensitive matter.

The first point I would like to make is that cremation does not affect salvation as many people are cremated without the knowledge of it happening to their remains. I do emphatically state, however, that no properly informed Christian would choose cremation. We do know that some people are accidentally burned to death in fires of various types and causes. We also know that the Church of Rome burned many Christian martyrs at the stake. Certainly, being a victim of an earthly fire does not necessarily determine where you will spend eternity.

We must ask the question, why would a Christian choose to have his or her body burned to ashes after death? In I Corinthians 6:19-20, we read as follows: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Why would a Christian want to burn to ashes the temple that God lived in?

We also understand that God refers to the body at the time of death as a seed to be planted. In I Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-44, we read, “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain. But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body…So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” Thus, the body is to be sown, or planted, in the ground and not burned to ashes.

We also know that our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, was buried, and He is our great example in all things. When Jesus blessed the woman who had anointed Him shortly before He was crucified, He said the following words, which are found in Mark 14:8-9: “She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” Thus, the burial of Jesus was a part of the Gospel itself. The Gospel, or good news, is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospel cannot be represented by choosing to have your body burned!

We also know that when Moses died, God himself buried him. In Deuteronomy 34:5-6 we read the following words: “So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day.” In this case, God himself did the burying, and He did not cremate Moses! We also know that Satan, to whom is reserved everlasting fire, wanted the body of Moses but could not have it. Verse 9 of Jude tells us, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

Yet another example tells us of Joseph, the son of Jacob, in Hebrews 11:22. “By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones.” Please note that it was a commandment and not a suggestion concerning his bones!

Fire has always been a sign of the judgment of Almighty God! We know that God rained fire on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of the pervasive homosexuality in those cities. We read of this in Genesis, chapters 18 and 19. These cities and their inhabitants were incinerated, or cremated, by the wrath of Almighty God.

We also read of God’s anger and consternation against Moab because of their cremation activity. In Amos 2:1 we read, “Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime.”

After reading all of the above, we can certainly conclude that voluntary cremation is wrong in the eyes of God. We also know that it is pagan! Idolatry often included human sacrifice in the fires of pagan gods like Chemosh and Molech. That is why God commanded the following in Deuteronomy 18:10: “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.” Here we see the connection of the burning of bodies with witchcraft itself. We know that both witches, who do not believe in Satan, and Satanists, who do believe in Satan, use the power of fire in their forbidden crafts. We also know that Hinduism and Buddhism use cremation in their false religions. This brings out another point which should tie this whole subject together.

In these last days before the return of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus, we know that many false religions would arise and deceive many. We read of this in Matthew, chapter 24; Luke, chapter 21; and Mark, chapter 13. We also see from Luke, chapter 17, that the spirits of homosexuality would fill the world before Jesus Christ’s return and turn the entire earth into a latter day Sodom. We now see this coming to pass. The United States, for example, is filled with Eastern religions, Buddhism, Hinduism and others of that ilk. Homosexuality, lesbianism, and bisexuality are also everywhere in America. Do you see the connection of all of this with fire? It is no wonder that the spirit of cremation and burning is becoming so popular. It is compatible with the other spirits who have used it for centuries. Cremation and burning is also the spirit of Sodom, and it was fiery wrath that turned Sodom to ashes.

The spirit of cremation is in defiance to the plan of the Almighty God, the Creator. After Adam and Eve sinned and death became a part of existence, God told them in Genesis 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.” Ecclesiastes 12:7 states likewise, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

Christians should know better than to purposely select to have their bodies burned! If you didn’t know it before, now you do! If we walk in obedience, we will have the joy of the Lord; and death is nothing more than a step into the glorious presence of God forever. We must dedicate our bodies, souls, and minds unto our Saviour. Glory to his Name!

Pastor David J. Meyer


Distributed by:
Last Trumpet Ministries
PO Box 806
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
USA

http://lasttrumpetministries.org/

Source: http://www.lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/tracts/tr20.html

P.S.

Pastor Meyer is now home from the hospital but is still very weak and tired. Please continue to lift him up in prayer. We will publish the May edition of the Last Trumpet Newsletter as soon as we possibly can. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

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Updated: 04.25.2010

P.S. II

Pastor David J. Meyer passed away on June 8, 2010.

http://www.koepsellfh.com/html/obits/obituaries.asp?listing_id=156745

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Last Updated: 10.10.2010

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Is Cremation Appropriate for Christians?

Is Cremation Appropriate for Christians?
Rev. Richard D. Phillips • Question Box
Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia • July 9, 2000
Copyright reserved • Internet access via http://www.tenth.org/

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Tonight’s question is about the propriety of cremation for the bodies of Christians after death. The question reads as follows: “I recognize we should respect and care for the body God has given us. Does this rule out cremation for Christians? Is there any biblical teaching or guideline?”
Sometimes Christians worry that if their body is cremated they will be ineligible for the resurrection, mainly on physical grounds. If the body is consumed by fire, how can it be resurrected? The counter-argument is that bodies that are buried also disintegrate. When it comes to the resurrection I freely admit that a vast miracle is needed, and I trust God, who made everything out of nothing, to sort out the molecules. Therefore, I want to begin by stating that there is no reason to worry about the possibility of resurrection after cremation.

We always want to ask what the Bible has to say, and the Bible has an awful lot to say about death. First, I must confess that I find no command in Scripture against cremation. Nonetheless I think a summary of the biblical data will show if not a commandment against cremation, at least a clear hostility to this mode of dealing with human remains.

From the earliest times in the Bible, burial constituted the proper means of dealing with dead bodies. When Abraham’s wife Sarah died – and this is the first formal burial I find in Scripture – burial tombs were used (Gen. 23:4-6). Abraham’s family were all buried in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre (25:9). Many years later, when the first high priest, Aaron, died, we are told that he was buried (Dt. 10:9). The death of Moses is perhaps particularly instructive:

And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Dt. 34:5-6

It was God who dealt with Moses’ bodily remains and he buried him in the ground. In Dt. 21, a stipulation is made that even a capital criminal who is put to death is accorded the right to be buried (v. 22). Of course, the great example in the Bible is the record of the burial of Jesus Christ. Mt. 27:57-59 tells of Joseph of Arimathea gaining permission from Pilate to bury our Lord’s body in a new tomb cut out of the rock.

From very early in the Bible we also find the use of perfumes and spices to prepare the body for the grave. 2 Chronicles 16:14 observes that this happened for the body of King Asa. The intent was not really preservation, as in Egyptian mummification, but purification of the body. John 19:39 tells of the great amount of myrrh and aloes and spices used by Joseph and Nicodemus for the preparation of Jesus’ body. The body, though dead, still warranted love and care.

What about cremation? The Bible does mention it. In Joshua 7, Joshua proclaimed that whoever was found with the dedicated items stolen from Jericho “shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him” (7:15). When it was discerned that a man named Achan was the guilty party, the Israelites stoned and cremated his entire household, including his animal livestock (v. 25). Leviticus 20:14 calls for the burning of a man who marries a woman and her mother. The same was true for any priest’s daughter who became a prostitute (Lev. 21:9). There are other examples, but you get the picture. Burning of human remains spoke of judgment on sin, which also will be, the Bible says, by fire.

It is always the case that our views of the afterlife will influence how we handle the bodies of those who have died. That is true not just of Christians but of everybody else. Our theology will shape the way we approach all of life’s great events, be they childbirth, marriage, the coming of the annual harvest, etc.

Let’s first deal with the theologies aligned with cremation. In the ancient world there were a variety of reasons. Some peoples seem to have feared the dead and so they wanted to get rid of them. More sophisticated people, like the later Greeks and Romans, who greatly favored cremation, seem to have been guided by philosophical views that downgraded the body in comparison to the spirit. Just about all the ancient philosophies had little use for the body. In general, cremation does reflect a low view of the body after death, however one may view the fate of the liberated soul.

What about today? I took the liberty of checking out various websites advocating cremation on the internet and, to my surprise, the only incentive I saw listed was economic. Cremation is cheaper than burial. But I think there is also a new age mysticism that motivates, however vaguely, renewed interest in cremation today.

The other day I ran across a touching story regarding the spreading of a loved ones’ ashes. The man who had died was a mountain climber and his friends carried his ashes to the top of Mt. McKinley, the highest spot in North America. That is no small feat and it surely expressed real devotion. With great reverence, the friends observed a moment of sileence, after which they let his ashes go so that “his spirit could float above the mountains.” Then they turned around and left.

On one level, I am touched by the gesture, but mainly I think it speaks of the despair that attends death apart from faith in the resurrection. The best we can do is 15 minutes of afterlife fame followed by nothing but warm memories and annihilation by dispersion.

Christian burial is motivated by a far different view of life after death. The New Testament describes those who have died as being “asleep” (1 Cor. 11:30; 15:6, 18, 20, 51). This is not a description of the soul or spirit, for those are not asleep but with the Lord in heaven. It is the body that sleeps, and sleep is a temporary condition. The bodies that sleep – yes, I suppose even those that are decomposed – are awaiting their wake-up call on the resurrection morning.

Without doubt, it is the doctrine of the resurrection of the body that has motivated the Christian practice of burial and the Israelite practice before it. Everywhere Christianity has spread, cremation has given way to proper and respectful burial. Christians have a robust view of the body, both in life and in death. One of the great comforts as we face disease and sickness and death in this life is the knowledge that they will not have the last word. No, it is these bodies that are so integrally a part of ourselves that will be resurrected in glory, imperishable and immortal. And though we acknowledge the physics of the grave we are not in alliance with them, nor with death at any level. The apostle Paul writes, in 1 Thessalonians 4:

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him… For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (vv. 13-16).

Everything about that description tells us to honor, to preserve, yes, even to dedicate real estate to the bodies of those our beloved who having died are with Christ in the spirit, and awaiting the resurrection of their bodies in the morning of the new creation.

Source:http://www.tenth.org/qbox/qb_000709.htm

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Beliefs, culture cause Bible Belt to resist cremation

By Bob Smietana • THE TENNESSEAN • January 10, 2010

When the Rev. Enoch Fuzz dies, he has one request for his family.


Please don't bury him.

Instead, like a growing number of Americans, the pastor of Corinthian Baptist Church in Nashville wants to be cremated.

"I don't want to be out in that snow, in that ground, in that rain," he said. "Cremate me and put me in one of those bottles. And then throw me up into the attic."

Related
MAP: Cremations increase, but South still prefers burial

Fuzz's family and congregation aren't too keen about the idea. His daughter objects to cremation. And so far, he said, none of his church members have been cremated. And, he doesn't expect that to change anytime soon. That's not surprising.

About a third of Americans are cremated when they die, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. But Baptists and other evangelicals have been slow to embrace the practice. A recent survey among leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals found that only 8 percent said they would choose cremation. Cremation rates in the Bible Belt remain among the lowest in the country.

Americans first began practicing cremation in the late 1800s. But it remained relatively rare. In 1967, for example, less than 4 percent of Americans were cremated. By 1990 about 17 percent of Americans were being cremated. That figured doubled to about 34 percent by 2007.

Gary Laderman, a religion professor who studied the history of cremation, says that Christian taboos about cremation have declined.

Traditionally, Hindus and Buddhists have cremated their dead, while Christians, Jews and Muslims have buried their dead. But today, Laderman said, Americans are more likely to mix and match spiritual practices. For example, a recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life showed that 24 percent of Americans, and 22 percent of people who call themselves Christians, also believe in reincarnation.

"It shows the decline of traditional religious sources of authority," Laderman said.

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Source:http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100110/NEWS01/1100356/2066/NEWS03

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