Cremation

This was written for my graduate class. I am posting it here to iron out the html issues, but also because I worked two days on it. I appreciate your comments but this is one instance when I am not interesting in negative comments about the content. I am addressing this paper to a group of future church leaders, not the general population. I value your opinions but sometimes we forget how rude our comments come across. If you are not up for a religious paper, meant to be one-sided, please skip this. I would prefer us to remain friends. This is also a draft.

Cremation

Cremation was the preferred method of disposing of a deceased person’s body in Antiquity, not just in the Greco-Roman world, but also in the Indus/Ganges, Yangtze, and African civilizations. The Egyptians are noted for their cleverness, but also for being the first culture to preserve bodies for the after-life.

Even today, cremation is the preferred form in Eastern religions (notably Hinduism and its derivative Buddhism) and is gaining ground in the monotheist religions of the West (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) as space in these areas becomes limited, monies becomes tight, and our rational for inhumation (burying the dead) is forgotten in the long march of time. Judaism has a protracted list of rules for dealing with the earthly remains of the deceased; Christianity inherited many of the mores of Judaism while disregarding much of the legalism. Christians today practice inhumation, although not exclusively, because of our belief in the resurrection of the dead.

The Greco-Roman world, and its paganism and general debauchery, is the frame of reference for Christians comparing their faith to a faithless world. In moving to separate themselves culturally from the secular world of the Romans, early Christians shunned cremation. Cremation involves the destruction, by fire, of a person’s remains. In our tradition, many equate fire with Satan since the scant description of Hades in the scriptures mention fire, lakes of fire, and the like. Certainly, the worldly pagans of the Greco-Roman world would spend eternity in the same flames to which their earthly bodies had been surrendered.

Fire is also used by the Lord, our God, he spoke to Moses and Elijah from burning bushes, the Hebrews were led by God from Egypt to Canaan by a pillar of fire, and Elijah was taken from us in a Chariot of Fire pulled by Horses of Fire. Bushes today claim to be spoken to by God as well. All things in creation are good when used for God’s good purposes and ultimately, Hades is eternal torture not because of flames or torments but because the souls there are separated from God, and God’s love.

However, my book, How Christianity Changed the World by Alvin Schmidt, chosen for self-selected reading denounces the practice of cremation on the grounds that it is contrary to God’s will. He bases his arguments on unsound scriptural grounds, as I will discuss later: neither Jesus, nor Peter or Paul discuss what is done with dead bodies nor prohibit any action. He also depends on historical references but admits that there is nothing that would prevent a soul whose body had been cremated from being resurrected. Later in this discussion the very clever, forward thinking Methodists answer the question of cremation deftly but in short: nothing limits the power of the Almighty.

Careful study of Scripture discovers no specific "thou shalt not” in connection with the practice of cremation and no specific “thou shalt” in connection with inhumation to bury a body in the ground. A careful scholar must conclude that that we, as Christians, have confused theology a religious theory, school of thought, or system of belief, doctrine a body of ideas, particularly in religion, taught to people as truthful or correct and tradition the body of Christian doctrines that are accepted as the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles without written evidence . We are teaching a tradition as a doctrine, when that practice is wholly inappropriate.

Neither cremation nor inhumation are opposed or advocated in Scripture, by Jesus or Saint Paul. Jesus and Paul both speak of inhumation exclusively but this attitude can be explained, in respect to other evidence or directed comment, to Jewish cultural norms and not a prohibition or acquiescence. Jesus may have freed us from the Law, and Paul may have ushered Gentiles into the church but they were both mindful of the political, social, and cultural ground they were treading and only departed from their demographic group’s comfort zone when it was instructive to their message.

The Christian scholar must then carefully consider how faith and culture interact within this issue. Cremation is distasteful to many Christians and is at least a traditional taboo (if not doctrinally or theologically); it is in direct contrast to the unique Christian idea of hope - specifically hope in the resurrection of the dead. This is an instance many protestants would frame this as a “Christ Against Culture” debate when really this is “Christ and Culture in Paradox,” since the former pits Christ and Culture against one another and the later puts them in a situation that seems like a contradiction, when it really is not. Cremation is not contrary to God’s will, it is merely contrary to our traditional sensibilities.

Several churches allows the practice of cremation, all prefer inhumation. The Roman Catholic Church, during the pontificate of John Paul II, changed the rules on cremation citing the conveniences of the practice and lack of Biblical prohibition. This change came in the United States in 1997 and is at the discretion of the Ordinary (bishop) in each diocese. This change was in effect in several European countries where cremation is an environmental and land-use concern. This change in policy came during the time that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and a further change in policy is unlikely as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger is now serving as Pope Benedict XVI. Roman Catholic policy is instructive even to protestant Christians and denominations because they hold the conservative line on social issues and the practical issues of faith and life in the world. Also, as the faith home for most of the world’s faithful they overwhelmingly set the tone for what is, and is not, the Catholic Church’s position as well as the Church catholic.

The Roman Catholic Church, in their guidelines sent to Ordinaries, expresses concern that people be given time to grieve and sometimes the body is needed to do just that. Helner writes in American Catholic Update:

Mourners need sufficient time to remember and celebrate the life of the deceased; to begin to grow accustomed to the absence of a loved one. The Church wants to encourage families to take the time needed to say their good-byes, to encourage the grieving process.

The real issue here is to find and meet the needs of those mourning the deceased. One has to remember, in dealing with the dead, that what we do with their remains is not so much about them, but about us. Funerals are not held for the dead, but for the living. We celebrate the lives of those who have gone ahead of us and gain strength and reassurance in our faith from that process. The Roman Catholic church stresses a case-by-case examination of each event and the needs of those left behind. This is not an issue of scholarship when real people are involved.

The Methodist Church, the largest reliably counted protestant denomination in the United States and the world, also allows for cremation in their doctrines. Unlike Roman Catholic, or Lutheran statements (later discussed) the Methodists address the faith concerns of people considering this option:

_Our doctrinal statements, then, affirm the bodily resurrection of Jesus, indeed the resurrection of the same body that entered the tomb. But for believers, many of whose bodies over the past two thousand years may have entirely decomposed, if they were not burned, lost at sea, or otherwise destroyed, our statements speak simply of the resurrection of "the dead." This is consistent not only with biology, but also with the teaching of Paul in I Corinthians 15. There, Paul insists that resurrection is real, necessary, and more than a matter of revivifying dead bodies or remains. Instead, he speaks of a spiritual body that is raised of which our perishable, corruptible bodies are at most but the seed (see especially verses 35-49).
The United Methodist Church: Belief and Social Practices

The ever clever Methodists address not only theology but also biology. This shows that Christ and Culture in Paradox: both coexist and can act together. This practice is acceptable

The major Lutheran churches in the United States, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), both allow cremation as well. The ELCA has guidelines for cremation as well as organ donation, as the concerns with both issues deal in the resurrection of the body and LCMS states that there is no Lutheran position on the issue:

The LCMS has no official position on cremation. In their textbook on "Pastoral Theology" (used at our Synod's seminaries), LCMS Pastors Norbert H. Mueller and George Kraus explain why this practice, which used to be viewed negatively by the church, is now being viewed more favorably (or at least neutrally): "Not too long ago, the church viewed cremation negatively. Because the general public associated the practice with heathen religions and/or an attempt to disprove the possibility of the resurrection, Christians were reluctant to consider it. "In itself, the practice has no theological significance and may be used in good conscience. In fact, because of space limitations in some areas (e.g., West Berlin, England), and because of health considerations, cremation is increasing in favor. Cost, too, is a legitimate consideration, although the family considering it for this reason should be reminded that cost is saved only when there is no public viewing and, thus, no need for embalming and use of the visitation room."
www.lcms.org – Belief and Practice

Cremation is a part of our culture. More and more people, especially Christians, are becoming aware of the environment and environmental issues, land-use issues, and many are burdened with less than optimal financial situations. Today’s practice of cremation is a practical matter, in Antiquity it would have been an issue of Christ against Culture because pagan belief, not practicality, was the issue. Cremation happened because of pagan worship norms, and those norms continue on in the East today. Cremation today, in the West, happens because it makes sense in a cost/benefit analysis.

It could be argued that in today’s culture our pagan gods are cost-effectiveness, environmentalism, and expedience. We are overly concerned at times with cost/benefit analysis but the same arguments used against cremation on the cost/benefit side can be permuted to state that good stewardship of financial, time, and land resources is the issue. What is the best use of the gifts of time, the Earth, and finances that God has given us? These questions are what makes or breaks this issue.

Fundamentally, this issue exists in paradox because it is contrary to our tradition, but can coexist with our theology and doctrines. We are by no means required to do either, but we can do whichever makes sense in our individual situations. The Bible neither endorses nor prohibits cremation or inhumation.

Beliefs and Social Issues: Cremation and Organ Donation The United Methodist Church website, (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1383) accessed last April 12, 2006.

Biography of his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI The Vatican webpage, (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/biography/documents/hf_ben-xvi_bio_20050419_short-biography_en.html) accessed last April 12, 2006

Cremation The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, website, “Belief and Practice” (http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2124) accessed last April 12, 2006

Helner, Fran. Cremation: New Options for Catholics. American Catholic Update, website edition, (http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1097.asp) accessed last April 12, 2006

Comments

[Sarah Lippens]

Christopher- honestly I think this is a good paper. You make all the points that I think Dr. Fryer would be looking for in this case. There are a few moments when your scarcism comes out, but I don't think I could have written it without the same remarks.
I think the paper also gives a strong background to help individuals that are not farmilar with things like the LCMS or the Catholic church etc. You do this in an excellant way- you don't sound condesending about it. It's VERY professionally done!
The paper gives the reader good information to tell a potential class, etc. Tell me again, what class is this???

[l'empress]

Okay, I'm not commenting on the content here. I have opinions, but they are irrelevant for this purpose. But I think you need to look at this again for *grammar* correction. My guess is that you are writing here for scholars, not a bunch of forgiving bloggers.

[Alex Vance]

I think this is very well-written. And interesting.

[elaine lanoue]

This was a very helpful article. Both my husband and I are in our 60s and leaning toward cremation from a practical standpoint and financial. We have relatives in various parts of the country and we would like a simple solution to our demise. We are both born-again believers and cannot find any contra-indications regarding this issue in Jesus' teachings.

[LARRY CHRISTIAN]

I am wondering if exquisite grammar was a requisite of all those who were inspired to write Scripture.

[Spritopias]

I'm not sure if grammar was a requirement but the person who commented before you about grammar is someone that I have a pedological difference with about grammar/usage, if that spurred your question. 


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A new comment from "LARRY CHRISTIAN" was received on the post "Cremation" of the blog "Caustically Optimistic ". If you would like to post a reply to this comment you can do so at the following URL:

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