Have you ever did any search on cremation in the Bible? I know at one time it was a heathen practice, but so was embalming. The Egyptians had some formula for doing it by wrapping the body in cloth and doing something with it. Not that they drained the blood and replaced it with embalming fluid like we know it. calledoutPTL

PTL Ask Amos, He has the answer to that one somewhere, when my mom died he chewed me out just about one too many times because my mom had her funeral arrangements all made and was cremated. Between Him and some other H, I was harrased several times a day about how horrid I was to do this, when I in fact had nothing at all to do with the arrangements my mother made. I finally had to tell my family to not even give me the phone when some of these certain people called, I was so crushed by their attitude. they could not just give me condolences, they had to ream me out because of my ungodly behavior in having my mother cremated, when I did not do it or have anything to do with it. Amos finally called and told someone it was okay cause he found it somewhere in the Bible, and no, he did not talk to me at that time cause he would have heard things he never wants to.

And no, none of them ever apologised to me for that, it was just one more justification of how sinful I am.

LL says you have a scripture that says it is okay to cremate. Can you tell me where it is? Or your findings for or against it? calleodutPTL

calledoutPTL,

The only account I know of in scripture where human bones were burned is when Josiah took human bones from the graves and burned them on the altar. The scripture says that the altar was defiled by his act. (2 Kings 23:16-20)

I personally do not want to be cremated because I don't see that practice in scripture, and I also prefer to let things happen naturally. But then it's only just a matter of time before I am dust if nature take its course. God told Adam that he would return to dust. What's the difference between ashes and dust as far as God being able to raise us up? And what about those who perished in the sea?

I have had a few very close family members who chose to be cremated. For me, the death of a loved one is hard enough to take in and of itself, but when one is cremated it leaves me with an even more awareness of the fact that we are all by faith relying on God to perform what He has promised.

In one sense, I can even see how a christian who chooses to be cremated as having greater faith than one who chooses to dissolve naturally. It's just not for me.

Thanks Ramus for answering: The only account I know of in scripture where human bones were burned is when Josiah took human bones from the graves and burned them on the altar. The scripture says that the altar was defiled by his act. (2 Kings 23:16-20) Do you think it was because he touched something unclean? Or the fact it a disobedience of what was to be sacrificed? Maybe both.

AS I said, different practices were used in different religious. I know the Catholics consider it okay. Methodists do. And when the person is so mutilated for some reason, I can understand that too.

In the southern states where the table water level is so high, it might come to creamation there. How much land is used up with this practice? HOw much should cost be considered?

Just for curoisity, how many people have heard thse kind of statements: Oh he sure lloks good, My they fixed him up good. He looks just the way I remembered her. Oh she sure went down hill. She sure is thin, Does anyone consider these statements morbid?

Now what brings closure for a person on the death of a person? The funeral, the memorial serive where people tell what they remember about the person? The burial? Or maybe when they were able to say good-by and tell the person it is okay to leave?

An interesting fact in this, is that the bones don't turn to ash. They are ground up and that is what you recieve to bury or put into an urn. Everything else burns up. When buried, everything decays except the bones. Of all the blood is drained out so embalming fluid can be injected to preserve the body as long as possible.


My God will take everything and put them together again, by His word, like He created us. calledoutPTL

Calledout,

My God will take everything and put them together again, by His word, like He created us.

Do you really think that this body of flesh and blood will be the one you will have in eternity?

Uncle Remus: The only account I know of in scripture where human bones were burned is when Josiah took human bones from the graves and burned them on the altar. The scripture says that the altar was defiled by his act. (2 Kings 23:16-20)

calledoutPTL: Do you think it was because he touched something unclean? Or the fact it a disobedience of what was to be sacrificed? Maybe both.

After King Josiah heard the words of the torah and the words of a prophetess, he realized that the wrath of the Lord was great against Judah because the priests had burned incense to other gods on the altars.

So, King Josiah (who was right before the Lord) went on a rampage destroying the altars which the priests had defiled (Hebrew = to make unclean).

And he himself defiled (made unclean) the altar in Bethel by sacrificing those priests and burning bones on it.

The altars were not made for burning insense to other gods on, or for burning human flesh and bones on. That is why the scripture states that the altar was defiled (made unclean).

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>>>Now what brings closure for a person on the death of a person? The funeral, the memorial serive where people tell what they remember about the person? The burial? Or maybe when they were able to say good-by and tell the person it is okay to leave?<<<

For me, there will be no closure until I see them again.

Mark: I agree with your post about God. Our bodies are going to be different then we think they will be.smile calledoutPTL

Thanks Ramus for your info. From what you wrote, the uncleaness, and what it was intended for came into play. When I was talking about closure, some people have a very hard time believing their loved one is no longer with us. Closure for them is when they accept that their loved one has physically died on this earth, no matter where/when it happens. It seems until they do this, they can't go on living life fully. Of course a person will always miss them. But there is a big difference in missing someone and continually grieving over someone. calledoutPTL

LockLady,concerning your mother being creamated, I am sorry if I gave you a ruff time about it. For some reason I hardly even remember talking to you about it. Your Dad was very close to me at that time and still is, and I am not aware that he got the feeling I was upset about it. I know I was surprised and didn't really like it, but that is all I remember.


I think around that time I was impressed with numerous verses in the Bible that speak of the Jews making burnings for those who died. And most of all I was impressed with how the Isrealites burned Saul and his sons after their death and then buried their bones, as in the following verse,

(1 Sa 31:12) All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. 13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.


I am sorry if I hurt you.

When I was in the death care industry, the topic of cremation came up in one of my 'talks' with the revival preachers and I was curious what the CGCM thought about it. The one preacher talked about a committee that was looking into it and studying up on it and the impression I got from him (I forget who it was) was that they would stick to the traditional way of burial because "why change?" but it didn't seem like there was any Biblical basis for either way. He thought if laws would enforce cremation there would be no problem with that. I don't know if it was his thought or someone else's some other time but what about all the people who are burned up naturally such as in a house fire or explosion of some kind? Are they bound for hell because they were burned up? Or will their bodies not be able to be reassembled at the resurrection?

**And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.**

Amos I do not think I could convey the deep pain that was dealt to me, after the extremely painful time of taking care of my mom in such painful circumstances and watching my mother die literally screaming in pain as she bled to death, all the while knowing there was nothing we could do here on earth for her except to pray. Then having those that I had considered friends call me daily and chew me out for how she was being cremated and tell me how horrid I was for doing it, yet. It totally compounded my loss. I did not realise how deeply I was carrying that hurt yet untill this past week, as I was spending an afternoon trying to be of help to another woman going thru a deep struggle, then I was recounting to her all the things that happenend to me in a 2 yr time frame of my being expelled and got to thinking that I had never taken time to grieve any of those deep losses that I sustained during that time. since I was dealt another loss, painful situation, stress, illness,.... on almost a weekly basis at that time, I never had time to even process one situation when another one came up. It took an extreme toll on my body and mind. since I have been away from the constant avoidance situation in a different environment, it seems like my heart has started opening up and grieving in a way that I have never been able to before. for starters, I cried every day for about 5 weeks, it has slowed down to about 3 times a week now. but that is something that I never did at all before unless it was for someones funeral, or someone else's loss. It seems to me that I have been able to unload a heavy burden, and physically I have done better this winter than I have for years. No, the level of stressful situations has not in reality changed a whole lot, but there is an overlying crushing weight that has left.
In this new frame Of mind, I can freely say to you Amos that I forgive you, I can also forgive you for publicly declaring me a lier here on the forum, because of the things that I said my father did. I know you do not believe me but that does not make it to be unreal. There are some folks that know my father that wonder how in the world I have anything to do with him at all given our past. but that is one thing I have learned along the way, that it is in the past and I have learned to forgive. It doesn't mean that I won't have to forgive again, or that I will have the greatest relation with my father that ever was, forgiveness does not mean automatic trust. But it does mean that we can have family gatherings without contention, hurt and can actually enjoy ourselves when we are together. I can call him for advice if need be, take him and his wife to the airport for a trip, have them over for a meal, whatever, and feel free to do so, without obligation or fear of pain.
Life is not nor will ever be always kind to us, It is a journey thru many things, not a cut and dried formula, that if you just follow these instructions to the letter, this will be the result. We each must find our way to God for our own self, we cannot do it for anyone else. while we can say and do things that are helpful to others along the way, we can be hurtful just as much and we can also do either, be helpful or hurtful without realising it at all. mostly because we do not process the effect of what we do in light of how others see it, but in how we ourselves see what we do. looking at the effect we have on others soon gives new light on how we see ourselves and allows us to change our old behavior, hopefully for the better.

Love and prayers, Locklady

mistake- look at hew thread-

there is a part of the H system that precludes true friends, true sharing, kindness, true christian love, making keeping up of appearances, set standards, correct procedures..... whatever predominate. there is a background spirit that is working to keep the true spirit of God from being able to work.

That being said, I have to say that it is really possible to have true friends that are H that will be there for you, that really care and love you even when they think you have gone off to left field. There are true H Christians just like there is in any other denomination. They are truly trying to live a christian life to the best of their ability where they are. there really are some members that truly understand what we are saying on here and want the situations to change just as much as we do.
Sometimes I think that in our hurt, sadness, sight of what is going on that is not right, we make broad statements and paint things with a wide brush and make statements that seem to include those that we really consider as friends. We are not trying to include them, we tend to not think of them as H persay, but when we say "H do thus and thus" and they hear what we have said, they feel like we are including them, and often we hurt those we love the most.

Love and prayers, Locklady

LL Sometimes it takes years before grief can be healed. When my mother died, my life was so busy that it wasn't until 6 months later that one day it hit and I cried/grieved. Before that time I guess a closure hadn't really occurred. Isn't freedom a great thing? PTL calledoutPTL