Cremation vs. Traditional Burial

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What is cremation?gone before. Cemeteries, especially in the South, are
The word cremation comes from Latin “cremo,”often places of recreation. Reverence for tradition,
meaning “to burn”—in particular to burn thefamily, and community supports traditional burial.
dead. Temperatures in a crematorium range fromIn addition, cremation can be an aid to murderers. A
about 1400-2100 degrees F. Under these conditions,cremated body cannot be exhumed and analyzed for
body and container are almost completely consumed.evidence. I’ve heard stories—you probably
Remains consist of bone fragments and particles,have, too—in which a suspicious death occurs, and
weighing a total of 4-8 pounds; these are then finelya certain member of the family insists upon
ground. The entire process takes somewherecremation. It usually turns out that this one family
between 1 and 5 hours. A small portion of themember is a suspect in the death.
remains is incidentally left inside the cremationIt is worth noting that cremation produces
chamber and subsequently mingled with the nextcarcinogenic dioxins, trace metals, hydrochloric and
body to be cremated.hydrofluoric acids, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide.
A brief historySo much for the ecological argument in favor of
Cremation has been practiced for millennia.cremation!
Archaeologists believe it was invented during theWhat the Bible says
Stone Age, about 3000 B.C. It became the mostBurning of bodies and objects in ancient Israel was
common method of disposing of bodies in ancientreserved mostly for idols and evil material (such as
Greece and Rome, and was introduced to WesternPagan scrolls), criminals, the disobedient, and enemies.
world by the Greeks as early as 1000 B.C. GreeksIn Exodus 32:20, for example, Moses destroyed the
had first used it as a way of providing burial forgolden calf by burning it. In Joshua 7:15-25, as
soldiers—those slain in foreign lands were incineratedpunishment of the soldiers who looted the city in
on the battlefield; their ashes were then gatheredviolation of God’s command, He ordered the
and sent home for funerals attended by family andthieves to be burned. The New Testament contains
fellow citizens.few references to burning of bodies, yet fire is used
The early Christian church initially rejected theoften as a description of hell.
practice because of its association with the PaganIn contrast, the burial of many important figures is
societies of Greece and Rome. When Christianitydescribed in the Bible—both Testaments. To be
became the official religion of the Roman Empire, anddenied a proper burial was considered a great
the followers of other religions were exiled ortragedy and dishonor. Curses often manifested
exterminated, burial became the only method ofthemselves in the cursed being devoured by wild
disposing of bodies throughout Europe. Christianityanimals—in other words, not having a proper burial.
didn’t expressly forbid cremation, but therePaul says in I Corinthians 15:35-44 that God will raise
was concern that cremation would preventthe decomposed body of a believer, which perhaps
resurrection of the body.has been interpreted as meaning that the cremated
Another worry was a shortage ofbody will not be raised.
wood—cremation, as done then, required a lot ofOver the history of the church, burning was usually
timber for pyres.reserved for witches and other heretics. While
Still, cremation found favor in emergencies. During anwell-meaning people may have been overzealous in
outbreak of Black Death in 1656, 60,000 bodies werethis practice, it is historically significant that fire was
burned in Naples in a single week!reserved for undesirables.
An Italian professor, Brunetti, developed the firstIs there a better choice than cremation or burial?
modern cremation chamber in the 1870s. ThisThe tradition of burial has come a long way from its
invention started a movement toward cremation inhumble beginnings. As burial is carried out now, human
Europe and North America. Interest in cremationremains are far removed from the natural processes
increased in 1874 when Queen Victoria’sthat would return us to the earth.
surgeon, Sir Henry Thompson, published his influentialModern U.S. cemeteries are designed to ensure our
book on the subject and helped organize theperpetuity in the flesh. Caskets are made of
Cremation Society of England.impenetrable materials and spaced closely (to
The first crematorium in the U.S. was built in 1876. Inmaximize land use). Wood caskets buried in earth
the late 19th century, worry about the unsanitaryhave been known to remain intact for centuries.
conditions caused by overflowing cemeteries broughtConsidering that most are now made of steel or
about a revival of cremation. Physicians and sanitaryfiberglass and enclosed in concrete, they could last
engineers contended that burial in cemeteriesvirtually forever. This should not appeal to the
saturated the ground with poison.ecologically minded.
In 1886, the Roman Catholic Church officially bannedWhat’s the alternative?
cremation. As recently as World War II, churchThe British have come up with a better
members were excommunicated for arrangingidea—Nature Reserve Burial Grounds. Here, people
cremation.are buried ecologically—in a biodegradable container
Although cremation has now been done in Americaof flax, cork, cardboard, or recycled materials. Many
for about 125 years, it didn’t really take rootof these “green” cemeteries double as habitats
here until about 25 years ago. Now about 1 in 4for endangered creatures.
Americans chooses cremation over traditional burial.In the United States, it is generally legal to bury
Cremation gains favor as society becomes morehuman remains on one’s own rural land.
secular. The trend is fueled by changes in not onlyCost-wise, this plan could prove comparable to the
religious thought, but also social values and evenpurchase of a cemetery plot (and the property can
scientific knowledge. The practice has becomebe enjoyed during the owner’s lifetime).
common in Europe and Asia faster than in the U.S. ItConclusion
is now almost universal in Japan.The trend toward cremation may be progress of the
The Roman Catholic Church has announced thatwrong type. Given the air pollution it produces, the
cremation is not prohibited. The Orthodox Jewishecological argument doesn’t hold up well. As
religion, however, continues to forbid it.far as economy is concerned, “green” burial,
Modern cremations do not use open fires or copiouswhether on private land or in a cemetery designated
quantities of firewood.as such, is at least as good a choice.
Why choose cremation?Economy and ecology aside, humans need their
First, cremation costs a fraction of what embalmingtraditions.
and casket burial cost.In my close-knit community, with its rich Gold Rush
Regarding religious considerations, fewer people nowEra history, the local newspaper once carried a
believe in life after death and give any thought tofront-page story about extensive vandalism to a
resurrection.number of our town’s cemeteries. Such an
Remains can be scattered in a place of significance,act clearly indicates a disturbing lack of respect on
and those left behind can enjoy the peace ofthe part of a small number of individuals for the
knowing their loved one is spending eternity in adeceased and their families. Yet, the front-page
special place. Alternatively, remains can be buried in ancoverage, the ongoing investigation, the growing
urn in the family plot; this option, however,reward for information in the case, the series of
significantly reduces the monetary savings.letters to the editor, the way the community pulled
Some people dislike the idea of decaying slowly.together to repair the damage—all attest to the
Some, too, think that cemeteries are a poor use ofoutrage that people feel when tradition is dishonored.
land, and that cremation is a more ecological choice.Places are important to all of us, and not the least of
The guiding principle is not tradition but progress.these is a place to grieve. Cremation (sans burial)
Why choose traditional burial?deprives us of such a place. Cemeteries—traditional
“Cemetery” has its roots in the ancient Greekor the modern “green” version—provide us
for “sleeping place,” a reflection on the beliefwith those important places where people can gather
that death is a type of sleep. The deceased is buriedto remember, to show respect, to connect with our
in a casket and left to decompose over time.past, to contemplate our place in history.
Some cultures believe that a body must be whole inProgress can be good, but it’s bad when it
the afterlife, which rules out cremation.disconnects us from our roots.
American traditions try to maintain some connection