Why do we bury the dead instead of cremate?

The most popular belief however is that people buried bodies because dead bodies decay. People saw that the best way to deal with the smell of the decaying body was to bury the body. It was easy to dig a hole in the ground and bury the body to prevent the smell from disturbing the community.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on lvcemetery.com


Is it better to cremate or bury?

There is no consensus on whether cremation or burial is a greener choice. Proponents of cremation say that the materials used in most caskets aren't biodegradable, plus embalming fluid is harsh on the environment.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on lhlic.com


Why is burial preferred over cremation?

When a body is cremated, it is incinerated so that all that remains are ashes. With a burial, the body remains intact. Both cremation and burial can take place immediately after death, following a traditional funeral service or before a memorial service.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on feeandsons.com


Why do we buried the dead?

It has been used to prevent the odor of decay, to give family members closure and prevent them from witnessing the decomposition of their loved ones, and in many cultures it has been seen as a necessary step for the deceased to enter the afterlife or to give back to the cycle of life.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


Is the Bible against cremation?

The Bible neither favors nor forbids the process of cremation. Nevertheless, many Christians believe that their bodies would be ineligible for resurrection if they are cremated. This argument, though, is refuted by others on the basis of the fact that the body still decomposes over time after burial.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cremationresource.org


We need to change how we bury the dead



Why do they cover the legs in a casket?

Tradition, Region and Culture

Many people choose a casket that covers their loved one's legs simply because that's how it's usually done in their country.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on afteryourtime.com


Is being cremated a sin?

A: In the Bible, cremation is not labeled a sinful practice. Frankly, the topic is not dealt with at all in terms of the detailed lists of instructions for living and dying set forth by almighty God in the Old and New testaments. The short answer to your question appears to be no, cremation is not a sin.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cjonline.com


Why do we bury the dead 6 feet under?

Medical schools in the early 1800s bought cadavers for anatomical study and dissection, and some people supplied the demand by digging up fresh corpses. Gravesites reaching six feet helped prevent farmers from accidentally plowing up bodies.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on wytv.com


Why are humans buried in coffins?

To Preserve the Body

Most people want the bodies of public figures or loved ones protected from decay. A coffin may provide a safe atmosphere that helps protect and preserve the body, preventing the soil from entering the body through moisture and bacteria and speeding its decomposition.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sacredspacememorial.com


Why are people buried without shoes?

The family of the deceased also sometimes finds it wasteful to bury shoes, especially if someone else could wear them. Putting shoes on a dead person can also be very difficult. After death, the shape of the feet can become distorted. This is due to rigor mortis and other processes the body endures after death.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on joincake.com


Which part of the body does not burn during cremation?

People are often surprised by how much cremated remains they get back after a body has been cremated. All bones are left they do not evaporate. The bones are then reduced in size to a granular consistency.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cremationlondon.com


What are the disadvantages of cremation?

Disadvantages of Cremation
  • A cremation does not allow for a permanent installation for memorial and mourning. ...
  • Cremations are frowned upon in some religious circles by the church.
  • Crematoriums release a considerable amount of CO2 and pollution into the atmosphere.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on nutmegcremation.com


Which religions do not believe in cremation?

Which Major Religions Discourage or Are Against Cremation?
  • Islam. Islam strictly prohibits its followers from cremating the remains of a Muslim. ...
  • Mormons. Mormons don't prohibit cremation, but it is not encouraged, either. ...
  • Presbyterian/Eastern Orthodox Church. ...
  • Orthodox Jews.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on joincake.com


Can you feel pain during cremation?

11. Does the body feel pain during cremation? A body is dead when cremated. Pain cannot be felt because there are no nerve impulses.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on usurnsonline.com


Is it good to be buried in the ground?

Decomposing bodies in coffins buried in the ground emit large amounts of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. That, along with the formaldehyde that's used to get the body preserved for burial makes for not-so-sustainable burial practices.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on businessinsider.com


Do Christians believe in cremation?

For most Christians today, the question of cremation is largely left to individual discretion. Many Christians choose cremation as an alternative to burial, while still retaining those aspects of their traditional funeral practices that allow them to honor the lives of their loved ones and glorify God.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on neptunesociety.com


What happens to a grave after 100 years?

Eventually these too will disintegrate, and after 80 years in that coffin, your bones will crack as the soft collagen inside them deteriorates, leaving nothing but the brittle mineral frame behind. But even that shell won't last forever. A century in, the last of your bones will have collapsed into dust.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on businessinsider.com


How long does it take a coffin to collapse?

If the coffin is sealed in a very wet, heavy clay ground, the body tends to last longer because the air is not getting to the deceased. If the ground is light, dry soil, decomposition is quicker. Generally speaking, a body takes 10 or 15 years to decompose to a skeleton.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on theguardian.com


Can you be buried without a coffin?

Rather than restricting natural burials to just one specific section, River View permits natural burial in nearly every area of the cemetery, allowing those who wish to be interred in existing family plots without an outer burial container, without embalming, or even without a casket if they choose to do so.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


Why are we buried facing east?

It seems that in Christianity, the star comes from the east. Some of the ancient religions (based on the sun) would bury the dead facing east so that they could face the "new day" and the "rising sun." Once again, Christ is considered to be the "Light of the World," which explains the eastward facing burials.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on trustedcaskets.com


What is a grave without a body called?

Cenotaph - a grave where the body is not present; a memorial erected as over a grave, but at a place where the body has not been interred. A cenotaph may look exactly like any other grave in terms of marker and inscription.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on in.gov


Does the Bible say to bury or cremate?

Both Old and New Testament passages refer to burial as the standard practice for the Israelites and the early Christians. Rather than seen as a standard for most people of biblical times, cremation was often a form of punishment.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on greencremationtexas.com


Is it OK to keep ashes of loved one at home?

Overall, unless your religion bans cremation, or you are Catholic, you are fine to keep your loved one's ashes at home with you.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on joincake.com


What does God say about keeping ashes?

There is no Biblical precedent for cremation. Ultimately, it depends on the personal wishes of the deceased or, if no wishes were left, the feelings and preferences of those making decisions for their final arrangements. If you decide to cremate and scatter ashes, nothing in the Bible prohibits you from doing so.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on joincake.com