Cremation

[lauralee]

I've been thinking a lot about the donation of body organs and what's left being creamated. Are there any Biblical verses concerning this and what's your opinions on this?

[littlelee]

Right off the top of my head, I can't think of any Bible verse that would apply to this topic. I personally see nothing wrong with being cremated,if you want. Your body isn't going with you when you die, only your soul. I will not choose to be cremated only because I am absolutely petrified of being burned. I know it's an unnatural fear because I'll be dead and won't know it, but it's still a fear nonetheless. :fear: In all honesty, I'll be surprised if cremation doesn't become mandatory in a few years because of the lack of available land for cemeteries.

[SilverFox]

I plan on being cremated and shared some of your concerns. However, after a friend's parents, who were deeply religious, decided on cremation, I am not nearly as concerned. After all, I believe our souls depart our body at our death and all that remains is the shell of what we were.

[kdown]

Also her in NY there are a couple of hospitals to which you can donate a body. They harvest the organs and do the cremation.
No cost to the family

[Brian K Beckett]

I hope I will be bitten by a Vampire so I can live forever but thats not going to happen. So I will probably do what you are thinking and hopefully help someone have a better life after mine is gone. Since there are no cemetarys in Lewisburg I hope someone can spread my ashes around Lewisburg.
I know my mother doesent like my plans because she thinks I wont be able to return to walk with Jesus some day. I think there is something about walking with Jesus in the Bible. But the Jesus I have been tought about I would think would want you to do something to help out someone less fortunate.

[ionlyworkhere]

People have funny (odd) notions about the afterlife. My opinion is, go ahead, donate your organs, be cremated, have someone spread your ashes. If God knows every hair on our heads, He can certainly find all the pieces and put us back together when the day comes.

[SilverFox]

I personally feel it is our spirits that will walk with Jesus, not our earthly bodies. When we are reunited with our loved ones, they won't be in earthly form. Just my thoughts.

[lauralee]

I'm thinking I heard a sermon once that said we get a new body in heaven. And another was ashes to ashes and dust to dust, so why not help many people who need and spread my ashes somewhere. This has been on my mind and I believe God is talking with me about this, it's something I too was afraid of thinking about but it keeps weighing on my mind lately.

[Jeremy]

Relevant passages (1 Corinthians 15:35-42, New Living Translation, emphasis added):

35 But someone may ask, "How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?"

36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn't grow into a plant unless it dies first.

37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a dry little seed of wheat or whatever it is you are planting.

38 Then God gives it a new body--just the kind he wants it to have. A different kind of plant grows from each kind of seed.

39 And just as there are different kinds of seeds and plants, so also there are different kinds of flesh--whether of humans, animals, birds, or fish.

40 There are bodies in the heavens, and there are bodies on earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the beauty of the earthly bodies.

41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their beauty and brightness.

42 It is the same way for the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die.

------------------
Hope this helps.

[towboatinwife]

I didnt know this but a couple of years ago I ran across that a family member can also take your ashes to a certain place(not sure what its called, but the funeral homes might) and they can make beautiful gems out of them that can then be turned into a necklace ear rings or rings or I guess any thing you want. I just thought it was cool that a persons ashes can be turned into something so beautiful. I actually saw one on a show once and the person was so happy to have this because he felt like he was always carrying a piece of his son around with him.

[kybikertrash]

There are lockets that you can put some of your loved ones ashes in (and seal them up) so you can keep part of them with you always. I'm sure there are also other pieces of jewelry you can get that hold ashes.

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this thread was "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" .... can't see anything wrong with it.

36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn't grow into a plant unless it dies first.

37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a dry little seed of wheat or whatever it is you are planting.


On the lighter side........the only thing I've ever seen grow in the cemetery where they "plant" a large metal or wood casket is a big granite stone with writing on it or plastic flowers. My mother always called cemeteries "marble orchards" LOL;):biggrin:

[littlelee]

The Bible does speak of "new bodies". When we die, our soul departs the body we have now and we will receive new bodies that will not age, disease or decay if/when we go to Heaven. Not sure about the body issue if you end up in the other place. I would assume that if you get a new body there, it would have to be fireproof.:biggrin:

Sorry, I hope that last comment didn't offend anyone. That was not my intent.

[lauralee]

that's a good one :eek:

[Bengals_Mama]

I agree with you all, we're not taking this body .. or anything else with us after this life is over. Brian is right, the Jesus that I know would want us to help other people by donating our organs too. I've heard some bad stories about organ donation, but mostly just really positive things. I am an organ donor, but even the whole cremation thing freaks me out a little. I would want to help out as many people as possible with what ever they can salvage from me when i die.

littlelee: I liked your comment, and my favorite quote is "We're all gonna spend eternity somewhere, would you prefer smoking, or non-smoking?"

[towboatinwife]

This is what I was talking about earlier.....A company called LifeGem (TM) has come up with a unique twist on diamond creation. They create gemstones from carbon that's captured during the cremation of human remains.Carbon released during cremation is captured as a dark powder, then heated to produce graphite. The graphite is sent to a lab where it is synthesized into fancy colored diamonds.Dozens of stones can be made from one individual. The size selection is currently 0.25 to 1.3 carats, but the company plans to offer larger diamonds in the future. Prices have decreased since the company was formed, so check LifeGem's Web site for current details.

The LifeGem process gathers only the carbon produced during cremation. The family will still receive ashes of each individual. And Yes, the company will produce diamonds from your pet's remains.