Christians have historically avoided cremation as a means of disposing of the remains of their dead. This aversion, however, has no scriptural or doctrinal roots.

How does God view cremation? Is it acceptable? Does being cremated risk one's chance of eternal life in heaven? These questions were proposed to me by an elderly native friend of mine, and I was hard_pressed to give a definite confirmation, although I could not find anything in the Bible saying not to be cremated or that it is unacceptable to God.

The Rev. Dr. Richard G. Leggett, Associate Professor of Liturgical Studies researched this question and answers:

Christians have historically avoided cremation as means of disposing of the remain of their dead. This aversion, however, has no scriptural or doctrinal roots. Rather, it appears to be the result of an unfounded fear that the cremation of the remains of a loved one may, in some way, prevent the resurrection of that person in the life to come. In the ancient Middle East, cremation was a frequent practice from 4000 BCE to 2500 BCE. For reasons that are not yet clear, archeologists have determined that around 2500 BCE the burial of the dead began to replace cremation as the preferred form of disposal. We know that cremation was deplored by the Egyptians and forbidden by the followers of Zoroaster. Semitic peoples, including the Jews, also preferred the burial of the dead rather than cremation.

Nevertheless, there are examples in the Hebrew Scriptures of the cremation of the remains of Jewish dead. After the battle of Gilboa, the remains of Saul and his sons were recovered by Avaliant men" from the wails of Beth_Shan. The bodies were then taken to Jabesh, cremated, and the remains buried there (1 Samuel 31.8_13). The prophet Amos, in describing a terrible plague that shall fall upon Israel, indicates that relatives shall burn their dead (Amos 6.9_10). In neither case is there any suggestion that cremation is contrary to the will of God.

While the New Testament provides us with no examples of cremation of Christian dead, we can

find numerous examples in the early church. In 156 Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, was executed by the Roman authorities and his body burnt.

The members of the church gathered up the remains, Amore precious than costly stones and more valuable than gold,@ and buried them. His burial site became a place of worship. for the community. Similar stories can be told about other martyrs.

While we cannot say that the early Christians chose to cremate their dead, we can say that no writer of that period suggests that the burning of the body was an obstacle to its resurrection.

Cremation, as an option for the disposal of the remains of a Christian, came back into our consciousness in the nineteenth century. Since that time more and more Christians have chosen this means as a faithful and caring way of preparing the remains of a loved one for their final disposition. One should remember that cremation is an acceleration of what other natural processes will achieve: the reduction of the body to its most simple elements.

In many ways cremation is an act of Christian stewardship. It avoids many of the chemical processes required for the limited preservation of a dead body and reduces the financial demands on the family at a difficult and emotional time. Whether the remains are placed in a columbarium, in a memorial garden, or scattered (in keeping with civil statutes), the demand upon land is reduced. There are Christians who will continue to bury their dead. This is in keeping with a long cultural history. Those Christians who choose to cremate their dead, however, need not fear that theirs is an act in contravention of scripture or of doctrine. In fact, they may be acting in a responsible, faithful, and loving way to the earthly temples of the Holy Spirit that are the bodies of the faithful departed. #

Information from Ont. Coalition for Social Justice.