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Old 06-04-2007, 06:55 PM
 
Location: NJ
279 posts, read 1,346,071 times
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I dont understand why certain religions have burials when the soul is supposed to leave the body once someone dies and go either to Heaven or Hell (or nowhere if you don't believe in Heaven or Hell). So what is the point of preserving the body? Shouldnt we just cremate everyone and get rid of the body instead of burying people and taking up so much space on the planet? Is it merely for people to have a place to visit their departed loved ones? I dont mean to offend anyone but just would like to understand the significance of burials.
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Old 06-04-2007, 08:07 PM
 
Location: Mississippi
3,927 posts, read 8,652,320 times
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Weeeellll, the last time I checked, the bodies were not preserved with burial. Don't know about where you live, but here, no preserved bodies.

And what if someone does not want to be cremated? Do we leave them lying around, decomposing on the front/back lawn?

"Where is ma, we heard she done died?" Junior says.
Pa leads the way through the house and outside to ma's garden. There, sitting in her favorite lawn chair is ma. "We put her here cause she liked it so much, and with this hot weather, looks like she gonna be mixing with dat dirt real quick like." Pa observed.

Just a funny. I will probably get zoinked for that.

Seriously, what should we do with bodies? Jesus was buried in a tomb. It shows respect for our body which is the temple.
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Old 06-04-2007, 09:03 PM
 
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I think the "preserved" bodies the OP mentions is how (sorry, this is gross) they use liquid preservatives in order to keep the body from decomposing for long enough to have a wake, if desired.

I think people originally started burying their dead because they didn't want to see the remains being (sorry, grosser still) picked by scavengers and the like. I think it's hard enough to lose someone without having to think about his or her remains that way. I'm not sure of that but it would pretty much make sense. Also, depending upon the culture, people had no way of knowing when the soul would be "taken" from the body, yet for obvious reasons, one doesn't want a dead body lying around, eeeeeeew, so to bury the body rather than destroying it (cremation) would have made sense.

A little later in history, people had no way of knowing whether their god or goddess or gods would literally take the body from the ground or what have you. Egyptians for their part did believe the entire body was needed, and therefore mummified their dead very carefully.

Some pagan (so to speak) cultures did cremate their dead. I'm not sure what the reasoning was. In fact, the crossover from European pagan to Christian culture can often be designated by when cremations turned to burials, and fewer "goods" were buried. The pagans generally believed certain goods would be needed in the afterlife, like swords or tools for men, and cooking implements and combs/brushes (of course! I wouldn't be caught dead without mine, yar har) for women. Once Christianity kicked in you begin to see fewer tools, etc. in graves, as apparently the souls do not need them. I think the Christians didn't want cremations because of the fire association being hell-like...the body was respected by being placed in the ground, out of sight and away from scavengers. There were far fewer people worldwide at this time (first few centuries until well into the end of the Renaissance) and I doubt anyone was worried about taking up too much space with bodies. The space issue is a very recent development as population has exploded.
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Old 06-04-2007, 09:22 PM
 
Location: Just a few miles outside of St. Louis
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Originally Posted by JerZ View Post
I think the Christians didn't want cremations because of the fire association being hell-like...the body was respected by being placed in the ground, out of sight and away from scavengers.
I've also been told that Christians chose burial because burning the bodies would have been considered too Pagan-like, because many of them used this method of disposal. Many folks today believe the same thing, including my parents, with whom I had a major blow-out, back in '93 when my grandmother passed away. She had expressed the desire for cremation, (she was a Christian, but had no qualms about it). She had no money when she died, so my parents paid for her burial, but only if it was a burial. When I told them she wanted cremation, they had a fit. Since I didn't have enough money to comply with her wishes, (and even though she had been living with me for three years), I had to let my parents have their way on this issue. And, all because they believed that cremation was pagan, and Christians should not utilize it.

For myself, I don't think there is anything actually wrong with cremation, although, I am not comfortable with the idea, for me or mine. And, my mother-in-law chose this option for herself. I think it's just a personal decision for each individual.
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Old 06-04-2007, 11:06 PM
 
Location: Mississippi
6,712 posts, read 13,435,215 times
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Personally I think burial, regardless of the religion or origins, is a way for people to come back and "visit" at certain times. I think it gives people some sort of attachment to the person who died. It's hard to let go when you lose someone and even though they are gone sometimes it's easier to go to a gravestone and know that you are still "with" that particular person. Some people prefer to be cremated and that's fine too. For me, I would have a stipulation in my will. (If I would ever get off my butt and do one) The stipulation would be that if I were to die a sudden death, i.e. car crash, sucked into jet engine, lightning, snake bite or something else that was just to sudden I would prefer to be buried. This way my family could try and still maintain that connection with me after I'm gone. However, if I were to develop a long bout with something like cancer, at least my family is somewhat expecting it and have somewhat coped with it by that point. In that case I would prefer to be cremated. It's far less expensive and probably easier to carry out. Sorry to sound so morbid but we all die and it's good to have a plan.
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Old 06-05-2007, 12:48 AM
 
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I think being buried in a pine box is good enough for my decaying body I don't think I'll be needing the silk-lined gold-embossed "cadillac" model of a casket.......

I don't need a fancy burial, but I do need prayers....since I'm anticipating being in purgatory for quite a while... ....just some "catholic humor" there.
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Old 06-05-2007, 07:45 AM
 
Location: Just a few miles outside of St. Louis
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Originally Posted by beth ann View Post
I think being buried in a pine box is good enough for my decaying body I don't think I'll be needing the silk-lined gold-embossed "cadillac" model of a casket.......
That's how I look at it; that's all I want, a plain pine box. I've always thought it was silly to expect anyone, (whether myself, or my family), to lay out huge amounts of money to stick me in the ground, in a fancy tin can! I've never understood the point of that. A loved one can be buried in a respectful loving manner, without spending tons of cash doing it. Collectively speaking, I think the funereal industry is exactly that, an industry, and they want people to feel guilty if they don't spend as much money as possible!
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Old 06-05-2007, 09:46 AM
 
Location: Pleasant Shade Tn
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I prefer cremation. It is very sanitary and much more inexpensive for the family. A memorial service w/ a photo of the deceased is a less morbid way of showing honor in my eyes.
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Old 06-05-2007, 10:21 AM
 
Location: Maine
22,869 posts, read 28,140,547 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tooshort View Post
I dont understand why certain religions have burials when the soul is supposed to leave the body once someone dies and go either to Heaven or Hell (or nowhere if you don't believe in Heaven or Hell). So what is the point of preserving the body? Shouldnt we just cremate everyone and get rid of the body instead of burying people and taking up so much space on the planet? Is it merely for people to have a place to visit their departed loved ones? I dont mean to offend anyone but just would like to understand the significance of burials.
Human funeral practices throughout history is a fascinating study, and methods vary widely all over the world.

The origins of it are strictly practical. Once humans began to settle down and leave the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, they had to have a practical way of dealing with the dead. Some cultures opted for burial, some built tombs, others used various forms of cremation. I don't know that any one form is any more "acceptable" or "correct" than the other. But it's a fascinating study.
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Old 06-05-2007, 10:23 AM
 
Location: Just a few miles outside of St. Louis
1,921 posts, read 5,612,378 times
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Originally Posted by alicenavada View Post
I prefer cremation. It is very sanitary and much more inexpensive for the family. A memorial service w/ a photo of the deceased is a less morbid way of showing honor in my eyes.
Though I'm not comfortable with the thought of cremation, I can see your point. As for the other, we are in agreement! I don't like funereals, in any way, shape, or form. My family already knows how I feel about it, (told them I'd come back to haunt them, if they gave me one!). When my grandmother passed away in '93, I had a brief memorial service for her at our church, (this is when I still attended church),with some pretty flowers, (she liked flowers), and a few nice photos of her, and then a quiet short graveside service. A few of her favorite hymns during both. I know she would have approved. She didn't care for funereals herself, and she didn't believe in showiness and spending a great deal of money, (she was very practical).
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