Is Cremation Biblical?

There are no clear biblical passages on the proper method of burial.  Some will argue that Jewish custom and church history has always buried their dead.  Abraham buried his wife Sarah in a tomb.  Jacob was buried by his sons.  The kings in the Old Testament were buried.  Critics claim that only pagan religions, such as those currently practiced in India and China, cremate their dead.  Therefore, this group argues that Christians should not follow pagan practices. I find this argument unconvincing.  Instead, the basis for ground burial over cremation appears to be culturally influenced.  Since Jewish custom and church tradition has always been to bury people in the ground, the culturally accepted norm is to bury people.  Cremation is look upon as counter-cultural to the normative process of dealing with the dead.  As long as the act of cremation does not cause another believer to violate his conscious and sin against God, it should be accepted.

What Are Some More Arguments Against?

Furthermore, it is argued that because Jesus was buried in the ground, we too should follow his example.  Critics claim that only criminals were taken out to the garbage dump in the Valley of Hinnon and burned.  This burning of the body represented judgment.  Therefore, Christians should not participate in cremation since their loved ones are not criminals.  However, once again opponents of cremation are guilty of isogesis.  The texts of the Gospels were not written to promote burial in the ground or tombs.  Instead, these texts were written to give an account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  To extrapolate that cremation is an evil because Jesus was buried is absurd. 

Some also used Amos 2:1 to prove that God opposes burning a corpse. The prophet states that God was angry at MoabS “because he burned, as if to lime, the bones of Edom’s king.”  However, in this passage God is not condemning cremation, but Moab for an act of hatred against the king of Edom.  Moab was treating the corpse with disrespect.  As long as cremation is not treating a person with disrespect, it should be acceptable.  For example, if someone was cremated because he was a black Christian, but a white Christian is buried because of the color of his skin, this is wrong. 

The Final Word-

    

From a biblical perspective, it matters not if a person is buried in the ground or cremated.  At the resurrection, God can equally recreate from the ashes of incineration or from the ashes as the result of slow decay the resurrected body.  In fact, at the resurrection a person will not be composed of the same atoms they had when they died.  This is a truth experienced even when we are alive.  Every 10 years almost our entire body has been replaced by the food we eat.  Therefore, we do not have to worry that cremation will effect people at the resurrection.  If God can make man out of the ground, he can certainly create a resurrected body for him!

           

Cremation can be very beneficial for a society for several reasons.  First, it does not occupy the amount of land that cemeteries do.  The land can instead be used for agricultural purposes, housing, or for another noble purpose.  Second, cremation cost less.  Traditional funeral services can cost the family thousands of dollars.  They should not feel guilty if they choose to cremate a family member because they cannot afford the cost.  Nor should they feel guilty because they do not want to spend a fortune.  Last, cremation is more sanitary than burial because infectious diseases could be present.  Heating a corpse to 3,000 degree will certainly kill any bacteria or viruses.

           

Overall, I believe cremation is biblical.  We have the freedom to choose to bury or cremate our loved ones.