Cremation Or Burial? Whats the spiritually/environmentally sound choice?

For years the debate has raged on in regards to the pro's and con's of burial over cremation.

There are definately many facets to this discussion. It encompasses the reasons why one chooses either option; albeit for a spiritually or envirnomentally sound point of veiw.
Maybe your religions states one over the other; maybe you feel burial is less harmful to the environment than cremation?

Certain religious factions are changing their veiws upon the acceptance of Cremation; for example, the Catholic Cemetary ( as part of Rookwood Necropolis, Sydney, Australia), has recently opened its own Crematoria to service the Catholic populace within this local region.
So as Hindu, Buddhist to name 2 others; Catholicism has joined the ranks in acceptance of a method that was once considered un-ethical.

Does it matter to you?
When you die are you just dead;and does the method in which you are disposed of even worry you?
What method would or will you choose and why?

My dad, was christian, and he was cremated.

So far, no news. lol.

We haven't decided what to do with the ashes yet, but. There just ashes of cells and atoms.

We don't decide on what to do with certain atoms now do we?

I scratch my ear, and don't wonder and debate on where the cells that I scratched off go, or do I?

I think the family wants to give a piece of the ashes to everyone, i'd rather do something else.

I have a picture in my wallet, and that to me, is much more then pieces of ash.

I carry a genetic code, which is much more, i'm a being with his shadow genetically input into me. More then I could've ever wished for.

Personally, I would choose cremation too.

Why waste space for you other guys, have an extra foot to walk along, don't worry about treading on a dead body in fear of a bad luck charm on you.

Spare some room, you being alive deserve the least.

reply to post by Republican08


Hi there,

Why waste space for you other guys, have an extra foot to walk along, don't worry about treading on a dead body in fear of a bad luck charm on you. Spare some room, you being alive deserve the least.

Not really sure about what you meant by this; can you re-phrase that just for me please?

[edit on 8/27/2009 by KRISKALI777]

I'm not realy sure if there is an afterlife or not.
That is THE ULTIMATE question and I don't think it will be proven one way or the other until one experiences it for themselves.

I seen a show several years ago about death and the afterlife. I remember them saying how the brain can keep sending signals for quite some time after death.

I think this is what causes people to think they've had a near death experience.
Perhaps it's like having a dream, only you're in a spiritual state of mind because you know you're already near death. Therefore you're dream is an afterlife/death related dream.

To swing the pendulum the other way you have all these people having the same type of experience, you know the white lite and all.
Why would all these people have the same type of dream?

Sorry, I kinda got to thinking about this and got carried a little off topic.

To answer your question:
It kind of does'nt matter to me that much, although my wish is to be cremated.

Why? Because wether there is an afterlife or not I think once I am gone my body is no longer a concern.

I had a good friend who died last year...and he had told me he wanted to be cremated, and have his ashes dumped in the "traps" at the dragstrip after one last ride in his 68 Camaro SS.

His parents had different ideas, but he also told me this. And it's helped me through loosing my grandfather and mother after him. He said "Life is for the living. The dead don't give a damn." And he's right. Do what makes YOU have closure. The dead are either gone, or in "heaven" or "hell" or being reincarnated or whatever...why the hell would they care what happens to their body?

Personally, I'd always thought a viking funeral would be awesome... Put me in a boat, set me adrift and shoot a flaming arrow into the boat to start the pyre. Just sounds festive

Originally posted by KRISKALI777
reply to post by Republican08

 

Hi there,

Why waste space for you other guys, have an extra foot to walk along, don't worry about treading on a dead body in fear of a bad luck charm on you. Spare some room, you being alive deserve the least.

Not really sure about hat you mean by this; can you re-phrase that just for me please?

Sure thanks for being nice. Star and Flag incase I didn't.

Why waste my space in a cemetery. If I haven't earned my place and space in your heart and mind, then what does it matter if I do in land.

Like opening a reservation for someone who is dead.

Noone is using it, why do you a dead person deserve it, you're dead!

I'd like to leave a cemetery a little smaller, so other people can build and create and live.

I know depopulation, but if their was no cemeteries, more people could have places to live. Surprisingly!

Just the little I could do after my death. make a cemetery one less, will have to fight famly this for a long time, but My will will prevail.

reply to post by midnightbrigade


Viking Funeral: I never thought of that! thats really cool. I wonder if this could be a new slant to the Funeral industry; wonder if there is any potential business in it?

I'm not spiritual at all but I plan on being cremated because I don't like the idea of decomposing underground. I would also take up less room on this overcrowded planet if I'm turned to ash. Give the gravediggers a break. I always wonder if they ever accidentally dig up bodies when digging new graves.

There is also no chance of me coming back as a zombie or being used in some hideous Frankenstein experiment.

reply to post by Republican08

I see!
I have always thought that funerals were more for the comfort of those that remain than really for the deceased. So in this regard I'm in agreeance with you.
I have always been fascinated by the rites of the ancient egyptians; the embalming ritual and the pomp and splendour of the pyramids etc (of coarse this was the royalty).


It is a well known fact ( here in Australia anyway), Burial plots, and Memorial Gardens are amongst the most expensive real-estate that may be found anywhere;anyone could ever hope to own!

reply to post by KRISKALI777


Heh, I looked in to it...turned out to be a dead end

My wife and my kids and all of my friends know that when I die there's going to be some very specific things done to fulfill my wishes...

First, donate anything that's useful in me to science or organ donations, whatever is left to be of use (i have and will use my body to its fullest lol.. i live hard )

Then, cremate me, nd throw a party. i mean a real wake-and-bake lol

I do NOT want anyone sad, or miserable, or anything. I want them to celebrate my life, and cherish my memory, not taint it by weeping over the meatsack that's remaining.

then... take those ashes and spread them on a nude beach.


All of em know, and all have promised that's exactly what will happen... and I shall reincarnate later with a big ol smile on my face

reply to post by System


Problem being that as soon as we have cessation of brain activity, and circulation we are dead. Decomposition of the tissues, begins to occur rapidly once there is no oxygenation of the tissues.
Anaerobic bacterium within the Pancreas begins to proliferate rapidly, first causing a 'greening' around the abdominal region and then manifesting in various ways through-out the entire body.
This is a variable as to how much and how long; due to the environment the deceased may be in.

So in conclusion; some of us are unlucky enough to die alone; then not be found for a number of days to sometimes years.
Decomposition is inevitable (unless you are embalmed); so does it really matter if you are buried or not?

reply to post by midnightbrigade


Well I'm sure if was worth anything, some corporate giant would be doing it.......IN A HUMANE AND CARING MANNER (for less than the price of a cup of coffee a day (Blah blah)

Spiritual implications? No.

Environmental? Perhaps. And if so cremation would obviously be the more environmentally friendly choice. Personally I couldn’t care less what happens to this corporeal vessel once my spirit leaves it. I’d be an organ donor if I didn’t know that doing so would predispose the medical folks to let me die so they could profit off my body.

Originally posted by Jomina
My wife and my kids and all of my friends know that when I die there's going to be some very specific things done to fulfill my wishes...

First, donate anything that's useful in me to science or organ donations, whatever is left to be of use (i have and will use my body to its fullest lol.. i live hard

)

Then, cremate me, nd throw a party. i mean a real wake-and-bake lol

I do NOT want anyone sad, or miserable, or anything. I want them to celebrate my life, and cherish my memory, not taint it by weeping over the meatsack that's remaining.

then... take those ashes and spread them on a nude beach.


All of em know, and all have promised that's exactly what will happen... and I shall reincarnate later with a big ol smile on my face

if it were up to me, I'd be frozen and shot into space with the hope that some aliens find and re-animate me corpse someday. now that'd be cool. But I don't care either way and as far as burial goes, you'll just be cremated someday when the sun cremates the earth. then we'll all burn

Originally posted by KRISKALI777
reply to post by midnightbrigade

 

Viking Funeral: I never thought of that! thats really cool. I wonder if this could be a new slant to the Funeral industry; wonder if there is any potential business in it?

I think thats cool too, but it's illegal in the U.S. to put a corpse in the ocean(probably lakes and rivers too). and I highly doubt your entire body would burn before you go into the water.

reply to post by KRISKALI777


I have no idea what the spiritually or environmentally sound choice should be. All I know is that my last will and testament says "Don't bury me Bro"!

Originally posted by Totalstranger
if it were up to me, I'd be frozen and shot into space with the hope that some aliens find and re-animate me corpse someday. now that'd be cool.

I second this motion.

This is my plan too.

People don't realize just how much they are addicted to their body. The spirit forms knots in the body in line with it's desires. The inclinations towards gluttony, sex, alcohol, ego, etc. cause the individual to have very strong attachments. If the death is premature or the attachments are very, very strong, the spirit will linger around the grave and the corpse for a very long time. It will certainly make it difficult for the spirit to ascend to higher regions after death. Cremation helps to eliminate that problem. The spirit may linger around favorite objects and places but can't linger around the corpse as it rots away. Efforts to preserve the body with formaldehyde or cryogenics only make the situation worse.