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

reply to post by KRISKALI777


Re: the Catholic Crematoria in Rookwood .. did you watch the documentary about a year ago ?

It absolutely horrified me. A massive, marble and glass and other expensive material edifice purpose built to house rotting corpses.

Like a delicatessen from hell ... preserved corpses, like so many smoked hams, jammed into slots in the wall and 'visited' by the family at Christmas

What is wrong with people who would pay tens of thousands of dollars to keep their shrivelled up dead parent or grandparent in some travesty of 'sleep', within a building jammed to the rafters with artificially preseved corpses ? It's a denial of death. It's a vanity. Cowardice. Primitive. Yet these are Roman Catholics. To me, they are practising some form of godless religion, where their will and not that of god, takes precedence.

Living people are out on the streets in the cold

Meanwhile we have the ultra luxurious, multi-million dollars 'hotel for the dead'

Yet it apparently makes sense to people

God must roll his eyes

reply to post by resistor

And if so cremation would obviously be the more environmentally friendly choice.

That can't be right. Near my college, there was a funeral home that had a crematorium on it. From time to time, I'd drive by it and there would be enormous plumes of thick, black, smoke coming up from the chimney. That can't be good at all for the atmosphere!

I, for one, would think that being buried and decomposing would be the best choice for the environment. The reason being, as we decompose, it would make the soil better and more nutrient rich for creatures like worms and stuff. This in turn would make the ground better for plant life. It's kinda like when farmers put poo on their crops...it decomposes and we get gigantic corn as a result!

Spiritually speaking, as a Christian, I don't think that there is a difference. Earlier, Christians used to be opposed to the idea of cremation because, it destroys the body and, they thought, God wouldn't allow you to resurrect. I guess because they thought that God 'wouldn't be able to find your parts'. But, in reality, even with burial, you eventually decompose and physically become no more, as worms and other things start to eat you and your body returns to the dust. And, since God is God, he would be able to "find everything that makes you you" in order to resurrect you. So there is no worry about missing out on anything. It really just ends up being preference.

reply to post by Republican08


There's just something about my decomposing body buried next to hundreds of others in a wooden box for all of eternity...

I've told my family they can do what will make them the most comfortable, but that I would prefer to be cremated and have my ashes thrown into the ocean.

I would like to see a tree cemetry, where every body has a tree planted on top of it, a small commemoration tablet in front of it,, when the tree gets bigger, a stainless steel plate can be attached to trunk saying "RIP or whatever" That way we have a rainforest, with a bit of your relatives in the trees, now that is cool. plz plant a tree on my grave, and no crap concrete please. How cool is it that you can help the world AFTER you die, albeit indirectly and as a nutrient bucket.

reply to post by St Vaast

Re: the Catholic Crematoria in Rookwood .. did you watch the documentary about a year ago ?

No. Believe it or not I used to work in the Cremation room at the 'other' Crematorium on the Rookwood site. This new Catholic Crematorium was built to service the changing attitudes of the Cathoilc communtiy in the Sydney area.
I think the Catholics were getting feed-up with loosing potential business to the other Crematoria within Rookwood and Sydney metro environs.
Its amazing the spiritual back-flips that can be observed when there are potential monetary profits.

I made my will out to say that my wife can do with my body what she wants as it is for the benefit of her and the rest of my family.

I could care less if she has me cremated at a crematorium, in the backyard on a bonfire, bury me in a cemetary, in the backyard or if she took me to a taxidermist and had me stuffed.

What happens to my body is of no consequence to me.

reply to post by Jomina


Hi Jomina,

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

Are you aware of what becomes of your body when it is donated to science?

Why on earth would you give the one of the only 2 things that you own to some academic that doesn't care for anything other than their own title and paycheck?



Medicine has become so impersonal; do you think your body would be treated with at least a little dignity in this situation? Think again!

If you donate your body, I doubt weither there would be much left to cremate anyhow. But I suppose it would be cremated in a sense; with the rest of their Clinical Waste.

[edit on 8/28/2009 by KRISKALI777]

Doesn't matter to me, whatever is cheapest I guess. I just hope I'm not there for it either way.

If I am there, it's like asking me to choose which testicle I want to lose - Can I get a second opinion?

I figure it's about like asking me what they want to do with my car after I give it to a junkyard.

I would be surprised to find out there is a clunkers for bodies program on a higher level.

reply to post by badmedia

If I am there, it's like asking me to choose which testicle I want to lose - Can I get a second opinion?

Don't worry they'll gladly take that too if you give them the green light.

Buried, cremated, eaten by a shark, or exploded into a thousand fragments.............

It does not matter, you are DEAD.

Death is inevitable, it will be the eventual fate of every one of us.

But what happens to your immortal soul, the real you, is of far more importance.

You have no say how you came into this world, and you do not get to choose your parents.

But you have total 100% control over the state of grace you are in with God, and what happens next.............

Don't screw it up !

What happens to your living body after death is of zero importance in the greater scheme of things.

No contest - have a cardboard coffin and get cremated and scattered somewhere you love.

Why take up space in cemeteries?

Why spend a fortune on fancy coffins?

Who cares - once you're dead, you're dead.

reply to post by spellbound


Hi Spell,

Why spend a fortune on fancy coffins?

Good question!
I dont know if its the same in the states? But Cardboard coffins are just, if not more expensive than regular coffins.
Of coarse you have the luxury of a 'personalized Decal' for the coffins exterior; as well as paying large amounts for the 'privaledge' of being Environmentally friendly.

2 years ago I was given 6 months to live and had to talk through my wll and funeral arrangements. I went through it with my brother. basically i want any useful organs donated for what ever purposes. their all pretty knackered now but, hopefully they can find some use for them.

I want a humanist funeral with no mention of the bible. i find that the funerals I have been to have been hijacked by religion. you end up hearing the Vicar bang on about religion sing a few meaningless hyms oh and maybe 5 minutes on the person that died.

im hoping that my friends and family will be able to recount funny stories or recount a favourite reading or poem that will comfort those at the funeral. after that some of my favourite music. nothing too emotional I have these two tracks in mind. Then cremation. whats done with the ashes, i'll leave to the living. i'll either be discovering the wonders of the afterlife or Just ended, finished






I change these most weeks depending on how im feeling

[edit on 28-8-2009 by woodwardjnr]

reply to post by KRISKALI777


Hi to you Kris,

Are you seriously telling me that a simple cardboard coffin costs as much as an oak, teak, mahogany or whatever with expensive handles???

In that case, I am immediately starting work as a funeral director so I can make my fortune.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


I just want to say that I admire your bravery and I wish you all the best, and I am very sorry for what you are going through.

reply to post by spellbound


Maybe not as expensive as fine woods, but definately more expensive than the lower end of the market for caskets!
Last time I heard, a cardboard casket was around 5K here in Australia.
So we get the liuxury of Paying through the nose, for being environmentally friendly.
These cardboard coffins are full of polymer resins too; it gives the cardboard the ridgity needed to handle such weight. There is a weight limit for the deceased.
Polymer resins probably wouldn't be that great for the environment???!

reply to post by KRISKALI777


OK, wrap me in an old cotton sheet and burn me.

And let's get into that Viking thing again - put me on a raft, set fire to me, and give me a good shove into the ocean.

I don't see why families who have suffered a death must also pay through the nose for a funeral.

It is all about who is left on this planet, not who has departed.

reply to post by spellbound

I don't see why families who have suffered a death must also pay through the nose for a funeral.

I do agree; but like all things corporatized, the 'class' has left the funeral industry.
In my working situation within the funeral industry; there is a magnate corporation buying every small funeral-directorship it can get its hands on.
This originally was a U.S based company, known as :SCIA.
SCIA was then re-labelled as INVOCARE; purchased by Maquarie Bank; then floated for market share on the stock exchange.
So; now Invocare ( Maquarie group) is slowly obtaining monopoly of the Funeral industry within Australia.
They own: Cemetary's, Creamtoria, Funeral Homes and Memorial Gardens.
Workers are paid low wages, and made scape-goats for high-paid corporate managers that are never available for anything but taking public gratification upon favourable business advancements.
If anything goes wrong- plebs are in the firing line. If anything goes right- there are luncheons, a blab in the company newsletter, and bonuses.
If there is a world war III, I will love to see how the suits will hide behind their titles then ( Don't touch me -I'll sue).

One thing they are consistent with at least- once they get their dirty hands on something, you know it will get raped for everything and then discarded. Scum.

reply to post by KRISKALI777


I salute you for being in that industry - a lot of people could not hack it (including me).

But it is all about money and power, as you say.

I think we will get a very big wake-up call very soon, and money and power certainly will not matter then.

As for corruption - I think that is probably the worst sin, and will be paid for by those doing it.

reply to post by spellbound


Pleased to say I got away from that Job, and the corporate crap.
Now I work for the government, and see the same crap (with a different label).
Anyone that says there is no difference between government and corporatism is totally correct; save only one thing: THE TITLES!!!!