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Cremation - worth preaching on?


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Was reading a sermon on cremation this morning and I got to thinking.... Is the topic of "cremation" worth preaching on? (I know it's about #5000 on my list, low to no priority - am I wrong?) Who does it hurt? Who/what does it help?

Note: The question is NOT is cremation right or wrong. The question is, is the topic "profitable" to preach?.... thank you.
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A body in a grave eventually disintegrates into dust and when a body is cremated, it basicly ends up the same; a few ounces of dust. Genesis 3:19 God, of course, is able to resurect every single molecule, no matter where it is. Revelation 20:12-13

I have often thought of the potential cropland which is rendered useless by such things as roads, highways, golf courses....and graveyards. So from a practical standpoint, I see nothing wrong with it. But I think my question would be; WHY do people cremate? Is it for practical or for pagan reasons? And if someone thinks that spreading their ashes over a river is going to help them somehow escape the judgement of God, they are sadly mistaken. So, yes, this is an interesting topic. I would want to know why people do this and how it relates to their spiritual life.

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Was reading a sermon on cremation this morning and I got to thinking.... Is the topic of "cremation" worth preaching on? (I know it's about #5000 on my list, low to no priority - am I wrong?) Who does it hurt? Who/what does it help?

Note: The question is NOT is cremation right or wrong. The question is, is the topic "profitable" to preach?.... thank you.
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No, not in my opinion, but then I don't think it is wrong. I think it is a choice believers are free to make one way or the other. If I believed it was wrong I would also think it was worth while to at least touch on it when preaching.
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A body in a grave eventually disintegrates into dust and when a body is cremated, it basicly ends up the same; a few ounces of dust. Genesis 3:19 God, of course, is able to resurect every single molecule, no matter where it is. Revelation 20:12-13

I have often thought of the potential cropland which is rendered useless by such things as roads, highways, golf courses....and graveyards. So from a practical standpoint, I see nothing wrong with it. But I think my question would be; WHY do people cremate? Is it for practical or for pagan reasons? And if someone thinks that spreading their ashes over a river is going to help them somehow escape the judgement of God, they are sadly mistaken. So, yes, this is an interesting topic. I would want to know why people do this and how it relates to their spiritual life.



My family used to be buried on a desiganted portion of the family estate (there are over fifty graves, some over a hundred years old) on a creek bank, but a law enacted a few years back forbid anyone being from buried in such low lying areas (fear of floods uprooting graves). So for the past few decades my family has been cremated and had their ashes buried in the family plot. It has nothing to do with our spiritual life, as we (and I assume most Christians) believe that the body is an earthly shell of which our souls cease to occupy upon death. I doubt anyone has a problem with burning old ragged clothing that are not useable anymore - that's kind how we look at it. Once the soul leaves the body, the body is nothing other than another piece of earthly material like a dead log or an old car.
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I think cremations is wrong, that the proper way is to bury those who die, just as the examples we have over and over in the Bible.

Some people seem to think cremation is best, for we waste to much property, that is false thinking. If that was so God would have seen fit to never set the example of wasting land by burying people at their death. Someone who says this is saying God did not think ahead and see such a thing would become a problem. Truth is He is all knowing, and knows much better than us mere humans.

The earth will never become over populated, we will not run out of land because we bury people in the earth, for before that happens Jesus will come back for His own.

Cremation is the way of infidels, why copy after them, why not do it the way God has given us a numerous clear example to follow. To many people pick and chose, them wind up walking in the path of the infidels.

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Why wouldn't it be profitable to teach what the Biblical example is? The Bible teaches that believers in Biblical times (unless they were being martyred) were buried, as a testimony to their faith in a future resurrection. As a good pastor or preacher should be preaching the whole counsel of God's Word, it would be worth touching down on it when certain passages/stories are being taught (such as the deaths of Abraham and Sarah, or Jacob and Joseph being brought back to the Promised Land to be buried after dying in Egypt).

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When Moses died God could have cremated him to ensure that nobody found his body, but the He said He buried him.

Baptism is a picture of death, burial, and resurrection.

Picture this scenario: government rules burial illegal (environmental concerns, overcrowing, etc), 3 generations later a young man gets saved, you explain (due to his question, or the message, or Sunday school, etc) baptism and he has no clue what burial is.

I personally have no desire in being party to marring a picture that God set forth.


just my plug nickle, btw - this is OLD fashioned preacher, not Germany4Christ

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please...

Again... my question is NOT is cremation right or wrong...

If you believe cremation is wrong... Is it worth preaching from the pulpit?
It seems that there are about a gazillion other topics that would take priority...
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One of a gazillion does not mean that it doesn't/shouldn't be preached, just means that it doesn't need to be as often as some other things.

If it isn't preached (or taught in S.S. or some other time) at some point, you still have people figuring that the Word of God never addresses it in principle, precept, or promise at all.

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My family used to be buried on a desiganted portion of the family estate (there are over fifty graves, some over a hundred years old) on a creek bank, but a law enacted a few years back forbid anyone being from buried in such low lying areas (fear of floods uprooting graves). So for the past few decades my family has been cremated and had their ashes buried in the family plot. It has nothing to do with our spiritual life, as we (and I assume most Christians) believe that the body is an earthly shell of which our souls cease to occupy upon death. I doubt anyone has a problem with burning old ragged clothing that are not useable anymore - that's kind how we look at it. Once the soul leaves the body, the body is nothing other than another piece of earthly material like a dead log or an old car.


I'm sorry I didn't make that clear. What I meant by "how it relates to their spiritual life" is in the MOTIVE. For instance; Did you get Baptized to BE saved or did you do it in obedience to God to show that you are already saved? If you got baptized to BE saved, you are still lost and on your way to Hell. I think there is nothing morally wrong with the ACT of cremation, in itself; UNLESS you are doing it for some Pagan or otherwise ungodly reason. That's what I meant.

As far as I know, none of my immediate family has ever been cremated and I don't see that changing. But I would like to know more about WHY people are doing it. If it's Pagan, or sinister, or commanded against in the Bible, I don't want anything to do with it.
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As far as preaching against cremation when there are more things we could preach about - since when is any part of the Word of God not worth preaching on?

In North America, it might not be that big of an issue (but the fact that there is a discussion thread on it means that there are many even here that do not know what the Bible teaches about it), but certainly in more pagan countries such as those that teach reincarnation, it certainly would be something to preach more regularly for testimonies sake (ie. showing them why the body is to be buried and showing what is wrong with cremating in relation - if the culture you are in believes that cremation is important to release the soul from the body).

All of the Bible should be preached at one time or another - that is where expository preaching comes into place. It might not be important enough of an issue to cover as a separate message in itself, but it has its place in certain passages, and as those passages are preached through, it can be touched on and explained Biblically.

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