 | Rev. Patrick Notley is the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church located at 525 N. Broadway in downtown Wichita. Reverend Notley received an MA in Divinity at San Francisco Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA. Born in Denver, CO and raised on the East Coast, Reverend Notley along with his wife, relocated to Wichita in 1997 to join the church, where he is responsible for Evangelism Educational programs. You can reach Reverend Notley at (316) 263-0248 ext. 22 or by email at pwnotley@firstpresbywichita.org |
Religion
2004-07-01 09:14:00
Cremation... is it a moral or spiritual issue?
: Is cremation a moral or spiritual issue? Is it now or was it ever considered to be a desecration of the body.
ANSWER: The simple answers to these questions are: Yes, for some it is both a moral and a spiritual issue; and yes, for some it is now and has been in the past considered a desecration of the body. Regardless of method, how an individual desires their remains to be handled after their death has much to do with their personal faith and the cultural traditions they grew up in and live in. Cremation has been part of the human experience since around 3,000 B.C.E. and has been practiced in many cultures. It has also been banned in many cultures since their inception as well. The Jewish faith bans the practice of cremation in favor of a burial that leads to an expedient and natural decomposition of the body. The Roman Catholic faith banned the practice of cremation until as recently as the 1960's. Many religious traditions are neutral relying on the wishes of the family and deceased. The Old Testament speaks of cremation usually as a punishment for sinful behavior and usually in connection with execution by fire. The New Testament has few references to the practice of cremation; more often it is in conjunction with the burning of objects related to pagan worship when a person converted to Christianity. During many periods of human history cremation was used more as a method of insuring public health than for religious or moral reasons. One notable period would be in the mid-1300's during the time of the "Black Plague".For me personally, cremation is a process that is neither inconsistent with my faith nor problematic as I consider my own demise or work with families who have experienced a death. So cremation is both a moral and a spiritual issue, but it is also a personal issue that one needs to work out in the context of their own faith tradition and cultural upbringing.
