Is Cremation a Big, Anti-Christian Deal?

That’s the position of fascinating posts on the Porcher page.

The whole Christian/Biblical/monotheistic tradition has, until quite recently, been against cremation.

I don’t think the “progressive” argument for its efficiency in disposing of a dead body is anything but creepy. But it shouldn’t really remind anyone of the Holocaust. It may show disrespect for both the memory and the continued being of “the newly dead.” But maybe cremation, by itself, doesn’t necessarily suggest a quick, cheapy funeral before getting back to work.

I’m not sure cremation signals disbelief in the resurrection of the body. The body will be resurrected whether it’s burned or eaten by worms. Surely it’s not our job to preserve bodies in resurrection-worthy condition.

Also creepy, of course, are 20th century funeral practices—embalming, open caskets and all that. Surely it somehow also shows a lack of faith in God’s particular providence to chemically fend off biological decay. And any Porcher, it seems me, should also go to town against the costly commercial excesses of the funeral business.

So shouldn’t the Porcher position be a return to the custom of putting the unembalmed body in a plain pine box with a simple tombstone with name and dates and a few appopriate words? There may even be an argument for cremation in the right spirit as a return to that kind of reverent simplicity. I’m not sure. Discuss among yourselves.

How’s that for an upbeat topic to start off the New Year right?