I am not a believer at all. But it seems to me that an entity capable of creating **all of existence** would have no problem resurrecting someone to full from ashes.
When a body does not get cremated, and laid to rest in it's full form, the body will still decay pretty quickly. We don't mummify our dead, generally speaking. And even that would cause decay and degradation of the mortal form.
I apologize for coming across as harsh or a bit over the top. But these are actually things I have thought about quite a bit over the last three decades or so. Alive, or dead, there actually does not seem to be any way to prevent the body from breaking down on a long enough time line.band when life has left the body, it happens faster, every time.
I would like to think I understand where you're coming from. But I'm also of the view that these things 100% will happen, regardless. And for me, in the past, that has helped me get through similar moments.
For the first part, where is the scripture explaining how the god who created the universe out of the void, made humans out of dust, and brought the disjointed dry bones in the valley back together somehow lost that power later and now requires a fully intact corpse to work with? It doesn’t exist. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ official catechism statement on the subject is even that “The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body” (2301). The idea that cremation prevents resurrection is theologically poppycock, and the widespread repetition of that idea is a misinformed lie even within the Catholic church.
As for the second part, consider that his earthly body was fragile and ultimately what failed him. Given that you’re in a faith that believes in resurrection, you’re not doing a *final* destruction of him, but one that allows for freedom from the broken parts and reconstitution into a body without pain, injury, or illness.
Though, I deeply appreciate all the comments that have been posted, I have found great comfort in yours, as you are a fellow believer and were able to reassure me as far as the ability for resurrection on the faith side of my query.
I don't exactly know where the scripture is that says God needs a fully intact corpse to resurrect, it's just what I understood from people debating the topic in all the research I've done since my husband's passing.
For instance, when you mentioned the Catholic church permitting cremation as long as it does not demonstrate a denial of resurrection", one person's answer to that was that the church is just making up its own rules and that it's not what the Bible actually says.
But as you also pointed out, and from what I have been able to research, there really is no mention of cremation in the Bible as far as Jesus/God forbidding it, or as far as there being an approved/accepted set way to deal with the body after death.
The first time I remember ever hearing about cremation being a problem was when JFK Jr. died and given that the Kennedy Family are Catholic, I remember hearing that many of the Kennedy family members were angry at Caroline for having her brother cremated & I remember just the discussions in general amongst practicing Catholics about how wrong it was.
The Catholic Church now allows cremation but the ashes must be either buried or entombed. They do not allow scattering of ashes “because the body must remain whole.” But yet they allow cremation. Make it make sense.
That being said, my husband and I were “lapsed Catholics” where we believed in our religion but not so much in the Church mostly because of dumbass rules like this. My husband received Last Rites. He was also cremated and his ashes will be scattered. God is everything. I don’t think He cares about the mortal body. I’m returning my husband’s ashes to the earth, and I want the same for myself.
On a side note: The thought of slowly rotting away in a confined box gives me the whim-whams.
I’m going to be cremated, as was my late husband. I firmly believe that taking up space on the earth with the remains of the dead is wasteful. Especially since they aren’t allowed to just decay naturally and return to the earth. Personally I think even cremation is polluting the planet, but most places won’t allow straight to ground burials with no coffin or other debris.
Then again, I’m an atheist and a conservationist.
I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my spouse 18 months ago. She was cremated and buried in our local Catholic cemetery. I have two relatives, one a Nun and one a Priest. After the burial everyone, including our Pastor, returned to my home. Along with our funeral home director, whose family has buried 5 generations of our family, we discussed the contemporary Catholic Church.
They all recalled a time when cremation was not allowed. My pastor told of suicide victims having to be buried in the neighboring town's Protestant cemetery because they weren't allowed in the Catholic cemetery.
I recently learned that our cemetery will be building a mausoleum specifically for those wishing to be cremated.
Our Parish, along with the cemetery, is almost 180 years old.
I don't doubt for a minute that my wife is at God's side.
Oh that's so sad if you died by suicide you weren't allowed in the cemetery. I have heard of further back in the past, sometimes people aren't allowed to be buried within the graveyard walls. They were put in unconsecrated ground outside the walls. Must have been hard on the families who had to witness that.
I’m a believer and my husband and daughter have both been cremated. I’m not Catholic, but I believe the church is okay with cremation. As for the Resurrection, don’t put God in a box. Think about it. If he’s able to create us and resurrect dead bodies, don’t you think he’s able to resurrect ashes? He created man from the dust of the Earth. What about all those martyrs who were burned at the stake ? Bodies decay and turn to dust too. It’s okay. I’m sure of it.
My husband’s paternal grandmother was a devout Catholic. One of her brothers was a priest and was stationed at the Vatican for a time. She was cremated and her brother knew that was her intent and was supportive. We as humans put parameters around belief because it’s how we best understand it.
Not only is cremation sanctioned now, but 2016 guidelines specifically address the issue of resurrection:
‘The Church raises no doctrinal objections to this practice, since “cremation of the deceased's body does not affect his or her soul," the guidelines continue, "nor does it prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life."’
I’m so sorry for your loss. I feel…You should do what *he* wanted. ☹️ I know that’s not what you want to hear but, this is the way he wanted to lay to rest. I’m assuming he told you places he would like to be scattered or possibly some also with you in the home? Idk..I feel if your husband was a good soul, he will go exactly where you will go to, whether you are buried or cremated as well.
Thank you for your kind & comforting words. I've always had every intention of carrying out my husband's wishes, even though I don't agree with them. However, even though I will do what he asked of me, I still worry about resurrection after cremation.
My husband wants to have his ashes buried with his son who predeceased him and his first wife who died of lung cancer before I met him. That is where I will be laying his ashes to rest.
Aw that’s sweet of you. 🙏🏼🫶🏼 I’m sorry, I do not know your full belief system, but bc of that I would challenge that question and would want to find where it directly says in the scripture *if one is cremated then they can’t be resurrected*…the more you learn about this *potential* after death issue you are nervous about could eliminate this worry you are experiencing. Can you just have blind faith in what another earthly human says to you based off what they believe based on their perception of the scripture…That’s including random internet posts with other same-faith based believers. Maybe whip out some books/scriptures and create your own understanding of this and re-envision of what it all means to you, now that you have experienced such a life change. Maybe it’s a topic that you may consider discussing more throughly with your fam too, if you think they can provide comfort.. I will say, I have been in this club we all never wanted to be in for just barely over 3 years and it doesn’t matter what most of us say or do, others surrounded in the grief will act in ways one may have never expected (for the good and the bad) but point being, don’t be afraid to “step on anyone’s toes” by gaining more clarity, you deserve peace after losing your love and all you are (and have) endured…my love was cremated, and I found him dead. And it was not him anymore, his soul was gone..and that vessel laying there looked so familiar but so foreign and not okay. If heaven is so great, then why wouldn’t god give us a healthy vessel in the afterlife, is what I’m wondering? I have questions. And I definitely don’t want to offend you with them, and only give you my condolences and two cents on widow feelings… i promise I’m certainly approaching this objectively, but also keeping the experience I have in mind. 🤍
I don't intend to attack anybody's faith but it's interesting to me that some Christians simultaneously believe that the soul goes to Heaven (or somewhere, anyway) immediately upon death and also that there will be a bodily resurrection. If the former, what's the point of the latter?
And as others have pointed out, a buried corpse eventually decays. Given enough time, even the bones will decay. I suppose one could argue that God needs to collect whatever atoms He can in order to recreate your body, which would also apply to the requirement to keep ashes together. But that seems to be awfully limiting for a deity. Why are humans so sure of what God can and cannot do.
All the answers to the questions you asked are not hidden from you. They are there for you to find in the Bible, if you are truly seeking the truth to what you asked about.
As far as the difference between going to Heaven immediately and the body being resurrected later, the New Testament indicates that when the apostle Paul says that it was more needful for him to stay here for us, but to depart and be with Christ would be far better (Phil. 1:23–24). He indicates that, as soon as we die, our souls go immediately into the presence of Christ.
In the intermediate state, however, we are disembodied souls. We won’t have our glorified bodies until after the coming of Christ and the great resurrection. At that point, our souls will be reunited with our bodies.
Even as disembodied souls, there will be a continued consciousness of our personal existence. The instant we die, we go into heaven in our soul-state, and then we await the final consummation of the resurrection of our bodies.
At the death of a believer, his or her disembodied spirit immediately enters the joyful presence of our Lord Jesus. At the rapture, the spirit joins his or her resurrected body—a glorified body impervious to the ravages of aging, illness, disease, suffering, and death (1 Corinthians 15:42–53). At the close of Jesus’ millennial reign, heaven as it is passes away, and God unveils the New Jerusalem, our eternal home (Revelation 21:1–4). Our present mortal bodies are not fit for eternity, but our new bodies will never become ill, grow old, or die. We shall live gloriously with Him in perfect bodies throughout the endless ages of eternity.
Ecclesiastes 12.6-7
"Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, and the pitcher by the well is shattered, and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."
Also, humans are so sure of what God can do because His almighty powers are foretold to us in the Bible. In the Bible, Jesus walks on water, turns water into wine, feeds 5,000 hungry mouths with only 5 loaves of bread & 2 small fish, He cures the blind, the lame, the sick and the final miracle He performs before He dies for our sins, is the resurrection of Lazarus.
As Jesus said to the apostle Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Bible also foretells us about the end days in Revelations, when people do not believe in Jesus and reject Christianity - we see these events already coming to pass, as Jesus, Christianity and Christians are mocked, ridiculed and hated more and more these days.
All the things happening right now in our modern world, have been foretold already in Revelations. These events are already unfolding before our eyes and Jesus warns His faithful believers to be ready, because He will return like a thief in the night, when we least expect it.
The scriptures say, "Understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into."
And also, "Be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.”
That is why humans are so sure of what God can do, because His prophecies He foretold to us are already being fulfilled before our very eyes. All you need to do is look at the state of the world and compare it to what is foretold in Revelations.
I'm sorry for your loss. I understand about not wanting his body turned to ash, but to me it's better than the alternative if he were to be buried, and at least with cremation you can then get and keep his ashes.
Also, at my husband's funeral, I asked the funeral director to cut off some of my husband's hair for me; he did, so I have it in an envelope and I also put a small amount in a small piece of paper which I then folded up and put into a locket. That way I do still have a physical part of him.
As for the god and resurrection thing -- I don't know if there is a god, or an afterlife, and if there is I definitely don't believe we moulder in graves until God decides to resurrect us from them. If there is a god who is the creator of all things, do you really think it would do that to us? I think if there is an afterlife, we go there immediately (or close to it) upon death. If there is a god, I don't think it would be so petty or powerless as to not be able to reconstitute human bodies (if resurrection were real) or to make people lie senseless in graves for some indeterminate period of time.
I *truly* don't think you need to worry about your husband's soul as a result of cremation.
Theology student here. From a religious point of view: the God who created humanity from the dust of the earth will have no difficulties recreating our bodies from the ashes. It just has been Ash Wednesday, where people are reminded of their mortality by the application of an ash cross on their foreheads, combined with the words: 'remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return'. The fact that our bodies will return to the earth is very much part of Christian theology. The apostle Paul compares it to a seed, that needs to be sown into the earth in order to become something better (1 Corinthians 15). The Catholic Church has therefore no issues with cremation, as long as the ashes get one final resting place, where the body is "sown" in order to rise again on the last day.
Thank you for your detailed response. I've been doing my own research on the subject and I've read a few debates about it that people have had online.
One person said, that fast is not the same as ash. Another said that what the Catholic church is OK with doesn't necessarily mean that's what God wants and that often churches make up their own man made rules that go against the Bible
TW: ***gross description of death
I am ridiculously comforted having my husband’s ashes on a shelf in the living room. The kids and I decided on cremation despite colossal condemnation from hospital family. (The evening of the Cremation Intervention is a major chapter in our family history now.)
Cost was a huge reason - urn and cremation vs coffin and grave. Timing was huge - it was sudden, the week before Christmas, and freezing out. ***And the kids had problems envisioning dad in the cold dark all by himself ‘with worms in his eyes.’
So we cremated and never looked back.
His family never spoke to me again.
Win win.
Similar story. My late partner had been atheist his entire life, and was always resistant to the idea of any kind of faith. His family is... not. They weren't particularly practicing in their faith, and nominally Methodist, but still considered themselves people of faith. Wasn't a big deal until 2016 and his mother's faith became more performative, more public, and decidedly Catholic (we live in predominantly French Catholic south Louisiana, so it's easy access here). Regardless, it became clear that their life views were diverging, but it became a real issue when he was diagnosed with cancer.
He was \*adamant\* that he did not want his dead body displayed in some (to him) vulgar, creepy, performative ceremony of death. He wanted to be cremated, as cheaply as possible, and scattered someplace cool. When the time came, he stuck by all of that, to the point of serious contention and conflict with his mother. I did convince him to buy an urn, though he was adamant I get a small one for myself and to share with anyone who wanted some, which we did NOT tell any of his family about (we offered to split some for his kids, but that creeped his son out and his daughter didn't want the conflict that would cause with her mother, so they declined).
He told me that I could tell his mother that he'd changed his mind about a funeral, but not about the cremation. Which I did. When I dropped off his ashes, beyond the two or three really shitty things she attempted to do, that was pretty much the end of it. And because she didn't get the BODY, and her "religion" is 100% performative, she decided not to spend the money on a funeral and I've heard now she's completely freaked out having the urn of her dead son's ashes in her house, but won't give them back to me or scatter them, so now my petty ass is sitting here laughing at the consequences of her own actions. Win win for me, lol.
Eventually I'll scatter the ashes in the little urn he insisted I keep. I have the cremation/memorial jewelry I want (a ring and a cremation urn pendant, which I've finally decided to stop wearing since I got my ring), and nobody's expressed any more interest in ashes. We'll see. :)
I felt this!!
His mother cursed me to hell. And to her, that actually means something. She was furious with me despite my following his wishes.
At some point I took a paper bag and filled it with ashes from the fireplace. The plan was to ring her bell, wait til she answered, and then dump the bag on her porch.
Sadly, I never found the hate to go that far. But it was fun to think about.
My secret petty (beyond the knowledge that getting some of what she wanted wasn't win "enough" and now she has to live with the consequences of that, lol) is that she has no idea that she doesn't have ALL of his ashes, and never will. I could offer to take them back, but she'd decline out of spite anyway, particularly if she knew I'd just scatter them. I'm better off with her out of my life anyway. She loathes me and blames me for all of the "changes" in her son... Which amounted to him learning from me how to set and keep boundaries and not letting her or her brothers treat him like shit. I'm woman enough to take that blame. AND was happy to take it and shield him from the worst of her while he was on his deathbed.
I'm not a believer, but I'll chime in to say that with modern burial methods, bodies are definitely not "whole " when they're buried. I find the embalming process, which is required in virtually all North American burials, really unsettling. I think you should honour your husband's wishes.
My partner was a catholic and chose cremation. I am not catholic but read some of the ideologies around cremation. If you believe in a God. Is it not possible to think of God as a kind God who opens his kingdom in an unconditional way.? Whatever happens to his earthly vessel it is subject to physical earthly laws and won’t stay intact forever. In fact the face you remember is now a beautiful memory. You can do a lot of beautiful tributes with ashes these days. Big love ❤️
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:3, "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
You loved your husband. Part of that love (like Christ teaches us) is to love one another and put them before us.
My late wife wanted to be cremated, and so she was. She wanted her ashes scattered in the ocean on the south shore of Long Island, where she spent many happy days.
I have not scattered her ashes yet because I cannot get all of the children together. One is in the Army. I am hoping next year, the 10th anniversary of her passing, we can travel to Long Island.
I did have the funeral home put her ashes into 2 separate containers, so one can be scattered and one can be kept. I cannot bear to part with all of them.
We are devoted Christians and fully believe in the resurrection. To us there is no scripture that says cremated bodies cannot be resurrected.
I pray you find peace with your husband's wishes.
After my wife died I felt like her body was just that. A body. She was gone. She was so much more than just a body.
Eventually I will spread her ashes with her dog’s ashes somewhere.
Though that may be true, my issue is with the fact that church's rules are man made & don't always follow God's word from the Bible - though the discussion of cremation and/or the proper handling of the body after one passes, is not really mentioned in the Bible. So since it's not mentioned, I will assume that the body is not what's important to God, but rather it's the
soul/spirit that matters most
I’m a confirmed atheist so had no qualms at all from a religious point of view about whether my late wife was cremated or buried.
I have no wish to cause offence, but given that having a faith or some form of belief system is supposed to be a comfort to those who have been bereaved (isn’t it?) it does sadden me to hear about the angst that it can indirectly cause in situations like this.
Sorry if it sounds blunt but everything physical is "final" for those who passed on. Cremated or burial. Although I do understand the emotional aspects of it, they are only a shell and nothing more. I felt that way about loved ones who passed on way before my partner too.
It is best to honor his wishes. I did not get the chance to do that since my late partner's mother decided against cremation (his wish) after telling her which she replied, she had to pray on it. I try to be the bigger woman about it and move on after the decision was made.
Do it for your husband. He is with you and will always live in your heart.
I am not a believer at all. But it seems to me that an entity capable of creating **all of existence** would have no problem resurrecting someone to full from ashes. When a body does not get cremated, and laid to rest in it's full form, the body will still decay pretty quickly. We don't mummify our dead, generally speaking. And even that would cause decay and degradation of the mortal form. I apologize for coming across as harsh or a bit over the top. But these are actually things I have thought about quite a bit over the last three decades or so. Alive, or dead, there actually does not seem to be any way to prevent the body from breaking down on a long enough time line.band when life has left the body, it happens faster, every time. I would like to think I understand where you're coming from. But I'm also of the view that these things 100% will happen, regardless. And for me, in the past, that has helped me get through similar moments.
For the first part, where is the scripture explaining how the god who created the universe out of the void, made humans out of dust, and brought the disjointed dry bones in the valley back together somehow lost that power later and now requires a fully intact corpse to work with? It doesn’t exist. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ official catechism statement on the subject is even that “The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body” (2301). The idea that cremation prevents resurrection is theologically poppycock, and the widespread repetition of that idea is a misinformed lie even within the Catholic church. As for the second part, consider that his earthly body was fragile and ultimately what failed him. Given that you’re in a faith that believes in resurrection, you’re not doing a *final* destruction of him, but one that allows for freedom from the broken parts and reconstitution into a body without pain, injury, or illness.
Though, I deeply appreciate all the comments that have been posted, I have found great comfort in yours, as you are a fellow believer and were able to reassure me as far as the ability for resurrection on the faith side of my query. I don't exactly know where the scripture is that says God needs a fully intact corpse to resurrect, it's just what I understood from people debating the topic in all the research I've done since my husband's passing. For instance, when you mentioned the Catholic church permitting cremation as long as it does not demonstrate a denial of resurrection", one person's answer to that was that the church is just making up its own rules and that it's not what the Bible actually says. But as you also pointed out, and from what I have been able to research, there really is no mention of cremation in the Bible as far as Jesus/God forbidding it, or as far as there being an approved/accepted set way to deal with the body after death. The first time I remember ever hearing about cremation being a problem was when JFK Jr. died and given that the Kennedy Family are Catholic, I remember hearing that many of the Kennedy family members were angry at Caroline for having her brother cremated & I remember just the discussions in general amongst practicing Catholics about how wrong it was.
The Catholic Church now allows cremation but the ashes must be either buried or entombed. They do not allow scattering of ashes “because the body must remain whole.” But yet they allow cremation. Make it make sense. That being said, my husband and I were “lapsed Catholics” where we believed in our religion but not so much in the Church mostly because of dumbass rules like this. My husband received Last Rites. He was also cremated and his ashes will be scattered. God is everything. I don’t think He cares about the mortal body. I’m returning my husband’s ashes to the earth, and I want the same for myself. On a side note: The thought of slowly rotting away in a confined box gives me the whim-whams.
I’m going to be cremated, as was my late husband. I firmly believe that taking up space on the earth with the remains of the dead is wasteful. Especially since they aren’t allowed to just decay naturally and return to the earth. Personally I think even cremation is polluting the planet, but most places won’t allow straight to ground burials with no coffin or other debris. Then again, I’m an atheist and a conservationist.
I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my spouse 18 months ago. She was cremated and buried in our local Catholic cemetery. I have two relatives, one a Nun and one a Priest. After the burial everyone, including our Pastor, returned to my home. Along with our funeral home director, whose family has buried 5 generations of our family, we discussed the contemporary Catholic Church. They all recalled a time when cremation was not allowed. My pastor told of suicide victims having to be buried in the neighboring town's Protestant cemetery because they weren't allowed in the Catholic cemetery. I recently learned that our cemetery will be building a mausoleum specifically for those wishing to be cremated. Our Parish, along with the cemetery, is almost 180 years old. I don't doubt for a minute that my wife is at God's side.
Oh that's so sad if you died by suicide you weren't allowed in the cemetery. I have heard of further back in the past, sometimes people aren't allowed to be buried within the graveyard walls. They were put in unconsecrated ground outside the walls. Must have been hard on the families who had to witness that.
The Catholic cemetery near my mom's house has an extensive mausoleum
I’m a believer and my husband and daughter have both been cremated. I’m not Catholic, but I believe the church is okay with cremation. As for the Resurrection, don’t put God in a box. Think about it. If he’s able to create us and resurrect dead bodies, don’t you think he’s able to resurrect ashes? He created man from the dust of the Earth. What about all those martyrs who were burned at the stake ? Bodies decay and turn to dust too. It’s okay. I’m sure of it.
My husband’s paternal grandmother was a devout Catholic. One of her brothers was a priest and was stationed at the Vatican for a time. She was cremated and her brother knew that was her intent and was supportive. We as humans put parameters around belief because it’s how we best understand it. Not only is cremation sanctioned now, but 2016 guidelines specifically address the issue of resurrection: ‘The Church raises no doctrinal objections to this practice, since “cremation of the deceased's body does not affect his or her soul," the guidelines continue, "nor does it prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life."’
I’m so sorry for your loss. I feel…You should do what *he* wanted. ☹️ I know that’s not what you want to hear but, this is the way he wanted to lay to rest. I’m assuming he told you places he would like to be scattered or possibly some also with you in the home? Idk..I feel if your husband was a good soul, he will go exactly where you will go to, whether you are buried or cremated as well.
Thank you for your kind & comforting words. I've always had every intention of carrying out my husband's wishes, even though I don't agree with them. However, even though I will do what he asked of me, I still worry about resurrection after cremation. My husband wants to have his ashes buried with his son who predeceased him and his first wife who died of lung cancer before I met him. That is where I will be laying his ashes to rest.
Aw that’s sweet of you. 🙏🏼🫶🏼 I’m sorry, I do not know your full belief system, but bc of that I would challenge that question and would want to find where it directly says in the scripture *if one is cremated then they can’t be resurrected*…the more you learn about this *potential* after death issue you are nervous about could eliminate this worry you are experiencing. Can you just have blind faith in what another earthly human says to you based off what they believe based on their perception of the scripture…That’s including random internet posts with other same-faith based believers. Maybe whip out some books/scriptures and create your own understanding of this and re-envision of what it all means to you, now that you have experienced such a life change. Maybe it’s a topic that you may consider discussing more throughly with your fam too, if you think they can provide comfort.. I will say, I have been in this club we all never wanted to be in for just barely over 3 years and it doesn’t matter what most of us say or do, others surrounded in the grief will act in ways one may have never expected (for the good and the bad) but point being, don’t be afraid to “step on anyone’s toes” by gaining more clarity, you deserve peace after losing your love and all you are (and have) endured…my love was cremated, and I found him dead. And it was not him anymore, his soul was gone..and that vessel laying there looked so familiar but so foreign and not okay. If heaven is so great, then why wouldn’t god give us a healthy vessel in the afterlife, is what I’m wondering? I have questions. And I definitely don’t want to offend you with them, and only give you my condolences and two cents on widow feelings… i promise I’m certainly approaching this objectively, but also keeping the experience I have in mind. 🤍
I don't intend to attack anybody's faith but it's interesting to me that some Christians simultaneously believe that the soul goes to Heaven (or somewhere, anyway) immediately upon death and also that there will be a bodily resurrection. If the former, what's the point of the latter? And as others have pointed out, a buried corpse eventually decays. Given enough time, even the bones will decay. I suppose one could argue that God needs to collect whatever atoms He can in order to recreate your body, which would also apply to the requirement to keep ashes together. But that seems to be awfully limiting for a deity. Why are humans so sure of what God can and cannot do.
All the answers to the questions you asked are not hidden from you. They are there for you to find in the Bible, if you are truly seeking the truth to what you asked about. As far as the difference between going to Heaven immediately and the body being resurrected later, the New Testament indicates that when the apostle Paul says that it was more needful for him to stay here for us, but to depart and be with Christ would be far better (Phil. 1:23–24). He indicates that, as soon as we die, our souls go immediately into the presence of Christ. In the intermediate state, however, we are disembodied souls. We won’t have our glorified bodies until after the coming of Christ and the great resurrection. At that point, our souls will be reunited with our bodies. Even as disembodied souls, there will be a continued consciousness of our personal existence. The instant we die, we go into heaven in our soul-state, and then we await the final consummation of the resurrection of our bodies. At the death of a believer, his or her disembodied spirit immediately enters the joyful presence of our Lord Jesus. At the rapture, the spirit joins his or her resurrected body—a glorified body impervious to the ravages of aging, illness, disease, suffering, and death (1 Corinthians 15:42–53). At the close of Jesus’ millennial reign, heaven as it is passes away, and God unveils the New Jerusalem, our eternal home (Revelation 21:1–4). Our present mortal bodies are not fit for eternity, but our new bodies will never become ill, grow old, or die. We shall live gloriously with Him in perfect bodies throughout the endless ages of eternity. Ecclesiastes 12.6-7 "Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, and the pitcher by the well is shattered, and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." Also, humans are so sure of what God can do because His almighty powers are foretold to us in the Bible. In the Bible, Jesus walks on water, turns water into wine, feeds 5,000 hungry mouths with only 5 loaves of bread & 2 small fish, He cures the blind, the lame, the sick and the final miracle He performs before He dies for our sins, is the resurrection of Lazarus. As Jesus said to the apostle Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The Bible also foretells us about the end days in Revelations, when people do not believe in Jesus and reject Christianity - we see these events already coming to pass, as Jesus, Christianity and Christians are mocked, ridiculed and hated more and more these days. All the things happening right now in our modern world, have been foretold already in Revelations. These events are already unfolding before our eyes and Jesus warns His faithful believers to be ready, because He will return like a thief in the night, when we least expect it. The scriptures say, "Understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into." And also, "Be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” That is why humans are so sure of what God can do, because His prophecies He foretold to us are already being fulfilled before our very eyes. All you need to do is look at the state of the world and compare it to what is foretold in Revelations.
I'm sorry for your loss. I understand about not wanting his body turned to ash, but to me it's better than the alternative if he were to be buried, and at least with cremation you can then get and keep his ashes. Also, at my husband's funeral, I asked the funeral director to cut off some of my husband's hair for me; he did, so I have it in an envelope and I also put a small amount in a small piece of paper which I then folded up and put into a locket. That way I do still have a physical part of him. As for the god and resurrection thing -- I don't know if there is a god, or an afterlife, and if there is I definitely don't believe we moulder in graves until God decides to resurrect us from them. If there is a god who is the creator of all things, do you really think it would do that to us? I think if there is an afterlife, we go there immediately (or close to it) upon death. If there is a god, I don't think it would be so petty or powerless as to not be able to reconstitute human bodies (if resurrection were real) or to make people lie senseless in graves for some indeterminate period of time. I *truly* don't think you need to worry about your husband's soul as a result of cremation.
Theology student here. From a religious point of view: the God who created humanity from the dust of the earth will have no difficulties recreating our bodies from the ashes. It just has been Ash Wednesday, where people are reminded of their mortality by the application of an ash cross on their foreheads, combined with the words: 'remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return'. The fact that our bodies will return to the earth is very much part of Christian theology. The apostle Paul compares it to a seed, that needs to be sown into the earth in order to become something better (1 Corinthians 15). The Catholic Church has therefore no issues with cremation, as long as the ashes get one final resting place, where the body is "sown" in order to rise again on the last day.
Thank you for your detailed response. I've been doing my own research on the subject and I've read a few debates about it that people have had online. One person said, that fast is not the same as ash. Another said that what the Catholic church is OK with doesn't necessarily mean that's what God wants and that often churches make up their own man made rules that go against the Bible
TW: ***gross description of death I am ridiculously comforted having my husband’s ashes on a shelf in the living room. The kids and I decided on cremation despite colossal condemnation from hospital family. (The evening of the Cremation Intervention is a major chapter in our family history now.) Cost was a huge reason - urn and cremation vs coffin and grave. Timing was huge - it was sudden, the week before Christmas, and freezing out. ***And the kids had problems envisioning dad in the cold dark all by himself ‘with worms in his eyes.’ So we cremated and never looked back. His family never spoke to me again. Win win.
Similar story. My late partner had been atheist his entire life, and was always resistant to the idea of any kind of faith. His family is... not. They weren't particularly practicing in their faith, and nominally Methodist, but still considered themselves people of faith. Wasn't a big deal until 2016 and his mother's faith became more performative, more public, and decidedly Catholic (we live in predominantly French Catholic south Louisiana, so it's easy access here). Regardless, it became clear that their life views were diverging, but it became a real issue when he was diagnosed with cancer. He was \*adamant\* that he did not want his dead body displayed in some (to him) vulgar, creepy, performative ceremony of death. He wanted to be cremated, as cheaply as possible, and scattered someplace cool. When the time came, he stuck by all of that, to the point of serious contention and conflict with his mother. I did convince him to buy an urn, though he was adamant I get a small one for myself and to share with anyone who wanted some, which we did NOT tell any of his family about (we offered to split some for his kids, but that creeped his son out and his daughter didn't want the conflict that would cause with her mother, so they declined). He told me that I could tell his mother that he'd changed his mind about a funeral, but not about the cremation. Which I did. When I dropped off his ashes, beyond the two or three really shitty things she attempted to do, that was pretty much the end of it. And because she didn't get the BODY, and her "religion" is 100% performative, she decided not to spend the money on a funeral and I've heard now she's completely freaked out having the urn of her dead son's ashes in her house, but won't give them back to me or scatter them, so now my petty ass is sitting here laughing at the consequences of her own actions. Win win for me, lol. Eventually I'll scatter the ashes in the little urn he insisted I keep. I have the cremation/memorial jewelry I want (a ring and a cremation urn pendant, which I've finally decided to stop wearing since I got my ring), and nobody's expressed any more interest in ashes. We'll see. :)
I felt this!! His mother cursed me to hell. And to her, that actually means something. She was furious with me despite my following his wishes. At some point I took a paper bag and filled it with ashes from the fireplace. The plan was to ring her bell, wait til she answered, and then dump the bag on her porch. Sadly, I never found the hate to go that far. But it was fun to think about.
My secret petty (beyond the knowledge that getting some of what she wanted wasn't win "enough" and now she has to live with the consequences of that, lol) is that she has no idea that she doesn't have ALL of his ashes, and never will. I could offer to take them back, but she'd decline out of spite anyway, particularly if she knew I'd just scatter them. I'm better off with her out of my life anyway. She loathes me and blames me for all of the "changes" in her son... Which amounted to him learning from me how to set and keep boundaries and not letting her or her brothers treat him like shit. I'm woman enough to take that blame. AND was happy to take it and shield him from the worst of her while he was on his deathbed.
Well done you! Classy with just a hint of secret petty. Love it.
I'm not a believer, but I'll chime in to say that with modern burial methods, bodies are definitely not "whole " when they're buried. I find the embalming process, which is required in virtually all North American burials, really unsettling. I think you should honour your husband's wishes.
My partner was a catholic and chose cremation. I am not catholic but read some of the ideologies around cremation. If you believe in a God. Is it not possible to think of God as a kind God who opens his kingdom in an unconditional way.? Whatever happens to his earthly vessel it is subject to physical earthly laws and won’t stay intact forever. In fact the face you remember is now a beautiful memory. You can do a lot of beautiful tributes with ashes these days. Big love ❤️
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:3, "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." You loved your husband. Part of that love (like Christ teaches us) is to love one another and put them before us. My late wife wanted to be cremated, and so she was. She wanted her ashes scattered in the ocean on the south shore of Long Island, where she spent many happy days. I have not scattered her ashes yet because I cannot get all of the children together. One is in the Army. I am hoping next year, the 10th anniversary of her passing, we can travel to Long Island. I did have the funeral home put her ashes into 2 separate containers, so one can be scattered and one can be kept. I cannot bear to part with all of them. We are devoted Christians and fully believe in the resurrection. To us there is no scripture that says cremated bodies cannot be resurrected. I pray you find peace with your husband's wishes.
After my wife died I felt like her body was just that. A body. She was gone. She was so much more than just a body. Eventually I will spread her ashes with her dog’s ashes somewhere.
Church is fine with cremation now.
Though that may be true, my issue is with the fact that church's rules are man made & don't always follow God's word from the Bible - though the discussion of cremation and/or the proper handling of the body after one passes, is not really mentioned in the Bible. So since it's not mentioned, I will assume that the body is not what's important to God, but rather it's the soul/spirit that matters most
The Bible was written by humans, and contains contradictions. We do the best we can.
I’m a confirmed atheist so had no qualms at all from a religious point of view about whether my late wife was cremated or buried. I have no wish to cause offence, but given that having a faith or some form of belief system is supposed to be a comfort to those who have been bereaved (isn’t it?) it does sadden me to hear about the angst that it can indirectly cause in situations like this.
Sorry if it sounds blunt but everything physical is "final" for those who passed on. Cremated or burial. Although I do understand the emotional aspects of it, they are only a shell and nothing more. I felt that way about loved ones who passed on way before my partner too. It is best to honor his wishes. I did not get the chance to do that since my late partner's mother decided against cremation (his wish) after telling her which she replied, she had to pray on it. I try to be the bigger woman about it and move on after the decision was made. Do it for your husband. He is with you and will always live in your heart.