Is Cremation Bad?

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Short Answer:

Absolutely not! Cremation only speeds up the process of what would happen to the body anyways. If it was an issue, God would have communicated that in His Word and He does not. If anything, we can point to more reasons why cremation is a good process. The choice of what is best for you comes down to what is right for you. Both burial and cremation are morally sound. Choose what is best for you and be careful not to impose your opinions onto someone else.

Full Answer:

In the full answer, I want to tell you what science says and what the Bible says. I want to tell you the blessings of cremation and the warnings of cremation. I hope this helps you find the information you have been looking for.

What Science Says:

It takes up to approximately 300 years for a body to fully decompose to dust. Marc E Keen MD, M.D., Pathology of Memorial Medical Center documented that, “An unembalmed bodies buried six-feet deep in ordinary soil without a coffin takes ten to twelve years to decompose down to the skeleton. It takes about 300 years for the bones to fully decompose under those circumstances. Bodies left on the surface in temperate climates could decompose within four to six weeks. The higher rate is due to the action of insects and animals eating away at the bodies.” Cremation essentially speeds up a 300 year process.

What the Bible Says:

Cremation was practiced in Biblical times, but it was not a common practice by God’s people. Instead, they buried their dead in a tomb, cave, or in the ground (Genesis 23:19, 35:19; 2 Chronicles 16:14; Matthew 27:60-66). However, cremation was never a condemned practice. In other words, God never commanded His people not to cremate. God condemned other practices of the world for His people, such as not drinking blood (Leviticus 17:11) and not having tattoos (Leviticus 19:28), which later changed thanks to the freedom found in Christ. So let's note that God never said burial is the only way. He never condemned the world for cremation. The Bible does not address the questions of what happens to the dead who died in the sea or on the surface of the earth or if/when a person dies in outer space. Nothing is mentioned and in addition, burial is not taught to be the only way.

Maybe the only struggle with cremation you have has to do with the fire. When you think of fire and the Bible, most people's first thoughts are on Hell or Sodom and Gomorrah. While you are right that fire is used to reign judgment, I would argue that it's true purpose is to be a purifying agent; whether that is of a sinful people or of a righteous people (Romans 12:1-2; Numbers 31:23; 1 Peter 1:7; Revelation 3:18; Zechariah 13:9; Isaiah 48:10; Malachi 3:2-3; Proverbs 17:3). If there was a problem with the use of fire in decomposing the body, then there would definitely be a problem with unclean bugs and parasites decomposing a body in the ground.

We see many times in Scripture an example of sacrificing our bodies as an act of surrender and dedication to God. If cremation was a sin, we likely wouldn't see offering our bodies as a sacrifice and burnt offering as a positive example like we see in Romans 12:1-3 and in 1 Corinthians 13:3:

1 Corinthians 13:3 (NKJV)

"3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."

Now, let's be real. This is not all exactly talking about cremation, but the point here is to show the fact that we see Paul's analogy of a burned body as a positive example of being completely sacrificed to God. This is not cremation, but if the burning of bodies was a sin or if cremation was something God was against, then the examples given above regarding fire and surrender would likely not exist. In addition, these verses show that God did not condemn the practice of the burning of bodies in 1 Samuel 31:11-13, Joshua 7:25, and 2 Kings 23:15-20. That last verse even mentions the burning of the bones without condemnation of the practice. The reason I believe that God never condemned the practice of burning bodies and has no problem with cremation largely has to do with what 1 Corinthians 15:35-55 and Matthew 10:28 say.

1. 1 Corinthians 15:35–55 (NLT)

"35 But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. 37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. 38 Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. 39 Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory. 42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. 45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. 50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. 51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. 54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

2. Matthew 10:28

Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)

"28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

These verses show us that the soul is what matters most! Our bodies are just a shell for our souls while we are on earth. As Genesis 3:19 says, “for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Dust, no matter what, is the end of all our bodies whether by grave or cremation. Later, our bodies will be resurrected and it won't matter what state the body is in now! No doubt, the saints who died hundreds to thousands of years ago are as much dust as those in an urn by now. We are made of dust and it is just as easy for God to resurrect a new body from dust as it is to resurrect a body buried one day ago.

The Blessings of Cremation:

You can have your loved one with you.
You don't have to plan a visit to a gravesite.
You can pick an urn that best represents your loved one.
You can share all or parts of the cremation.
If you move, the cremation goes with you, unlike a gravesite.
It is a more affordable option.

The Warnings of Cremation:

Remember that the person is not really in the urn. It is just the shell of your loved one. It can be very tempting to want to treat the urn/cremation like it is the person, but it is not. The hard part of death we all have to deal with is that the person is no longer with us. Remember the urn only holds the shell of your loved one, and while that is still very special, we must be careful not to lie to ourselves and treat the urn like they are there. Is it okay to kiss the urn and show affection? Sure! Is it okay to carry pieces of the ashes with you? Sure! I cannot tell you where the line is for each person, but we all must be careful not to seek to resurrect our lost ones with our imaginations out of our broken hearts that so desperately want to be with them. What helps me when I kiss my baby boy Hezekiah’s urn is I also remember where he is, think about what cool things he must be doing, and look forward to the day I can actually hug and kiss him!

Conclusion:

Cremation is a legitimate choice that you should ask God for wisdom on, as is mentioned in James 1:5, and follow the conviction that comes for you and make sure not to impose your conviction onto others. What may be right for some, may be wrong for another. What may be wrong for you, may be right for another. Cremation may be right for you and wrong for someone else. Cremation may be wrong for you and right for someone else.