I am writing this post because I have heard people, that I care deeply for say something over the years, that has occupied my mind during some sleepless nights; I am not sure that everyone will ever agree upon the correctness of cremation. I say this because the bible clearly uses it as a form of punishment, however few can make the correct distinction between how someone was killed for violating the law, and why the manner in which they were killed affected their remains. Simply put, they were killed in specific ways for a reason.
Again, I do not agree with cremation, because in the bible it was used as a form of punishment. In Leviticus 20:14 the law requires that a man be put to death by burning with fire if he has sex with a mother and her daughter. Now, because in the bible, each form of capitol punishment used had a specific purpose and meaning, it is significant that the violator's body is destroyed by fire. In Leviticus 21:9 again burning by fire is used as a form of punishment for whoredoms committed by a priest's daughter. Now I am sure that someone will argue that burning by fire was used as a means of killing the violators, and that it has nothing to do with dishonoring their dead bodies. Well, let's look at another example.
Now in Joshua 7:15-26 a man named Achan, his family, and all his animals are stoned to death first, then their bodies are burned with fire, and lastly they are buried, because Achan has violated the commands of God. Here the violators are clearly dead already before their bodies are burned/cremated. So they are killed, cremated, and then buried. Clearly here the destruction of their dead bodies by fire is part of the punishment. These examples lead me to question why anyone would want their bodies purposefully cremated as a means of burial? I am against cremation even if it is only a symbolic form of punishment.
Let's look at another example; In I Samuel 31, Saul and his sons' bodies were desecrated by the philistines after their death, which caused their friends to cremate their bodies (probably to prevent the philistines from further desecration). Now does this support my argument against cremation? I think so. Remember God took the kingdom from Saul's house and turned his back on Saul (I Samuel 15), so in many ways he was similar to Achan as discussed earlier in Joshua 7:15-26. A man that has been refused by God could be considered accursed. Both Achan and Saul's house had to be cremated; even if you say that Saul's cremation was by coincidinece, I will remind you that the holy spirit works through what men percieve to be conincidence (John 11:49-52), but in truth, God is over all and controls all. I will simply ask this question in closing. Why suffer dishonor or worse by allowing yourself to be cremated?
Again, I do not agree with cremation, because in the bible it was used as a form of punishment. In Leviticus 20:14 the law requires that a man be put to death by burning with fire if he has sex with a mother and her daughter. Now, because in the bible, each form of capitol punishment used had a specific purpose and meaning, it is significant that the violator's body is destroyed by fire. In Leviticus 21:9 again burning by fire is used as a form of punishment for whoredoms committed by a priest's daughter. Now I am sure that someone will argue that burning by fire was used as a means of killing the violators, and that it has nothing to do with dishonoring their dead bodies. Well, let's look at another example.
Now in Joshua 7:15-26 a man named Achan, his family, and all his animals are stoned to death first, then their bodies are burned with fire, and lastly they are buried, because Achan has violated the commands of God. Here the violators are clearly dead already before their bodies are burned/cremated. So they are killed, cremated, and then buried. Clearly here the destruction of their dead bodies by fire is part of the punishment. These examples lead me to question why anyone would want their bodies purposefully cremated as a means of burial? I am against cremation even if it is only a symbolic form of punishment.
Let's look at another example; In I Samuel 31, Saul and his sons' bodies were desecrated by the philistines after their death, which caused their friends to cremate their bodies (probably to prevent the philistines from further desecration). Now does this support my argument against cremation? I think so. Remember God took the kingdom from Saul's house and turned his back on Saul (I Samuel 15), so in many ways he was similar to Achan as discussed earlier in Joshua 7:15-26. A man that has been refused by God could be considered accursed. Both Achan and Saul's house had to be cremated; even if you say that Saul's cremation was by coincidinece, I will remind you that the holy spirit works through what men percieve to be conincidence (John 11:49-52), but in truth, God is over all and controls all. I will simply ask this question in closing. Why suffer dishonor or worse by allowing yourself to be cremated?
