Why cremation?

The origin of life and humans is unknown.That is to say that humans do not know how they came into being and why humans come to this world. We only know that life and humanity is the product of natural process. Humans should therefore be in a humble attitude towards nature and the product of natural process: the human body.

Death and giving birth both are parts of natural process.Death is human body lose its functions and stops working. In nature, animals after death are decomposed by microbes and become the nutrients of microbes and plants,thus participate in the circulation of the organic matter in biosphere. This course has already lasted hundreds of millions of years since life appeared on earth,and our bodies are the products of this circulation.

After death,as long as not to burn the body as garbage by cremation,the body would still be in the original natural process. The remains would be eaten by microbes and plants, thus turned into other life forms and still in the biosystem and participate in the eternal circulation and involvement of life in nature.

Nature never produces garbage. It's every process is reasonable,otherwise it is unlikely to create life and humans. Death is a normal natural process,but cremation is the artificial destruction of the human body.and is the artificial destruction of things and processes that we don't really know.

Burial is to return the human body to nature. let it be handled by nature, even coffins are redundant. The dead thus blend naturally and be in one with nature and live forever with nature. By that we pay reverence to nature and things that we don't really know and also the greatest respect for the dead.

So why cremation?

I think a person should be able to do whatever they want with their body, whether it's burial, donation to science or cremation. The body is just a vessel. I don't see cremation being disrespectful at all. The cemeteries are filling up & at some point in the future will be neglected & abandoned. It could eventually end up being the only alternative.

I think that if I think of it that way, embalming and all of that are more of an affront to the natural process than cremation is. Things in nature burn of natural causes occasionally, but I don't think anything is injected with chemicals for preservation.

If I were buried, I'd prefer a green burial like they did on one of the last episodes of "6 feet under". They just buried her with no coffin and didn't do anything to her body.

I think I'll be cremated though, or donated to science, because it's cheaper and I don't want my family wasting money on something that I'll never use again.

The body is just a vessel.

Well said, CeCe.

Shale wrote:I plan to be cremated and if you look at it chemically, it is the same as those microbes eating me and turning me into methane, co-2 and other chemicals before I eventually end up as only calcium carbonate.

Except it is much quicker and cleaner. And, as said most buried ppl are pumped with chemicals and in a plastic or metal coffin and some inside a reinforced vault. What it that about. If I were buried I would prefer it to be soil on my body.

Now the Zoroastrians in India were using the towers where they put a metal grate over the body and let the vultures eat it. And I have seen a dead baby floating in the Jumna river behind the Taj Mahal - and found that if you are poor and can't afford the cremation you can put dead children in the river.

Here, in the Western world we are more regulated with how we dispose of the dead. Hence, you may not in some areas be allowed to be buried without embalming. Now, I would actually like to be put into a methane generator and let ppl reuse my energy. But I don't think our laws are ready for that yet.

Oh that's so sad But I would like to be turned into methane too. Or turned into a diamond, I've heard of that and then your loved one can wear you.

Rainmaker wrote:The origin of life and humans is unknown.That is to say that humans do not know how they came into being and why humans come to this world. We only know that life and humanity is the product of natural process. Humans should therefore be in a humble attitude towards nature and the product of natural process: the human body.

Death and giving birth both are parts of natural process.Death is human body lose its functions and stops working. In nature, animals after death are decomposed by microbes and become the nutrients of microbes and plants,thus participate in the circulation of the organic matter in biosphere. This course has already lasted hundreds of millions of years since life appeared on earth,and our bodies are the products of this circulation.

After death,as long as not to burn the body as garbage by cremation,the body would still be in the original natural process. The remains would be eaten by microbes and plants, thus turned into other life forms and still in the biosystem and participate in the eternal circulation and involvement of life in nature.

Nature never produces garbage. It's every process is reasonable,otherwise it is unlikely to create life and humans. Death is a normal natural process,but cremation is the artificial destruction of the human body.and is the artificial destruction of things and processes that we don't really know.

Burial is to return the human body to nature. let it be handled by nature, even coffins are redundant. The dead thus blend naturally and be in one with nature and live forever with nature. By that we pay reverence to nature and things that we don't really know and also the greatest respect for the dead.

So why cremation?

Yeah, all of that might actually be worth something if it was true. The fact is, most people that are "burried" in this day and age don't decompose at all. Their bodies are not recycled nor are they returned to anything "natural". They are embalmed with formaldehyde and other chemicals which destroy the bacteria that decomposes the body naturally. Many of these preserved bodies are then encased in stainless steel coffins which do not stain, corrode, or rust enabling a dead person to be exhumed decades after they were burried in perfectly preserved condition. Now, please tell me how that is remotely NATURAL? As a former member of the US Air Force Honor Guard, I've personally burried over 30 people and I know that they will be just as they are now 30 years from now!

Here's how I feel about it. When you are dead, you are dead! Your body is just a shell. If you are cremated and your ashes go into the ground, then you are being recycled into the earth (just in a different way). Ashes to ashes, dust to dust! That sounds a lot more natural to me than what most people do today! But ultimately, when I'm dead, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to care what happens to my body anymore.

In my state, the law is that a buried body has to be first embalmed. So the body is not in a natural state. The body is already "artificially destructed". My choice would be cremation because it's much cheaper and it doesn't require as much land, if any. I'm an organ donor too. It's not important to me that my body be buried in it's original state.

"Golf courses and cemeteries, biggest waste of prime real estate."
-Al Czervik

I don't want to be cremated. The idea of buring my body to ashes just doesn't appeal to me. I might donate my body to science, but I've already told me parents to bury me. And I'd rather be buried in the wall rather the ground.

Nystyle709 wrote:I don't want to be cremated. The idea of buring my body to ashes just doesn't appeal to me. I might donate my body to science, but I've already told me parents to bury me. And I'd rather be buried in the wall rather the ground.

They can bury you in a wall? I didn't know that...

And congrats on your 4000th post

Nystyle709 wrote:I don't want to be cremated. The idea of buring my body to ashes just doesn't appeal to me. I might donate my body to science, but I've already told me parents to bury me. And I'd rather be buried in the wall rather the ground.

Ditto. I wouldn't opt for cremation....but whatever, I'd be dead, so they can handle that however they see fit. In the meantime, though, I wouldn't cremate a loved one. I wouldn't be at all comfortable with the idea of having the body of someone I cared about reduced ash.

Why cremation? Heck if I know. But the OP lost me with the "we don't know how we got here" part.

I honestly don't really take "giving back to nature" into account in all honesty. IMO, people will always see the benefits more than the negatives when it comes to their choices. When you're dead, you won't care much about nature. Kinda seems a trivial thing to fret on.

RedBedroom wrote:

The body is just a vessel.

Well said, CeCe.

ITA with both of you. I want to be cremated - don't want to have to worry about the expense of a burial plot. I told my parents if I die before them, don't even buy and urn - just stick me in a yogurt container or something like that. I want as few people as possible to profit from my death and would rather have my family go on a vacation to remember me, rather than spend a lot of money on a casket and funeral and whatnot. I told my parents to scatter me on the ocean and anytime they want to remember me, to think of the ocean. My grandma wanted a full funeral, casket, and so forth and I respected that for her, but it's not what I want.

thepossiblepolice wrote:

Nystyle709 wrote:I don't want to be cremated. The idea of buring my body to ashes just doesn't appeal to me. I might donate my body to science, but I've already told me parents to bury me. And I'd rather be buried in the wall rather the ground.

They can bury you in a wall? I didn't know that...


Yep. In a crypt in a mausoleum.
And congrats on your 4000th post

Thanks.

Rainmaker wrote:The origin of life and humans is unknown.That is to say that humans do not know how they came into being and why humans come to this world. We only know that life and humanity is the product of natural process. Humans should therefore be in a humble attitude towards nature and the product of natural process: the human body.

Death and giving birth both are parts of natural process.Death is human body lose its functions and stops working. In nature, animals after death are decomposed by microbes and become the nutrients of microbes and plants,thus participate in the circulation of the organic matter in biosphere. This course has already lasted hundreds of millions of years since life appeared on earth,and our bodies are the products of this circulation.

After death,as long as not to burn the body as garbage by cremation,the body would still be in the original natural process. The remains would be eaten by microbes and plants, thus turned into other life forms and still in the biosystem and participate in the eternal circulation and involvement of life in nature.

Nature never produces garbage. It's every process is reasonable,otherwise it is unlikely to create life and humans. Death is a normal natural process,but cremation is the artificial destruction of the human body.and is the artificial destruction of things and processes that we don't really know.

Burial is to return the human body to nature. let it be handled by nature, even coffins are redundant. The dead thus blend naturally and be in one with nature and live forever with nature. By that we pay reverence to nature and things that we don't really know and also the greatest respect for the dead.

So why cremation?

Cause eventually they are gonna run out of land to plant the bodies in.

TSJFan4Ever wrote:

RedBedroom wrote:

Well said, CeCe.

ITA with both of you. I want to be cremated - don't want to have to worry about the expense of a burial plot. I told my parents if I die before them, don't even buy and urn - just stick me in a yogurt container or something like that. I want as few people as possible to profit from my death and would rather have my family go on a vacation to remember me, rather than spend a lot of money on a casket and funeral and whatnot. I told my parents to scatter me on the ocean and anytime they want to remember me, to think of the ocean. My grandma wanted a full funeral, casket, and so forth and I respected that for her, but it's not what I want.

That's one of the biggest scams around. Thousands of dollars a lot of families can't afford to be plopped in the ground. And of course the worst ones have these people at the most vulnerable time in their lives. All kinds of upgrades & add-ons of things that just don't matter. Not saying all are bad because I personally met some good people in the business once. But it can be a terrible financial burden on the family who are already overwhelmed & just want to do the right thing for their loved one.

I am definitely getting buried when I die. The idea of cremation freaks the hell out of me, I don't care if I'm dead or not, they're not putting me in one of their ovens.

Supernova wrote:I am definitely getting buried when I die. The idea of cremation freaks the hell out of me, I don't care if I'm dead or not, they're not putting me in one of their ovens.

I feel the same way. I'm ok with people choosing cremation because that is their choice. The idea of my body burning creeps me out.

Agreed, me, I want to be buried, so people who knew me always have to worry if zombies ever do become a reality, that I'm going to crawl out of the ground and come for them.

CeCe wrote:That's one of the biggest scams around. Thousands of dollars a lot of families can't afford to be plopped in the ground. And of course the worst ones have these people at the most vulnerable time in their lives. All kinds of upgrades & add-ons of things that just don't matter. Not saying all are bad because I personally met some good people in the business once. But it can be a terrible financial burden on the family who are already overwhelmed & just want to do the right thing for their loved one.

Yeah - that's what I want to avoid. When I hear what some people pay for funerals... some of these funerals and caskets and what not that I've heard about cost more than all my years of education and I'm still paying off my loans 5 years later. I don't want that to happen to my family. I don't even want them to pay for a casket, if it can be avoided, and a burial plot. Plus, the thought of becoming worm food, even if I'm dead... well - I'd rather be burned than become worn food.

It's everyone's choice how they want their body to be put to rest, but personally I'm not for cremation. It wouldn't be what I would ask for and I would respect others wishes if they wanted to be cremated, but I would try to talk them out of it. I just don't like the idea of a body burned to ash. It's gruesome IMO.

it doesn't matter to me one way or the other, im dead, do watever you'd like with my body.

cheaps wrote:it doesn't matter to me one way or the other, im dead, do watever you'd like with my body.

The other day I was reading a book of famous last words and some guy said about that same thing, I don't remember why he was about to die, but after he was, they paraded his head around on a pike for everyone to see.

^^ ha HA!! for real, thats funny