What Should You Do If Your Religion Frowns Upon Cremation?

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If you've begun the process of pre-planning your funeral services, you may have already put some thought into how you'd like to be laid to rest. With the rising costs of burial plots -- as well as environmental concerns about embalming and burial -- you may be leaning toward cremation as an inexpensive, environmentally-friendly option. However, a number of religions completely forbid cremation as an acceptable method of body disposition, while other religions strongly discourage this practice. If having a religious funeral is important to you, but you'd also like to be cremated, do you have any options? Read on to learn more about the treatment of cremation by various religions.

Which religions prohibit cremation?

Muslims, Eastern Orthodox, and Orthodox Jews are generally prohibited from seeking cremation. Cremation is also strongly discouraged for Mormons, Catholics, and Conservative Jews. Each of these religions strictly requires the body to be interred in the ground, often following a religious rite or ceremony. However, these beliefs are continuing to evolve, and some more liberal sects of these religions are now permitted to be cremated if desired.

What are your alternatives if cremation is frowned upon by your religion?

Many of the sects that frown upon cremation are more tolerant of this practice if a burial ceremony and other religious rites are performed prior to the cremation process. If this is the case, you may be able to rent a casket from a funeral home, like Marine Park Funeral Home Inc, and use it for your viewing and service. After the conclusion of the ceremony, the casket will be returned to the funeral home and your body will be transported to a crematorium.

There are also some technological advances in cremation that may be more palatable to certain religious leaders. Alkaline hydrolysis (AH) is one such process -- also called "clean" cremation, it simply builds upon the natural decomposition process rather than reducing your body to ash through heat and flame. When a body is buried, alkaline molecules in the soil help break down tissue, fat, and bone. After a number of years, your body has entirely returned to the surrounding soil.

AH speeds up this natural process by forcing tiny water molecules in between your body's cells, breaking them apart. After several hours, all that remains is water and a small amount of gray or white ash, which can then be buried or scattered. Because your body has not encountered flame or artificial toxins during the decomposition process, this practice may be acceptable for even the most conservative of religions.

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9 April 2015

Have You Planned for Your Future?

When my father passed away a year ago, my mother didn't have any problems with the funeral or burial. My father planned his funeral in advance. He didn't want to burden my mom with any problems during her time of grieving. That hit me. I realized that I didn't have any plans for my own future, which would make it even harder on my wife and kids. So, I contacted a funeral home online and requested information about burial services. The funeral home provided me with many options that I could afford to pay over time or upfront. My wife also helped select burial plots for us because we didn't want to be separated — even after death. I encourage you to read through my blog. It offers great tips and advice on how to plan for your own future. Don't wait. You never know what life holds for you.