Dr Tim And Mrs Noreen Muehlhoff
Dr. Tim Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California where he teaches classes in family communication, interpersonal communication, apologetics, gender, and conflict resolution. Tim and his wife, Noreen, are both on staff with Biolas Center for Marriage and Relationships where he is a co-host of The Art of Relationship podcast.
What Religions Do Not Allow Cremation
Islamic Cremation Beliefs
Followers of Islam disavow cremation. In fact, they are given strict guidelines for the treatment of the body after death one of which is the proscription to bury the body within the day of the death.
Judaic Cremation Beliefs
Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, discredit cremation but some followers of Liberal or Reform Judaism have been more willing to accept cremation as an alternative to traditional casketed burial.
Final Thoughts On Cremation
As we finish examining what the Bible says about cremation, let’s consider the following:
- The attitude of the Christian’s heart will show deep respect for the wonderful body that God designed.
- God will resurrect all of His children regardless of what has become of their bodies. When Jesus comes, The dead in Christ will be raised and given immortal bodies, fashioned like unto his glorious body . How happy we are as we look forward to that great day!
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Cremation And The Bible
Even during the ancient times, we talk about death as a cycle that happens naturally. We live our lives like we always do and hope that before our time comes, we are ready. The bible even mentioned it in two of its books. The first one isEcclessiates and the second one is Genesis.
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19
As this verse states, we will all return to ashes. We were made using the Earths ashes and we will return to it as well. Its the circle of life as we know it. However, in doing so, we would probably be dead by then. When we think about returning to ashes, the first thing that pops in our heads aside from dying is getting burned or cremated. With this being said, out of all the stories in the bible, can you recall anything that relates to cremation?
Have you ever wondered why the bible never mentioned anything about cremation other than the direct cremation people get when they are burned accidentally or on purpose? There are people who often question the idea of cremating versus burying a loved one instead. Although the bible did not mention anything bad by it, all of the people who died in all the stories were buried. The bible never spoke of anything that has to do with cremating the dead. With this in mind, another question arises. What happened to those who do not have any money to bury their dead?
What Are The Traditions Of Our Day
In the same way that Jesus was buried or entombed in a sepulchre and Abraham was buried, those were both the traditions of their time and their family. There are really two main traditions of our day being the burial or cremation of the body after death.
Cremation is becoming more and more popular around the world. Over the last twenty years, cremation has become a common practice. In fact, according to , since 2004 the average consumer is searching for cremation more than two times more often.
Cremations have even become equally as common as a traditional burial.
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Cremation Is Most Associated With What Religions
Buddhist Cremation Beliefs
Mahayana Buddhist traditions for dealing with physical remains evolved over time, and include the cave burial practices of third century C.E. monks, followed in the 5th century by their forest burial. Mummification of religious notables was practiced, but by no means commonly. Sky burial, the practice of exposing the body with the intention of offering it to hungry birds and animalsas the final act of compassionate generosity on the part of the deceasedis a practice among Tibetan communities. What remains afterwards is collected, and either reverentially cremated or placed in a sanctuary. Despite the fact the spiritual founder of Buddhism, the Shakyamuni Buddha was cremated cremation among Buddhists is acceptable but not mandated.
Hindu Cremation Beliefs
“Hinduism”, Ms. Kim writes, “is unique among the world’s major religions in mandating cremation.” She goes on to tell readers this is because “cremation is believed not only to dispose of the body in this life but also to usher the soul into the next world or its rebirth into the next life.”
Moms Raising Sons To Be Men
Mothers of boys have the special calling to shape future men of God. Popular speaker Rhonda Stoppe, mom to two sons, knows this opportunity is a challenge, a joy, and probably the most important work of a womans life. Drawing from years of experience, this inspirational resource will revive the faithfulness and fortitude a woman needs to partner with God as they shape the character and heart of a future godly man.
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Embracing Your Role As A Spouse
As a spouse, you have three roles to playa friend, a partner, and a lover. On this one-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Pastor Kevin A. Thompson explores those different roles and challenges you to live them out by investing emotionally, physically, and mentally in your relationship. As friends, he suggests we learn to play and laugh together. As partners, he equips us with solid ways to handle conflict and communication. As lovers, he offers some thoughts on how to bring back the sizzle. He shares five keys to saving your marriage: humility, respect, mercy, communication, and resilience. Youll be encouraged to intentionally invest in your marriage.
Was Anyone Ever Cremated In The Bible
We do find in Scripture an instance where a dead body was cremated. After Saul and his sons died on Mount Gilboa, the Philistines found their bodies. They cut off Sauls head and hung the bodies of Saul and his sons on the wall of the city of Beth-shan. Here is what happened in response.
1 Samuel 31:11-13 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
While we cant draw specific conclusions as to why the decision was made to burn the bodies, what we can glean from this is that cremation is not considered sinful. Its quite possible the men who did this were actually honoring the bodies of Saul and his son which had been desecrated by the Philistines. I am not saying cremation is honorable or not, but in this case, that could have been the motivation.
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Giving Up Sugar Tasting God’s Goodness
As a latchkey kid, Wendy Speake turned to sugar for comfort. Every Friday, she would pedal to the candy show and use her allowance to fill her bag with candy. And one day, when she was older and a mom of three young boys, she came to realize that she was still pedaling away from her stress and using sugar as comfort, instead of turning to Jesus. She was joyless, worn out, tired, and in need of a change. In this interview, Wendy will challenge Christians to take 40 days to focus on fasting from something they turn to instead of Jesus for comfort. She invited people to break free from a dependence on sugar and taste the goodness of God.
Love In Every Season: Understanding The Four Stages Of A Healthy Relationship
Every relationship goes through four life-changing seasons: Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. Each season plays an important role in taking your relationship to the next level. And depending on how you navigate each season, your relationship will either flourish and grow, or it will slowly die. Whether youre single, dating, engaged or married, join licensed professional counselor and relationship expert, Debra Fileta as she takes you on an eye-opening psychological and spiritual journey through the four seasons that she has observed in every healthy relationship.
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Does Cremation Prevent Resurrection
According to Christianity, cremation does not prevent Resurrection. Christians believe that God is all powerful and that all things are possible with God. Millions of people have perished in horrible ways that have destroyed their bodies, but that does not exclude them from Resurrection. Cremation is no different than if a body was destroyed in a fire. Look to the Bibles own understanding of a return to dust:
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Genesis 3:19 : In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Cremation In The Christian World
Cremation is a method used to dispose of the deceased in the Christian world despite historical opposition to the practice.
Acceptance of the practice has grown over the past century, especially in West Europe, North America and Australia, but not so much in conservative Christian majority places like East and Central Europe, Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa, The Caribbean, The Philippines and in the biggest part of Latin America. In other large areas such as South Asia, it is strongly opposed due to its religious meaning in Hinduism, for instance, plus the precedence of Jesus’ burial and the rest of the biblical record.
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Cremation Or Burialhow To Decide
When deciding how to dispose of a dead body, consider the following factors.
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The wishes of the deceased. The Bible records instances in which family members respected the instructions a person gave regarding treatment of his body after his death.Genesis 50:4, 5 Exodus 13:19.
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Local customs. These often have a bearing on how dead bodies are treated. For instance, in Bible times, people customarily buried the dead. Likewise today, a person may choose to deal with the remains of the deceased according to local customs as long as such customs do not conflict with Bible principles.
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Legal requirements. The Bible encourages obedience to secular authorities. In some areas, the authorities enact laws about the treatment of dead bodies. For instance, in the case of cremation, some authorities place restrictions on where the ashes may be disposed of.
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The feelings of others. The Scriptures encourage us to look out for the interests of others. When deciding how to deal with a dead persons remains, we might consider these questions: How do other family members feel about cremation or burial of the deceased? How does the local community view such customs?
Reconciling Faith And Science In A Medical Crisis
Dr. Lee Warren is a neurosurgeon who has faced many heavy challenges in his life from serving in the Iraq War to removing deadly brain tumors to experiencing the loss of a teenage son. Hell share about his difficult quest to find answers to some of lifes toughest questions, while holding onto his faith in God and the sure hope of heaven
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Cremation In Modern Times
Cremation is becoming an increasingly popular choice for the final disposition of the body at death.
Funeral arrangements for a cremated body are not that different from other options. The body may still be viewed prior to the service, and a service may be held with the deceased present in most cases. There are a number of options available as to the disposition of the cremated remains, including burial and scattering.
Be considerate in contemplating cremation and the other choices available, Christians will want to give thoughtful consideration to all who may be affected by the decision, such as loved ones who may have strong feelings on the subject of cremation. One certainly would not like to bring unnecessary distress to anyone.
Friends Partners And Lovers: What It Takes To Make Your Marriage Work
Most marriages survive by gritting teeth and holding on. But marriages can and will not only survive but thrive when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another. Those are the powerful words of bestselling author Gary Thomas in his newest bookCherish. And in a world desperate for marriage redemption, it is needed now more than ever. Thomas shows that although there are a countless number of marriages consisting of two people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in proven, loving, and everyday actions and words.
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Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
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The Body Is A Blessing
The human body was made with wonderful creation . We are all lucky to have such a body to use and take care of in this life. We simply get one body in this life. If we mistreat it or harm it, that will carry with us for our entire mortal existence. It is our duty to make the most of our time on earth.
We will all die eventually so it makes sense that we each do the research and planning ahead of time. There are a variety of options to consider when we die so doing the proper research and planning years ahead will save your family the headache and stress. In the meantime, let us all enjoy our lives.
What The Bible Says About Cremation Heres The Answer
In the olden days, the practice of cremation was not followed by Christians. However, this practice is neither criticized nor supported in the Bible. Here is more on what the Bible says about cremation.
In the olden days, the practice of cremation was not followed by Christians. However, this practice is neither criticized nor supported in the Bible. Here is more on what the Bible says about cremation.
God is powerful enough to resurrect anyones body regardless of what happens to it.
The Bible doesnt give clear instructions on whether to cremate or bury the body of a deceased. In fact, the practice of cremating the dead is neither condemned nor supported in the Bible. It is true that burial was a standard practice mentioned in the Old Testament. However, the decision regarding burial or cremation is left to the family of the deceased.
There is no formal rule mentioned in the Bible against the practice of cremation. However, one should remember that the sentiments of Christians are weighted heavily in favor of the practice of burial.
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Mothers And Sons: Being A Godly Influence
Rhonda Stoppe describes her early motherhood challenges of raising a son, which was intimidating to her. She found help through group of older women mentors. She urges moms to see their role as ministry in shaping sons to be good and godly men. Rhonda outlines several practical suggestions to moms about spiritual training, how to communicate with boys, and supporting the father-son relationship as a wife.
The Dignity Of The Human Body
Two focuses of Scripture lead away from burning toward burying. One is the focus on the meaning and importance of the human body, now and in the life to come. The other is the meaning of fire as it relates to the human body, now and in the life to come.
First, biblical faith, unlike Greek religion, does not view the body as the prison of the soul. So the afterlife has never been viewed as the immortality of the soul finally liberated from its physical prison. Rather, Christianity has always viewed the body as essential to full humanity so that the life to come has primarily been seen as the resurrection of the body in glorious eternal life. Paul did not consider the intermediate bodiless state, between death and resurrection, as ideal .
The greatest thing that can be said about the human body is that the eternal Son of God was incarnate in a human body and will have one forever. He became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father . Today in heaven, Jesus has the body he had on earth, glorified. When he comes he will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself . This was an immeasurable elevation in history of the dignity and glory of the human body.
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