Posted on 12/26/2011 11:52:08 AM PST by Dallas59
Question on Cremation. Does the Bible say anything about it? Is it forbidden?
I’m lost. I’m responding to you, not the subject of your sentence. I couldn’t tell if you were being sarcastic in your original response to me or if you were saying that you held that view. So, I asked nicely to get a clarification and you replied rather nastily, I think.
I am reply to the first post since I don’t want to single anyone out but I do hope that this is read by those that would benefit from it.
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As a lifelong Catholic I continue to be amazed and saddened by the hatred that is expressed by our protestant brothers on this forum. I grew up in the 60’s and was never taught to hate people from other religions and am amazed that the same apparently did not hold true for other Christian faiths. In fact I never experienced such hatred in person which leads me to believe that many of the things said here would never be said directly to a Catholic’s face. How very sad.
If your anger is because someone in the Catholic Church hurt you, let me be the first to apologize. People and institutions are not perfect and God knows the Catholic Church, and people acting on Her behalf, have made many mistakes over the years. For those harmed in such a way, I pray that God brings a Catholic into your life that can show you that true Catholics and the true Church doctrine is not as evil as you must believe it is (to express such hatred) and that you might once again return to the Church.
If your anger is not due to personal experience but rather biased teachings all I can ask is why? What is your purpose in expressing such hatred? Are you trying to convert us to your way of thinking? Such vitriol is never effective. I might understand you taking such strong positions if you were speaking out about current failings of the Church. In that case, I would be right there with you. We need to shine light on any evil practices to preserve the Church for future generations. In my studies of the faith I have yet to see a ‘bad’ Church teaching that was not eventually corrected. Likewise, evil actions taken by those within the Church (such as the pedophile priests) have always been denounced – perhaps not as quickly as they should but we are moving in the correct direction.
But it is not current practices that you are spewing hatred for on this thread. You have been presented with the current teachings on cremation and why the Church objected in the past. You might believe that there were other reasons for the past positions but what does that matter? In fact, if you are not a Catholic, what do even the current teachings matter? If you disagree so be it. That is why you are not Catholic. What is it to you that we Catholics might believe differently? If believe that some crime is being committed by all means please expose it. If it is just a difference in belief do you really need to be so argumentative?
As Christians we have many things in common. I might remind you that even your forefathers were Catholics for the first 1,500 years after Christ’s birth. I have studied the differences and am comfortable with my choice to be a Catholic. I trust you have done the same. I won’t try to convince you of the righteousness of my belief unless you express an interest in discussing them. Is it too much to ask to be shown the same level of respect?
In any case, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
" Other than fire is alway used as a picture of cleansing, and it was used in pagan sacrifices, there doesn't seem to be any biblical stand on cremation.
Is this your view or are you giving me an example of what some people use to argue against cremation?"
The first sentence in italics is my first response to the thread's question which, I think, is pretty clear what it (and I) say(s).
The Bible uses fire as a cleansing symbol except for Jeremiah who referred to his desire to preach the Word as a fire in his belly.
Fire cleanses
Ancient (I think) Assyrians sacrificed children and/or newborns to Molech in fire.
As far as I know that is all the Bible has to say about fire, and again, as far as I know, says nothing about cremation.
and yes, it is my view.
WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR THE CONDEMNATION OF
CREMATION BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?
1. The first reason comes from the particular circumstance which made cremation having been newly promoted by Freemasonry. Because of this fact, cremation becomes a public profession of irreligion and materialism. But it is important to understand that it is not the most important reason. The Catholic Church does not condemn cremation only because Freemasonry promotes it.
2. The Holy Catholic Church condemns cremation because it is a barbarous custom opposed to the respect and piety that one must have for our dead, even on the natural level. And in the eyes of faith, by burial, the body laid under the earth where it will wait for its resurrection. St. John Chrysostom says that the cemeteries are as dormitories where the dead are waiting for the day of resurrection. Only exceptional reasons (as in epidemic or war, etc.) can obliged for the burning of the bodies
3. Conciliar modernism and the doctrine of the Catholic Church
In the new Canon Law promulgated in 1983 (n. 1176 paragraph 3), the actual authorities of the Church do not forbid anymore cremation “unless it was chosen because of reasons opposite to the Catholic doctrine” (for example, denial of the dogma of the resurrection of the bodies).
But isn’t it in fact a great help given to all these associations for cremation founded all over the world now to spread this practice? These associations are inspired by Freemasonry which is now spreading cremation to fight the Catholic Church and its beliefs.
Even if the new Canon Law continues to deeply recommend the burial of the bodies, its new politics of no-condemnation favors once again the action of the enemies of the Church who, by their diabolical hatred of the creation of God, kill the fetus by abortion, the sick and the old people by euthanasia, and savagely destroy the bodies of the dead by cremation.
One can also add that cremation endangers the practice of the veneration of relics.
4. Practical Conclusion
In the churches and chapels of the Society of St. Pius X, as we teach the traditional doctrine of the Catholic Church, we also keep its traditional practices.
Therefore, we continue to follow the teaching of the traditional Canon Law of 1917, which expresses the constant thought of the holy Catholic Church: S The bodies of the dead must be buried - cremation is forbidden. S Ecclesiastical burial will be denied to those who asked for the cremation of their bodies.
Let us honor our dead by burying their bodies with respect in a cemetery, and taking care of their souls by Masses, prayers and sacrifices.
N. B.
What is said about the bodies must be applied to the members of the body (if cut by surgery for example) or to the dead fetus: they must be buried and not incinerated.
I haven’t spewed anything to anyone on any religious thread, and I have seen some anger directed at Catholics. I have also seen anger and vitriol directed against Protestants by Catholics simply because protestants don’t believe in all of the same things that Catholics do. It goes both ways.
Ok. So you can obviously ignore my comment as it was not directed at you. :-)
I dunno. They had plenty of groves.
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