<> Ask the Pastor The Rev'd Walter Snyder Q: Is cremation anti-Christian? Where in the Bible does it state you must be buried? I have found cremation mentioned in 1 Sam 31:12, Amos 2:1, 2 Kings 23:20. It sounded like statements and not requirements. Q: What are your thoughts on cremation? I would certainly not want to be cremated. No one was cremated in Bible times. Who started cremation, anyway? A: Cremation is ancient. It is seen in Hinduism, was practiced among the Greeks and Romans, and has appeared in Asia, Northern Europe, and elsewhere. While early Christianity did not expressly forbid it in most instances, burial of some sort was encouraged, in keeping with Jewish customs. It was formally forbidden in Western Europe by Emperor Charlemagne in AD 784. Normally, only a criminal or crass sinner would have had his remains cremated during Old Testament times (Joshua 7:25; Leviticus 20:14; 21:9). Amos 2:1 seems to indicate that Moab's cremation of Edom's king was the result of disrespect for the dead. The Levitical commands follow a reference to the false god Molech. This association is probably quite intentional, since worship included fiery sacrifice of children. During the past few centuries, some atheists encouraged cremation to rebut the Bible's teaching of a resurrection. This idea has faded in recent years. At the same time, more Christians have been reconsidering the option of cremation because of rising burial costs and the scarcity of cemetery plots in many urban areas. The reason why one accepts or rejects a course of action is often more important than the action itself. Christians are not commanded nor are they forbidden any particular funerary practices. Conscience, judgment, community standards, offense to others, and the witness our actions give must all be considered. I have conducted funerals involving both coffins and urns. I have seen remains placed in the ground, in underground and aboveground vaults, and on a bookshelf in a person's home. The ~Lutheran Cyclopedia~ says, "Burial practices are usually associated with conceptions of life, nature of soul, death, and hereafter. But customs are often preserved when beliefs and practices change. Fear, love, and awe are attitudes of the living toward the dead and determine burial practices." Remember, too, that ours is a God of the living, and that all the dead in Christ are alive forever through him. It doesn't matter whether buried, cremated, lost at sea, or alone in a barren desert. God will raise up all the dead and will give eternal life to all believers in Christ. Q: I am a college student. I recently lost a loved one and have never lost someone that I loved this much. My question is, I guess, do we maintain that love after we pass on? People have said such things as, "Well he is looking out for you now, he is watching. Guardian Angel." Or, "He is in heaven now." Does that mean he is no longer aware that I love him? Some people have suggested reincarnation. I am very confused. I've also been told that people, when they die are welcomed by everyone they were close to while they are alive, so again, I am confused because what does being in Heaven MEAN? Thank you for listening and hopefully answering my questions. A: The Bible doesn't clarify all of what happens after this life. We await our own deaths or the end of the world to see for ourselves. I know that our love on earth continues, but don't know if either believers or unbelievers carry full memories into eternity. If they don't remember, it is not because of you. However, some of what you have been told is flatly contradicted by Scripture. There is no way that a person can become an angel, guardian or otherwise. Angels and people are both created by God. Neither becomes the other, despite what some people, books, movies, or TV shows might say. As for being in heaven, the Bible indicates that the believers are safe with God from death until resurrection. It is not spelled out how this is or what these people do in the meantime. Reincarnation is flatly denied by the Bible. There is no "second chance," nor is there an unending upward climb of the soul through a series of bodies. God may well use other departed saints as a "welcome committee." Again, the Bible doesn't tell us anything. However, I imagine that meeting God face-to-face will be enough to banish all other thoughts from our minds when we die believing in our Savior. Ultimately, being in heaven means being with God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forever. We will be joined by all our fellow believers. Almost everything else is speculation until we are called home. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1998 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.