Many Christians believe the Bible forbids cremation. This course reaches the opposite conclusion: the Bible condemns the use of fire in an idolatrous setting, but nothing in Scripture seems to forbid cremation when it is chosen for practical reasons. The person or their family are therefore free to decide.
“Passing through the fire”
The Old Testament uses the expression “passing through the fire” several times, always negatively: “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practises divination” (Deuteronomy 18:10; see also 2 Kings 16:3; 21:6).
At first glance, this might look like a condemnation of cremation. But these texts are about child sacrifices offered to idols, linked with magic and divination. What God condemns is the use of fire for idolatrous and occult purposes, not the cremation of someone who has died.
Burial in Israel
Cremation existed in biblical times, but it was not customary among the Israelites or the first Christians. The dead were laid in a tomb or a cave, or buried directly in the ground. Jesus himself was laid in a tomb cut out of the rock (Matthew 27:57-60). Yet the Bible never presents burial as the only permitted way of dealing with a body.
What about the resurrection?
Some wonder whether cremation could prevent the resurrection. In reality, every body decomposes and returns to dust: “for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Nothing suggests that Christians who died in flames or were torn apart by wild animals because of their faith will not rise again. God formed us from the dust, and he can raise us from the dust.
Where the churches stand
The Catholic Church long refused a religious funeral to those who chose cremation. Since 1963 it has permitted it, provided it is not chosen in opposition to faith in the resurrection, while still preferring burial. The main Lutheran and Reformed churches have long left this choice open. In Hinduism, on the other hand, cremation is a religious rite, and it is in that kind of setting that the Bible would condemn it.
A choice to prepare for
Cremation has advantages, such as an often lower cost, and drawbacks: it can seem abrupt, and some people need a place to go to remember. Above all, the course offers a practical piece of advice: talk clearly with your family about your wishes. It is an act of love towards those who remain. And whatever the choice, the Christian hope stays the same: the resurrection.