Mother reduced to ashes

BARBARIANISM By J. W. Frazer

A mother was kind and gentle and true,

Had three little angels; oh, how they grew;

With dimples and curls, and contagious smiles;

Were fat and chubby; at play they ran miles.

They were healthy and happy and winsome, too;

Were the loveliest darlings this mother knew.

This charming mother was a willing slave.

Her three from disease she fought to save.

She toiled all day and nursed all night,

And put up for them a terrific fight

Through the help of God and by her care,

He raised them up in answer to prayer.

With mother’s help they grew mature;

Men and maiden were taught to be pure.

The three all married and moved away,

With the promise to return some better day.

Mother became lonely and rather poor.

She rented a room on a Rue Lefleur.

Her form was stooped, her face was drawn,

Her hair was grey and her children gone,

She fainted one day while on the street,

And could stand no more upon her feet.

That saintly mother, with a love so true,

Was left alone to battle it through.

She was weak and sick with none to care,

Not even a friend to say a prayer.

But God’s angels came and took her home,

That forsaken woman, so sad and alone.

This mother, who was once a willing slave,

Was denied the favor of an earthly grave.

The one-time dimpled and angelic three

Were now cold and cruel, as you will see;

For they ordered her body reduced to ashes--

The cheapest disposal, the burial of asses.

A pagan ordeal, so godless and cruel;

Don’t treat your mother as you would a mule!

I found this poem in a tract about burial and cremation -- Cremation and the Bible by Ralph Blake

Funerary links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

* A Biblical Theology of Burial -- "What, if anything does the Scripture say about burial? The answer might surprise you."
* Burial or Cremation? A Biblical Case FOR Burial and AGAINST Cremation -- "Biblical example is a strong argument in setting forth the ways of God, and it should never be dismissed as insignificant."
* Church member denied funeral due to non-payment of tithes -- "...her deceased mother would not be buried in her home church because of lack of tithe payment."
* Cremation: Is It Christian? -- James W. Fraser, Dubuque, IA: ECS Ministries, 2005
* Cremation vs. Burial: A Biblical Perspective -- "The bulk of Biblical evidence leads us to believe that the burning of the body does not represent something good."
* Grave Signs -- "What I couldn’t understand was how few of my fellow Christians joined in my horror at the thought of a Christian man’s cremation."
* Please Don’t Say These Six Things at My Funeral -- "God now has another angel. Heaven is not going to de-humanize me."
* Should Christians be Cremated? -- "Cremation was not an issue for the early Church, which historically taught that burial was the 'Christian' (Biblical) thing to do for loved ones."
* Should Church have Refused Funeral for Gay Man? -- Incident in Tampa, Florida
* The Empty Tomb and the Emptied Urn -- "My hearers were most provoked by what I said, in passing, about an issue we rarely think of as eschatological: cremation."
* The Tragic Death Of The Funeral -- "Stripped of its euphemistic language, the get-together billed as a “celebration” or even a “party” is, in truth, a gathering of mourners around a corpse."
* Things You SHOULD DO and SHOULD NOT DO When Preaching a Funeral -- "Although we hide ourselves from death continually, funerals force us to look mortality in the eye."
* What Does The Bible Say About Cremation? A Christian Study -- "...burial is preferable because many of the pagans burned the body and the body is not shown much honor at death by incinerating it to ashes."
* What makes a funeral distinctively Christian? -- "The family...want a minister to conduct their loved one’s memorial service...but...they impose a restriction: “No religious stuff. Don’t talk about Jesus or heaven.”"
* When Someone Dies" A pastor answers some common questions about funeral practices and traditions -- "Like all Christian worship, the funeral has both a vertical and a horizontal dimension."

Thaptology: Who is in Charge?

Who is in Charge?

In much of the West, the funeral is considered a family matter rather than a church function. In such cases and under such an understanding, the funeral service is not a church service. Details concerning the service and burial are developed in consultation of the family with owners/employees of the funeral parlor rather than church officials. Then the family or funeral parlor tells the church and ministers what to expect. This can be a source of difficulty between families and churches. If the immediate family members are church members this will generally relieve possible reasons for conflict. If, on the other hand, the family is only peripherally (if at all) related to the church, misunderstandings are more likely to follow.

When non-Christian family members plan a “religious” funeral service, it is often more secular than sacred –a very strange mix of the two. The music may be of a kind that would not be allowed during a worship service.  Ministers who would not be allowed otherwise in the pulpit – or even infidels – may address the gathered mourners. Other actions that the church finds inappropriate and offensive may occur. The church leaders, as much as is possible, should shield against worldly fascinations and influences. The interaction between church and non-Christian mourners should be handled with wisdom and sensitivity, but also in a way that does not compromise the church's faith and practice. An area of reform could be for churches to take a more active role in the funerary process, as well as approach very carefully all dealings with funerals for non-Christians. It is notable that the early Jerusalem church took care of the burial of their own (Acts 5:6-10; Acts 8:1-2) – though modern laws will add some difficulty to such an attempt.

Thaptology, Part 1
Thaptology, Part 2
Thaptology, Part 3
Thaptology, Part 4
Thaptology, Part 5

Thaptology: Use of Church Buildings UPDATED

• In January 2015 New Hope Ministries of Lakewood, Colorado required removal of a funeral from their facilities because a video "collage" showed the decedent kissing her lesbian partner.
• In late July 2014, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa, Florida refused the use of their building for the funeral of a man who had lived a homosexual life and was "married" to a partner.
• In 2008 Second Baptist Church in Rockmart, Georgia would not host the funeral of a member because the family insisted that two women read Scripture at the service.

Use of Church Buildings

The availability and use of church facilities (or not) have been the source of recent funeral disputes, and are likely to be a continuing source of disputes.   Some folks may think that a dispute over building use for funerals and memorial services is a new breed of organism. While new issues arise in our evolving society (e.g., debate over funerals displaying the wares of same-sex cohabitation), the fact of such disputes are nothing new. Consider a rural Texas church in the early 1900s. 

At the end of the 19th century, Texas Baptists of the "missionary" persuasion suffered an angry and awkward division. Two organizations – the BGCT and the BMAT – vied for dominance. Much bitterness resulted. One church incident exhibits that bitterness. The accelerant was the death of a popular young preacher. He grew up, was licensed and ordained in a BMAT church. He attended Jacksonville College (BMAT) but finished his education at Baylor (BGCT). He soon became a rising star in the churches of the rival BGCT. In January of 1912 death came calling, and this young man met his appointment. After his burial some of the family and community wanted to have a memorial service for him in his natal community at the BMAT church’s building, but with a pastor from the BGCT invited to give the message. This was finally allowed in April, but not until much wrangling, rancor and animosity had disturbed the church and community. The general disallowing of "outsider" funerals continued until nearly 30 years later when the church voted that “the doors of this church was (sic) opened to anyone wishing to hold a funeral in the house.”

Church buildings are a modern convenience not available in New Testament times. Accordingly, there are no biblical records of “building use” as a pattern for us. New Testament orthopraxy and biblical ecclesiology should be introduced to guide us. Based on church autonomy, each church has the right to determine how her building will be used – which includes banning any funeral service for any reason.  But what would be scriptural reasons for doing so? What about the funerals we agree to officiate? Should some be excluded because of the person’s lifestyle or beliefs?  Should we approach it as an opportunity to preach the gospel to unbelievers?

Situations of and solutions used by various churches include:

• Don't own a building
• Don't use the church building for any funerals
• Limit use of church building to members only
• Selectively allow use of the building with discretion (this would be something such as allowing use to those who meet certain guidelines and stipulations)
• Allow use of the building by the community without discretion

If a congregation does not have a building, they stand aloof from “building use” issues. Others must determine how to best use their buildings in line with biblical principles.

A theological and practical matter is who is allowed into the church’s pulpit, what some call “pulpit affiliation” (i.e., allowing persons who are not of "like faith and order" to preach or conduct services).  Some apply this to any and all services conducted in the church facility, while others would it to their gatherings as a church (i.e., not applicable to weddings, funerals, etc.).  

Some churches have detailed policies governing the use of their buildings (e.g. weddings and funerals). Many of the policies are based on practical and emotional concerns, but with no guiding philosophy based on theological considerations. Now is high time for churches and pastors to consider the funerary process theologically and govern their actions accordingly.

Thaptology, Part 1
Thaptology, Part 2

Thaptology, Part 3

Thaptology, Part 4

Thaptology: Disposition of a Corpse

Disposition of a Corpse

Historically, a number of practices have been used to dispose of (or preserve) the dead, including mummification and exposure to the elements (and animals). The most common methods of disposition in our society are burial (interment, inhumation), burning (cremation), and donation of a body to medical science (which usually eventually concludes in cremation).  Related to burial (which is usually underground) are also storage in an above-ground tomb or mausoleum (immurement) and burial at sea.

Burial is the common, dominant and preferred method of disposal of the dead recorded in the Bible. There is a consistent thread of preference for burial among God's people. God Himself buried Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5-6, 8) and in His determinate counsel chose burial for His Son Jesus (Isa. 53:9; John 19:40). Burial was performed by the early disciples for their own members. See Acts 5:6-10 and Acts 8:2. The great initiatory ordinance of baptism incorporates the allegory of a burial. (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). The “sleep” analogy/metaphor is used several times in the New Testament writing to refer to death (Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52; John 11:11; 1 Cor. 11:30; 15:6, 18, 20, 51; 2 Cor. 5:6-8; 1 Thess. 4:13-16). Sleep and burning are incongruous acts, while one laid out for burial assumes a position reminiscent of sleep. These are some reasons for the Christian to prefer burial over cremation, exposure or some other form of disposal.

“Let the dead bury their dead” is not primarily a burial text. It is about the primacy of the claims of Christ on the believer over the claims of culture, tradition and family (Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:60). Yet it yields a measure of truth regarding the subject. Through it we understand that burial is a physical and temporal benefit, rather than a spiritual exercise. A fine burial may hide a wasted life, while lack of physical care for a body may accompany a treasured soul (Cf. Luke 16:22).

The believer will receive a glorified body (1 Cor. 15:42-49; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Job 19:25-26). Whether the body is buried, burned or consumed by animals will not prevent God's power in resurrection. I am presently unwilling to relegate cremation to the category of sin against God – as something inherently evil. But a biblical thaptology prefers burial above cremation. The main impetus toward cremation is practical – particularly that of cost. Cremation is much less expensive than burial. This is a true concern for many. Yet burials can be made much less expensive than they often are. Guilt and grief (and sometimes greed) can be driving forces in excessive costs for funerals.  Expense as a sign of devotion for a loved one is not totally without reason, though, as Jesus indicates when he rebukes Judas for complaining about the waste of ointment to anoint Jesus (Mark 14:4-9). There is nothing in the Bible to commend cremation to God's people as a method of end of life disposal. When tucked away in a mortuary basement, cremation seems quite civilized. But to behold it as the last view of a loved one, most would be repulsed.

Christian apologist Marcus Minucius Felix, writing perhaps as early as AD 160, says, “Nor, as you believe, do we fear any loss from sepulture,  but we adopt the ancient and better custom of burying in the earth. See, therefore, how for our consolation all nature suggests a future resurrection. The sun sinks down and arises, the stars pass away and return, the flowers die and revive again, after their win-try decay the shrubs resume their leaves, seeds do not flourish again. unless they are rotted: thus the body in the sepulchre is like the trees which in winter hide their verdure with a deceptive dryness.”

In 374 or 375 AD Jerome wrote an account of Paulus the Hermit. Paulus died AD 341, of which Jerome wrote, "Then having wrapped up the body and carried it forth, all the while chanting hymns and psalms according to the Christian tradition." Like Minucius Felix, Jerome's account indicates burial as the practice of early post-apostolic Christians. Further he recites a funeral procession that includes singing or chanting.

We may not be bound by these customs – but how much better to bind ourselves to our forefathers in the faith than the customs of an increasingly ungodly society?

• Thaptology, Part 1
• Thaptology, Part 2
• Thaptology, Part 3