Articles Page 4
Contemporary issues -
Cremation or Burial?
CREMATION OR BURIAL?
1. CREMATION
The following are some of the reasons given to justify cremation :-
a. It is claimed that cremation is more hygienic, cleaner and cheaper.
b. It saves space - especially in places where land is at a premiuim
c. It eliminates the need for grave site maintenance
Historically cremation has been practised among people such as the Hindus , who do not believe in a future bodily resurrection; they believe in reincarnation.
An example of this is a testimony given by a missionary :-
" A few years ago I stood three or so feet from a burning corpse with a missionary pastor from Singapore and his wife who were visiting us.
The head was already burnt beyond recognition and the skull was split open due to internal expansion from the heat of the fire.
The lower legs and feet were unscorched, as they were protruding from the pile of burning wood and stubble upon which the man's body lay.
The professional Hindu burners were poking the body from time to time to keep the members in the fire and adding stubble and wood as needed.
The bones were contracting and popping; the bodily organs were frying and the juices sizzling in the intense heat.
My wife, a nurse with experience working with lepers in a hospital in a very remote part of Asia and in an intensive care ward in the USA, stood with another friend observing the ghastly sight from a distance, unwilling to come closer.
The air for an hundred yards or more was filled with the unmistakable, stomach-turning stench of burning human flesh.
When the fire had burnt most of the body, the ashes and remaining members were shoved into the river."
NOTE : The Bible tells us not to follow heathen practices - Jer 10:2
The heathen also practise cremation, because for them when you are dead, 'that is it!', there is no life after death.
Through out the Bible the destruction of a body or object by fire is a sign of God's wrath!
eg Sodom and Gomorah - IIPeter 2:6; Nadab and Abihu - Lev 10:1,2 ; Those who rebelled with Korah - Numbers 16:35
2. BURIAL
Through out the Bible we see that God's people were buried. eg Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Samuel, Stephen.
Note: The Lord Jesus was buried.
Burial is a witness to the living of our faith in the resurrection our bodies one day. I Cor 15:20-23, 35-44 ; Job 19:25-27
COMMENTS
a. Historically , in foreign lands where the gospel is accepted, heathen practices go - including cremation
b. Cremation is one of the fruits of evolutionary thinking in our day.
As some one has said " As the Bible goes; cremation comes.
c. What if a Christian is not buried? eg drown at sea.
It makes no difference to salvation!
It is still, absent from the body, present with the Lord!
This is available in pdf format
Contemporary issues - Cremation or Burial"Contemporary Issues - Euthanasia
EUTHANASIA
This issue has once again has been raised in parliament , both at Federal and State levels, by those who want to legislate to make euthanasia legal.
It seems like every time it is raised we move a little closer to it becoming law!
I have spoken to people who say that if they were 'so bad' they would like to be put to sleep ( ie killed! ).
It is interesting to note that those same people when they do have problems are not so keen to follow through with what they had said previously!
Points of interest
1. Nazi Germany was the first society in modern times to widely practise euthanasia in the 1930s;
it became law in 1939.
275,000 were exterminated - mental health problems, epileptics, paralysed, MS, parkinsons etc
THEN - socially unproductive, racially unwanted (Jews etc)
FINALLY all non Germans
2. Holland - many years
1995 - 1 in 5 occurred without the patients consent
Now the elderly, disabled and severely ill afraid to go to hospitals
3. Northern Territory
From September 1996 to March 1997 they allowed a patient to request his doctor to assist the patient to terminate his life if he was experiencing unaccepptable pain or distress.
A second doctor had to ratify the decision.
The Federal government overturned that law in the Northern Territory
The Case for the Pro-Euthanasia position
The following is one person's position;
"No decent human being would allow an animal to suffer without putting it out of its misery.
It is only to human beings that human beings are so cruel as to allow them to live on, in pain, in helplessness, in living death, without moving a muscle to help them."
This type of a statement is typical fruit from evolutianary thinking!
ie we are all animals!
Practical Problems
1. Diagnosis wrong or difficult to determine
2. The person may merely be depressed (cf Elijah)
3. The person may feel that they are being a burden
4. Pressure from relatives and carers
5. To save health costs pressures!
6. The effects on doctors, nurses etc. Doctors make an oath to preserve life!
What saith the Scriptures?
1. Thou shalt not kill - an absolute law - Ex 20:13
2. God has appointed a time for our lives - Job 7:1, 14:1,5,6; Heb 9:27
3. Our body is not our own - ICor 6:19,20
Practical Help
1. Palliative care
- almost all severe pain can now be effectively relieved
- make comfortable, show love and compassion
2. The aim is not to eliminate the person in distress BUT the distress in the person
Conclusion
God alone has the right to determine when a persons life should be ended.
Our responsibility is to do all we can to help the person until God ends their life.
Euthanasia (mercy killing) in any form is murder!
This is available in pdf format
Contemporary Issues - Euthanasia"
