Cremation vs. Burial

[brandon184]

What would you prefer be done to you?

My mother has recently decided that she wants to be cremated and her ashes spread over someplace that she always enjoyed being... In her opinion, she'd rather spare the family the grief of the whole "lowering the casket into the earth" thing.

I'm undecided, myself.

Two years before that my other uncle died and they had an open casket ceremony. It was my first funeral and to be honest I didn’t like the open casket. They paint you up and it’s just so cold. This past November my Uncle Pat died from cancer. I went up to Pittsburgh to get my respect and he was cremated.

To be honest i thought the Cremation ceremony was way more personal. I found open caskets to difficult as you’re looking at this empty body.

With a cremation they have pictures of you when you’re alive. That way the last thing you see of a funeral is not the lifeless body. On the way home i made the decision if anything ever happens to me i want to be cremated

[Omardeth]

i just cremated my mother in december and burried my dad in january ... they both sucked ....

as for me , i will be dead , do as you wish .

I'd leave that decision up to the most important person in my life, which in this case would be my wife. I really don't have a preference for myself, whatever would bring her the most comfort.

[John Prophet]

cremation

[Warthog]

GZ put up some good points...

Although when I die, my casket will get covered with a flag - something I see here all the time (being next to Arlington National Cemetary...) and I think is honorable as hell.

I'd cremate my dog.

Warthog

[Knothead]

Heck, when I'm done with it, they can put this ol' ham sandwich down the gargage disposal, for all I care.

We buried my grandmother. It was terrible. The funeral, and the bill from the Death Corporation was shocking as well.

We cremated my Dad, and then flew his ashes to Maui...I rented this big ol' trimaran, and in the presence of my family, and a couple'a friends, I put his ashes over the side...just laid them out on the bay. Then we all took off our Leis (fresh flower wreaths) and tossed them on the ashes...they floated! It was so pretty!

It was incredibly peaceful, and strangely happy...

[Theophylact]

Well, my father wanted to be cremated; but my brother, who's an observant Jew (though not Orthodox) felt uncomfortable about it, and asked Dad when the end was near how strongly he felt about it. Dad, whose attitude was that he wasn't going to be there to care about it, said that if it mattered to David, okay. And so it was: a classic Jewish burial (plain pine box, no viewing, no dressing up, no embalming).

Me, I don't care either. If I have to pay for mine, I want it inexpensive. If David's still around to care, I suppose I'll be buried; otherwise, cremation. (Marcia's indifferent on the subject.)

[Knothead]

The other problem I have with burial is the way the land gets gobbled-up with those boxes and headstones...sorry if I sound callow, BUT...there are Positively ACRES of land devoted to this narccissistic (not to mention, barbaric) practice of putting dead people into wooden boxes, and then, what, preserve the cemetary until the end of time?

Recently, I went for a walk in an old cemetary here in Long Beach, CA....the most recent activity I noticed was somebody who got planted in the '70's. All I could think of was "what a great place for a picnic!"

Although, I will admit, the headstones (particularly the ones at the turn of the last century) were pretty amazing examples of the stonemason's art...

[Epidemic]

What ever??? After I am dead my cells are no longer functioning, My brain is changing from a vibrant living beings to that of basic chemicals proteins and alike. Personally I do not think I would care if you use it to make lampshades, new shoes or a nice leather coat. I will be dead and no matter what indignity you do to me I do not think I will care much.

Of course there is this side of me which says do not desecrate a body this is the side of me taught by society, fear, and general wish to not die any time in the future. My body is my only link to the world and seeing it destroyed bothers me on a silly illogical level.

I still have not made a firm decision as to what happens to my soul if any yet. I personally believe when the last synaps fires you are gone for the count. No fear, no happiness, no saddness,

NOTHING!

Personally I would like their to be a life after death but I am not convinced that there is a good, bad or indiferent place that we go when we die.

That sucks! I would love to continue forever in some form but I just do not see it logically being likely. Back to star dust we all go.