How Different Religions View Cremation Services

How important is religion to you? If you’re a person of faith and want to plan final services for a loved one, you’ll want to keep in mind that some religions are against cremation. The good news is that most religious groups permit their followers to choose whichever body disposition they want. But some favor one and prohibit the other. You’ll want to keep this in mind when the time comes to arrange funeral services or cremation services in St Albans, WV.

What follows is a look at what some religious groups think about cremation. While most give their followers freedom of choice, some are very particular. You’ll also see below that there’s at least one faith community that requires cremation for all of its adherents.

Christendom

There was a time when cremation was generally frowned upon within Christendom. Most denominations still prefer burial, but cremation is permitted by most groups within Christianity. If you’re unsure about where your church or religious group stands on cremation as a body disposition, ask a leader within your faith community or ask the funeral director assisting you. Chances are pretty good, however, that you’ll be free to choose without violating your faith.

Greek Orthodox

The Greek Orthodox body forbids cremation as a final services option. They teach that cremation unjustly desecrates the body temple and that burial is the only acceptable body disposition option.

Catholicism

Catholicism used to prohibit cremation. But things have changed. Adherents to the Catholic religion are now allowed to be cremated. Whether the plan is to arrange a burial or a cremation, Catholics must participate in a Holy Mass as part of the process. Once this is done, the final services can take place.

Hinduism

Hindus are actually required to be cremated after they die — so casket burial is not allowed. Those who follow Hinduism believe that their body, through cremation, is offered to the Hindu God of Fire, namely Agni. During the cremation process, those present utter a purification prayer to usher the deceased on to a better life. Hindus in India usually conclude cremation by scattering the ashes in the Ganges River. For Hindus who die outside of India, it’s not uncommon for their families to ship their cremains to India so that their ashes can be scattered in the Ganges River.

Whether you want to plan funeral services or cremation services in St Albans, WV, you will get all the help you need from the funeral director at a funeral home. Make certain that you find a funeral home that has a long track record of success, that has trained professionals who understand what customer service is all about, and that offer a range of final services packages. You can find out about different funeral homes by doing a bit of research whether that be looking online or asking friends. Once you find the service provider you want to work with, get the general price list to see what funeral and cremation packages they offer. Most funeral homes are willing to customize packages to meet the needs of their customers. So be sure to ask if you’d like to personalize the body disposition service.