Thank you. America has passed the 50% mark on cremations and you are the only one I have seen address it. It aligns with Protestants calling the Host symbolic. So much has been lost.
In Serbia, during the Serbian Empire, the pagan custom of cremation remained among the Serbs, and Emperor Dušan, who introduced various biblical and Orthodox laws, he had to ban the custom and introduce rigorous punishments in order for Orthodox Serbs to renounce that pagan custom
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I cremated my still birth daughter last year but i send it back to my country and she get buried, may the Lord have a mercy on me because lack of knowledge
Thank you, i’ve been learning about Orthodox faith and willing to be part of the church, I currently live in Philadelphia,PA. Any recommendation for the orthodox church around South Philadelphia?
Very factual and enlightening. I have already told my sons that I want to be buried and not cremated. I want to be raised up out of the ground when Jesus comes to get us. I'm Cheri
I always knew that cremation is ALWAYS off the option, so I thank you for explaining why. I totally agree. I also know for fact that many people come together to help those in need because that is the right thing to do. Once again, thank you. Happy Orthodox Easter, Christ has Risen! Christ has Risen! Christ has Risen!
Father, I agree with you in general. HOWEVER, many many saints were murdered via cremation like saint Joan of Arc, the saints during Nero's time in the circus arena, etc. As for me, I have no one that will be at any funeral. I am living in extreme poverty and have no one. I worked for the church all my life as a music director and yet the churches I worked for, never cared one iota for me after firing me when a new pastor came aboard. Clergy and many faiths do NOT care about their employees! I KNOW THIS TO BE A HARD COLD FACT!
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
have you ever considered Orthodoxy? we have coffee hour after liturgy and it’s very welcoming; even large parishes are very communal. Not sure if you’ll even read this but I figured it’s worth it just to put it out there.
@@jamesbancroft2467 For the past 10 years I have been studying the Orthodox Liturgies and especially Russian Orthodox sacred music which I love enormously.
Thank you for this video. My sister-in-law just passed. She was cremated,but we didn't know why her ashes were not there. Being Episcopalian I was confused and curious to learn. You explained it all beautifully and now I understand. Thank you again and bless you.
Thank you so much Father to explained it , this is so very important thing that Orthodox Christians must to know, because, for some reason that cremation could be a easy way out of the financial burden, thus, they could be made a big mistake that did not realized this is not good for the Soul can untied with body.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I think Fr., You made a good point regarding closure. Where there are many people who simply cannot go to a cemetery or mausoleum and pay there respects to a loved or beloved one simply because they are not there.
Χριστός Ανέστη ☦️Father Maggos respectfully many insightful, introspective questions and observations have been brought up here in the comments which is a positive sign of those who are profoundly affected by your thoughts on burial rites in our Orthodox Church Traditions. I hope you have an opportunity to do another video responding to all these questions below as it would help in this polemic topic☦️
Interestingly enough on the Jedi note, as seen in the Clone Wars, they bury as well in the Jedi temple. Meanwhile Yoda, and obi wan both just became one with the force, with no physical body left behind. I bet there’s Star Wars lore somewhere on this
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Mostly I agree but some things are still a little confusing. Your comments seem to assume the cremation takes place before the funeral. Most I know of personally are the opposite: the body is taken to a church or chapel for the funeral and then cremated afterwards.
BLESSINGS and thank you Father for a well presented Orthodox point of view. This is not a place for debate but I do wish to make additional points that are contrary to yours. We believe in respect for the Temple of the Holy Spirit indeed! However, traditional Western embalming (which really is peculiar to the USA, Canada and Australia) is also quite disrespectful, perhaps more so, if you know every step of what happens in the mortuary. And that is why the funeral industry mystifies and scares people. Now if we are speaking of Orthodox green burial that is another and better situation. FORM and INTENTION mean everything. A dignified cremation is far better than what happened during the holocaust. One is respectful, the other isn't. The Orthodox Church of Japan allows cremation because it is the law of the land and Orthodoxy respects that. Does that mean it is ok for them but no one else? God does not need a body to resurrect. He is far beyond that limitation. And while I am thoroughly Orthodox I do believe we need to really examine this as an issue. We are not frozen in amber. And lastly I do wish to point out that when we have holy items, vestments and etc that are no longer serviceable to the church, we respectfully destroy them in fire to prevent desecration. It's form and intention that really matter most. Digging up bodies later in archaeology or whatever other reason there may be is just as disrespectful. After a cremation there is no desecration. The Roman Church has come around on their thoughts and I do believe we need to reexamine this issue also. Cremains should be handled respectfully. Lastly, the family can still view the dead beforehand for all the benefit there is in that practice.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
This was amazing! I was hoping there would be a teaching on how martyrs are beheaded and cry out in revelation. And how that relates. If the body is mutilated in the death. Obviously there is a resurrection for those, but wanted to hear about it. I’m a new catechumen. God bless you
I'm a recent convert to Orthodoxy. The denial of Orthodox burial to people who get cremated "feels" cruel to me (I put "feels" in quotation marks because, well, who am I to judge what may in fact be "above my pay grade"....nevertheless, my feelings on this matter are what they are). To me, turning the body into light and heat seems more respectful (or at least as respectful, or maybe "differently" respectful) than putting it into the ground to slowly decompose, rot, get eaten by bugs and worms, etc. Also, I think there is a practice of burning clothing or carpets upon which the Eucharistic blood has been spilt....yes? I'm not sure I see the difference between that and cremating a body. I found the arguments here--all of them--to be extremely weak (again, judging by 'my own lights'....)--and it sort of scares me, because it smacks of a kind of fundamentalist thinking that is hard for me to accept as true.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I realize that the "seed" image is supposed to be a metaphor. And if one does not look too closely at it, and thinks about it in contrary-to-fact terms, it works. But seeds do not die when they are sown. They awaken and begin to grow. Yes, they change shape and form, but springing to life is hardly dying. That is quite different from what happens to a human body in burial. The human body does not spring to life. It rots, stinks, and becomes food for bacteria and worms. Your assertion that the image of burial is a "noble" image, and that cremation is a horrible image, may be true for you. It is not true for me. Quite the contrary. As I said, having one's body turned into heat and light is far less horrible to me than having it buried in the ground (and, in some ways, I can see it as beautiful, liberating, freeing....). On the other hand, I've had moments when I've been able to see burial as a kind of peaceful returning to the earth...but, well, that is more rare for me. You mention scriptural examples of burning applied to unholy things. But what about all the burnt offerings to God? And killing people for choosing cremation (as you say Charlemagne did) is about as deeply anti-Christian a thing as I can imagine. It says more about the sorry state of Charelemagne's lack of love for his neighbor than it does about cremation. It's a reason to reject Charlemagne--not cremation.
@@ArthurMPena The Bible teaches the Resurrection of the Dead: Job 19:25-29 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the last day I will rise out of the earth. And I will be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I will see my God. Whom I myself will see, and my eyes will behold, and not another: this my hope is laid up in my bosom. Why then do you say now: Let us persecute him, and let us find occasion of word against him? Flee then from the face of the sword, for the sword is the revenger of iniquities: and know that there is a judgment. Job 33:24-25 God will be gracious to him, and say, Deliver him from going down to the Pit, I have found a ransom (atonement). Then his body will be fresher than a child's, he will return to the days of his youth. Isaiah 26:19-21 The dead will rise, and they that are in the tombs will be raised, and they that are in the earth will rejoice: for Your dew is healing to them: but the land of the ungodly will perish. Go, my people, enter into your chambers, shut your door, hide yourself for a little season, until the anger of the Lord has passed away. For, behold, the Lord is bringing wrath from His holy place on the dwellers on the earth: the earth also will disclose her blood, and will not cover her slain. Ezekiel 37:1-14 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? So I answered, O Lord God, You know. Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off. Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord. Daniel 12:2 And the multitude who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:13 But as for you, go on your way until the end. You will rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days. 2 Maccabees 7:9 And when he was at the last gasp, he said: You indeed, O most wicked man, destroy us out of this present life: but the King of the world will raise us up, who die for His laws, in the resurrection of eternal life. 2 Maccabees 7:14 It is good, when put to death by men, to look for hope from God to be raised up again by Him; but for you there is no resurrection to life. 2 Esdras 2:23 When you find any who are dead, commit them to the grave and mark it, and I will give you the first place in my resurrection. 2 Esdras 2:31 Remember your children that sleep, because I will bring them out of the hiding-places of the earth, and will show mercy to them; for I am merciful, says the Lord Almighty. Matthew 22:23-32 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him. Teacher, they said, Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh. And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her. Jesus answered, You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Matthew 27:50-53 Then Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After His resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Mark 12:18-27 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him: Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children. Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise. In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her. Jesus said to them, Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken. Luke 20:27-38 Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him. Teacher, they said, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife, but died childless. Then the second and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. And last of all, the woman died. So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her. Jesus answered, The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God. Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive. John 5:28-29 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out-those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 11-23-24 Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection, on the last day.
@@ArthurMPena Acts 17:16-32 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day. Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, What is this babbler trying to say? Others said, He seems to be advocating foreign gods. They said this because Paul was proclaiming the gospel of Jesus and the resurrection. So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean. Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time in nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas. Then Paul stood up in the middle of the Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 2For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, We are His children. Therefore, being children of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination. Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead. When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock him, but others said, We want to hear you again on this topic. At that, Paul left the Areopagus. But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them. Acts 23:6-11 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial. As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, Take courage. As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome. Acts 24:10-21 When the governor motioned for Paul to speak, he began his response: Knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my defense. You can verify for yourself that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city. Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me. I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man. After several years, then, I returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to my people and to present offerings. At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia who ought to appear before you and bring charges, if they have anything against me. Otherwise, let these men state for themselves any crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, unless it was this one thing I called out as I stood in their presence: It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today. Acts 26 Agrippa said to Paul, You have permission to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews, especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently. Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion. And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers, the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews. Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them. I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Who are You, Lord? I asked. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, the Lord replied. But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me. So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen: that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles. At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, You are insane, Paul. Your great learning is driving you to madness. But Paul answered, I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety. For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do. Then Agrippa said to Paul, Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian? Short time or long, Paul replied, I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains. Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them. On their way out, they said to one another, This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment. And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Christ is among us! As a priest, the question that comes back often to me is “What’s the difference of putting a body in the ground and having a disintegrate and putting it in an oven and having it disintegrate?” -Fr. Theodore 😊
Thank you Father. This has been on my mind of late, and I have long been aware of the Orthodox view. I come from a Presbyterian family. All were cremated, and are in a wall at a Crematorium. My parents are there as well, and I have always wanted to be near them after death. A difficult decision to wrestle with!
Thank you for this detailed and succinct explanation of why the Orthodox Church does not support cremation. Some questions have come up in my circle that perhaps you could help to answer for us. Does active cremation deny or affect someone's resurrection and/or salvation? And if the body is integral to the resurrection, as explained in the video, what happens to all those people who have been cremated actively, or, who died in a way that their body was destroyed naturally during or after death, (say in a fire, or at sea)? I've heard the argument that if God made man from the dust of the Earth, and if Jesus said Himself that he could raise up sons of Abraham from a stone, then surely what we do with the body after it falls asleep is of no importance for the resurrection, and ultimately salvation? I've heard yet another argument that if the method of disposal of a body was of such great importance to the resurrection, Jesus would have mentioned it explicitly, and that the fact that He was buried Himself, says very little about the spiritual significance of preserving the body for resurrection (and more about the cultural traditions, which bear no influence on the resurrection/salvation of a person). Any guidance would be much appreciated! Thank you.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
@@HHH_Hymnal Since you gave the same answer here as you did to my comment, I'll repeat my response to you here as well, as I'd like to get Fotini's thoughts on this: I realize that the "seed" image is supposed to be a metaphor. And if one does not look too closely at it, and thinks about it in contrary-to-fact terms, it works. But seeds do not die when they are sown. They awaken and begin to grow. Yes, they change shape and form, but springing to life is hardly dying. That is quite different from what happens to a human body in burial. The human body does not spring to life. It rots, stinks, and becomes food for bacteria and worms. Your assertion that the image of burial is a "noble" image, and that cremation is a horrible image, may be true for you. It is not true for me. Quite the contrary. As I said, having one's body turned into heat and light is far less horrible to me than having it buried in the ground (and, in some ways, I can see it as beautiful, liberating, freeing....). On the other hand, I've had moments when I've been able to see burial as a kind of peaceful returning to the earth...but, well, that is more rare for me. You mention scriptural examples of burning applied to unholy things. But what about all the burnt offerings to God? And killing people for choosing cremation (as you say Charlemagne did) is about as deeply anti-Christian a thing as I can imagine. It says more about the sorry state of Charelemagne's lack of love for his neighbor than it does about cremation. It's a reason to reject Charlemagne--not cremation.
@@HHH_Hymnal I'd add Amos 2:1: This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not relent. Because he burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king" Note: The prophet condemns the cremation - even of an enemy - as an unforgivable crime, since it caused the soul of the dead to enter a state of unhappiness.
Sort of interested in how the Japanese Orthodox Church accomplishes this. I've got a plot in America but if I move to Japan to be with my family I wonder if there is a way to get an exception for a burial.
Awesome video...very educational and did find the modern examples funny. I'm going look more into your channel, or I should talk to my spiritual leader...but I have two questions; 1) what's the rule if someone dies violently (explosion, fire, etc)? 2) is true must bury facing a certain location?
Thank you! Father Maggos will be answering your question during one of our upcoming Orthodoxy Questions Answered Summer Specials. Keep an eye out for those episodes Thursdays nights in July!
I know this is a long way off for some of us, and for others it might be closer (no offence). However you should do a video on how an orthodox funeral is held so forth. Kind of wandering.
Thank you, father, for your video. I understand that you are presenting the Church's teachings and I respect what you're doing. The only point that I found persuasive was the one you made about us respecting the body as a temple that belongs to God Himself. I have two questions related to this, that I ask in a spirit of humility and ignorance. As it is acceptable to bury or burn the images of the saints and Christ (icons), how is it disrespectful to bury OR burn the body, which is made in the image of God? Both the decomposing elements in the ground and the fire of the crematory are in a sense natural, and fire is even a symbol for God in Exodus. As for the bones that are left over, can you address how the buried remains are treated in Greece, presumably with the consent of the Greek Church? I am referring to the exhumations and relocations to osteofylakes. The bones will fall to dust anyway. Is it truly more respectful to exhume a body than to keep it in an urn? Is this a teaching of the Church that may change in the future, or is it 100% certain for all time?
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I am exploring the Orthodox faith itself, and in relation to the stand of the Orthodox faith about burial and cremation, I am wondering how we have to handle this in the case of a country such as Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, where the Orthodox faith is few and far in between in followers and the laws hardly allow for burial, especially in the case of Singapore where burial is now becoming next to extinct. There is an Orthodox church mission here, at least from 2005 (although I have no idea if it is still active), and the norm now even for Catholics and Christians of the evangelical bent has been to cremate. In this case, what does the Orthodox church recommend?
Thank you for this wonderful video and explanation. May I ask, what is the Orthodox Church's position when a person dies in an authoritarian totalitarian country that forces and mandates cremation? One example might be mainland China. What should the family do when an Orthodox person dies in these places.
100% agree, but can understand why people cremate due to their financial circumstances. Here in Australia funeral expenses burial with monument minimum you need at least $30,000 Orthodox Church $1000 plus an additional $250 in cash for death/funeral orthodox certificate that’s not worth the money it’s written on, it’s a useless piece of paper. I know as my husband’s funeral was late 2022. the plot was nearly $12000 with a further $1300 permit fee for the monument
I'm going to jump in here as a layman. Sadly sometimes people die in fires or from some form of trauma (accidents or violence) that can leave the remains badly damaged. In those situations the normative practice is to gather whatever remains can be found and inter them physically. A closed coffin funeral is not preferred in Orthodox funeral rites but as a practical concession to the situation, it is sometimes permitted. In the event of death in a fire, the remains are often badly damaged, but are rarely completely incinerated. In cases where someone dies and their remains are either lost or completely destroyed without deliberate intent, the funeral rites are frequently still performed with some modifications by what is known as economy (oikonomia). There are also various memorial rites that are often performed sans the body of the deceased. In short the Church acknowledges that sometimes things happen that are beyond our control and we accommodate when this happens as far as possible and with compassion. What is prohibited is the deliberate desecration of human remains.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Well I'll adhere to the teachings of the Orthodox Church. However, I don't see how cremation would affect the soul or spirit of a person. And our Lord, (when He returns) can give us a new body or reanimate our bodies, etc. our bodies will be changed on the day of resurrection so. The Lord knows all and is all powerful, So he can bring all the molecules back etc. You make a few good points though brother. So i will give you a like. Anyway, When I'm dead my body will most likely be in a mausoleum type inner structure that's below the surface of the earth a bit. That's a very long time from now though.
I have thought of having a Viking funeral when that does happen but yes I'll admit orthodoxy was one of the things that change my mind a bit, So that's one of the reasons for the inner mausoleum thing. On a secular note though, Vikings are still awesome, and Vikings don't have anything to do with orthodoxy but it be fun if you had more of them in rp pc games. just wish there was more time to play em these days.
I’m Serbian Orthodox, I have a strong faith in Jesus however I am still working on aligning myself to all the religious aspects of Orthodoxy… just one question… Didn’t God create Adam from dust and soil? I’m just wondering how is it impossible for our souls to return to our bodies, God can do anything. Nothing is too hard for God, and God often works fluidly, I have never seen God work like clockwork. Just wondering at what point can we agree that nothing is impossible for the Lord?
Father Maggos will be answering your question during one of our upcoming Orthodoxy Questions Answered Summer Specials. Keep an eye out for those episodes Thursdays nights in July!
In regards to burials can you please make a video about Pottersfield and how even the wicked were at least buried. Probably the most famous Pottersfield was in New York it has been even in movies. I think the term in the Bible is ALKADAMA? I’m not sure but burying IS BIBLICAL! Thank you and God Bless Tasso Papoulias
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Let me clarify that ancient Greeks never cremated their dead. They buried them. There is no historic or mythological reference to 'cremation'. When circumstances called for it (war, disease, etc) they did burn them, but that's different from cremation. There are remains when a body is burnt, but only ash when it's cremated. And the Greeks honored those remains. One could write a whole diatribe on the subject.
Jesus was able to repaired his damaged body, leaving only the some wounds of the crucifixtion...decay in dying also occurs of course, and would all have to be repaired, as well as in accidents. The closure factor, I don't know why a cremation cannot happen after the viewing at a funeral. I am not disagreeing, I am just reasoning."Come let us reason together", that's all I'm doing. Thank you for this video.
In parts of Greece they collect the bones after a certain period, and reuse the plot for someone else. I assume that is still orthodox. Land is becoming scarcer with time, and just from a practical point of view, surely reusing plots is reasonable. Cremation is still the most practical. It doesn't take up space. One day the church will have to reinterpret its doctrine. When a body is buried it decays. The bones may last some time, but isn't a decayed body the same as a cremated one anyway? And if we are to be resurrected, then surely god is great enough to perform that miracle even if someone, who was good, was cremated.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I,for a long time was curious as to what made the people who worshipped Molech who was basically a reptile fire god and how they arrived at such disgusting practices as fire child sacrifice and in that research I discovered that it was their belief that you couldn't enter his realm whole but had to be "burned into"his realm.Might that be the pagan origin of cremation???
I have a question about cremation.. my bf's aunt had a Greek Orthodox funeral, but years later was cremated in order to make space in her crypt for her sister. Does that nullify her Orthodox funeral? She obviously had no choice in the matter.
You are overlooking one very important fact: God can resurrect anyone whether there is a body or not. How many dead people from ages past are decomposed by now, but died believing?
If how a person dies destroys the body (like a building fire, a fiery car accident, or an explosion) would the Orthodox church still refuse the funeral?
Guess it's too early to know. What would Orthodoxy think of composting. As long as they don't grind our bones to make their bread. Seems like this would work better in Greece also where they dig up the bodies to collect bones. You just decay faster. Around a month and your bodies turned into soil . Suppose you could bury the soil and bones somewhere that should take up less space . This business wants to put the bones through a grinder, the same as cremation, but maybe the Orthodox could convince them to leave out that part. Bury a box with dirt and bones, which is what you are doing anyway.
Father Maggos will be answering your question during one of our upcoming Orthodoxy Questions Answered Summer Specials. Keep an eye out for those episodes Thursdays nights in July!
they’re still raised up on the last, same as those who’ve died in fires, drownings or explosions, but it’s completely disrespectful to cremate somebody
I have done ,out of sheer curiosityse research on the people who worshipped Molech,a reptile god mentioned in the old testament,a reptile fire god and I asked myself "who were these people and how did they arrive at such disgusting practices like making fire sacrifice of their childrenIt turns out ,archaeologists have found a few fraents of glyph -eritten accounts of some of their beliefs one of which is that you couldn't get into Molech's realm your body had to be burned to enter this being"burned in"to his realm.Might that be the origin of cremation?And if so ,then it is a PAGAN practice.And are we to participate in or engage in ANY pagan practices AT ALL???
What happens to those people consumed by animals? Those who are blown to pieces? Those who get nuked and turned to dust? A rotting corpse is the temple of the Holy Spirit? From dust you came, from dust you will return. I'm not provoking a fight. I'm just asking questions respectfully. The thought of being burried in a coffin scares the heck out of me, but grinding your bones to dust sounds worse. If I could ascended to Heaven lile Elijah, that would be great.😊
Okay dude, you spend half the video talking about how the body and the soul are so intrinsically tied together that it's impossible to separate them, this is by God's design. Yet we can break that with Oog make fire? There's a serious inconsistency here. Either the body and soul are divinely linked and cannot be broken, or it can be broken by our hands.
I am greek orthodox. I am 61 yrs of age. I will be cremated as per my wish. My body will be taken to church for the prayers. Then to the crematorium. My ashes will be scattered in the ocean. What is part of GOD ( my soul ) will go back to the Father if it is his will. As a created being my body will go back to being ashes and dust. Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust. Priests don’t have the right to judge as Matthew 7:1-2 tells us. Forgive us if you deem it a sin and leave it to GOD to judge us at the second coming.
So far the 1st point does not hold water; have you seen a dead body after a week or two, it is not of the image or likeness of GOD, "from the earth we became, and to earth we return."; also When Jesus said, "let the dead bury their dead." His message here was to teach his Apostles to seek the living and care for them not the dead. Q: what happens to Christians who were disintegrated in wars, work, or by accident? will they not go to paradise? To bury someone, one must take a loan due to the businesses (leechers) that built their business of the dead, and families CAN'T afford it - I say the church MUST change with the times and look after its people especially when the solution does not alter the faith.
My Father is not Orthodox and is being cremated. I do not agree with this bit it was his wish and my other family members agree with his decision. Am I sinning by not making this an issue. I am choosing not to make this an issue to honor my father and not cause Strife while the family Grieves
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Yeah, but the body is going to deteriorate anyway. “From dust you were created, to dust you will return.” God can join dust into its original state, just as He joined bones and sinew into a risen army in Ezekiel 36.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image. When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth. John 12:24 Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls. That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living. Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35) Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity. The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings. The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments. 1 Corinthians 15:42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 2 Peter 2:6 By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. Exodus 32:20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 2 Chronicles 34:4 They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 2 Chronicles 34:7 He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
What then do you say about a person who is a Christian but is murdered and dismembered or burned? Or a soldier that is blown up in battle or a pilot whose plane explodes. All these are examples where body is gone, so what about these people? Are they not going to heaven because they don't have a body anymore? The bible says. "From dust you were made, to dust you shall return." When we die as a believer in Christ, our spirit goes to heaven, not our physical body. Christ told the thief next to him that: "Today you shall be with me in paradise" It is immediate. I don't agree with the reasons you give against cremation. However, I do agree it is not very respectful to the body yet I'm not sure that traditional embalming is respectful either. The whole process is gruesome. Removing the blood and organs. Sewing the mouth shut. Argghh.
The blood is the LIFE and it is drained out of the body and it is sick what happens to it. Many Orthodox do not allow this either and use a Pine Box and just do a simple amount for the body and not that part I understand anyway. Not embalming at least the Russian does not. I just wonder about embalming, and cremation, just do not like any of them. Jesus was placed in a tomb and wrapped in cloths and the next day they used * Or planned to use anyway, oils fragrant special Myrrh and others and anoint the body and may that is better, except I would not want people looking at my body. But it would be a way to preserve it. But not anything to destroy it.
Jehovah God, doesn't get upset how the deaced is placed, people who die in the ocean, etc. God " Knows " every person that has died. Every " spirit " or life force is in JEHOVAH'S ENDLESS MEMORY The spirit of " life force" is returned to Jehovah, the Body or " Soul" Is deaced completely. No flesh or bone survive the grave. Jehovah God gives it " a new body" only when Jesus Kingdom on earth ( ruling from heaven) During the 1000 years. ( All will be made alive) they will hear Jesus's voice from the grave, and the deaced will answer. For atm, the dead " know nothing at all" Ecclesiastes 9:5 You cannot communicate, with the dead, as they cannot listen , see, etc from the grave, they're brain " no longer functions" from the grave. If you try to communicate with the dead, you're actually communicating with demons, who may pretend to be the people that died( Deuteronomy 18:10-12 All that have died are brain dead! It's like an unconscious sleep) This is why Jesus compared death to a sleep, just without having dreams. Only Jesus can " reawaken " all that have died.( ECCLESIASTES, 9:103:20, ) JOHN, 11: 11-14. Read also Isaiah 8:19, Revelation 4: 11 Romans, 6:7 Deuteronomy 32:4 and 1Jonh, 4: 8
Father Maggos, with due respect, I find that none of these arguments against cremation hold water. (1) RE: St. Paul and the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. One could simply hear St. Paul's statement in the context of our living bodies, how we regard and treat our physical bodies while alive. (2) Example of Lazaras: Even if one takes the 'resurrection' of Lazaras' body as fact, he was laid to rest in a tomb, not stuck in a locked casket many feet underground with a body filled with embalming fluid. Let's be real here. The body can be argued to be the Holy Spirit's vehicle while alive, not after death. How the body is respectfully disposed of is a return to God's elemental realm of matter. "Ashes to ashes...dust to dust." (3) RE: the "violence" of cremation. I've witnessed the cremation of loved ones and it was far from anything that could be considered "violent". Further, if anyone has been present at a loved-ones passing (especially from the ravages of cancer) I think we could all agree that the process of death itself is violent to body. (4) RE: Psychological closure. I've been present at a cremation where there was an open casket viewing before-hand where family and friends could say goodbye and kiss and honor the body as the vehicle of our loved one during life. This provided as satisfying a psychological 'closure' as any burial ceremony I've been part of. In closing, Father, I have to say that in regard to all the reasons provided why Orthodoxy denies the spiritual legitimacy of cremation, these policies are the result of men who gather in Ecumenical Synods to discuss and make religious policy for others. The reasons you provided have not been handed down by God, but are only interpretations of scripture. Thanks for hearing me out. God Bless! Anastasi Mavrides
Thank you for this. I told my wife, "Don't burn me"
Love that!
Thank you. America has passed the 50% mark on cremations and you are the only one I have seen address it. It aligns with Protestants calling the Host symbolic.
So much has been lost.
In Serbia, during the Serbian Empire, the pagan custom of cremation remained among the Serbs, and Emperor Dušan, who introduced various biblical and Orthodox laws, he had to ban the custom and introduce rigorous punishments in order for Orthodox Serbs to renounce that pagan custom
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I cremated my still birth daughter last year but i send it back to my country and she get buried, may the Lord have a mercy on me because lack of knowledge
Father will have a prayer for you in tonight's Orthodoxy Questions Answered live show.
Thank you, i’ve been learning about Orthodox faith and willing to be part of the church, I currently live in Philadelphia,PA. Any recommendation for the orthodox church around South Philadelphia?
Very factual and enlightening. I have already told my sons that I want to be buried and not
cremated. I want to be raised up out of the ground when Jesus comes to get us. I'm Cheri
I always knew that cremation is ALWAYS off the option, so I thank you for explaining why.
I totally agree.
I also know for fact that many people come together to help those in need because that is the right thing to do.
Once again, thank you.
Happy Orthodox Easter,
Christ has Risen!
Christ has Risen!
Christ has Risen!
Father, I agree with you in general. HOWEVER, many many saints were murdered via cremation like saint Joan of Arc, the saints during Nero's time in the circus arena, etc. As for me, I have no one that will be at any funeral. I am living in extreme poverty and have no one. I worked for the church all my life as a music director and yet the churches I worked for, never cared one iota for me after firing me when a new pastor came aboard. Clergy and many faiths do NOT care about their employees! I KNOW THIS TO BE A HARD COLD FACT!
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
have you ever considered Orthodoxy? we have coffee hour after liturgy and it’s very welcoming; even large parishes are very communal. Not sure if you’ll even read this but I figured it’s worth it just to put it out there.
Execution by being burned alive is not the same thing as cremation, cremation is what you do to the body after the person has already died.
Protestant Church?
@@jamesbancroft2467 For the past 10 years I have been studying the Orthodox Liturgies and especially Russian Orthodox sacred music which I love enormously.
Thank you for this video. My sister-in-law just passed. She was cremated,but we didn't know why her ashes were not there. Being Episcopalian I was confused and curious to learn. You explained it all beautifully and now I understand. Thank you again and bless you.
Thank you so much Father to explained it , this is so very important thing that Orthodox Christians must to know, because, for some reason that cremation could be a easy way out of the financial burden, thus, they could be made a big mistake that did not realized this is not good for the Soul can untied with body.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I think Fr., You made a good point regarding closure. Where there are many people who simply cannot go to a cemetery or mausoleum and pay there respects to a loved or beloved one simply because they are not there.
Χριστός Ανέστη ☦️Father Maggos respectfully many insightful, introspective questions and observations have been brought up here in the comments which is a positive sign of those who are profoundly affected by your thoughts on burial rites in our Orthodox Church Traditions. I hope you have an opportunity to do another video responding to all these questions below as it would help in this polemic topic☦️
Interestingly enough on the Jedi note, as seen in the Clone Wars, they bury as well in the Jedi temple. Meanwhile Yoda, and obi wan both just became one with the force, with no physical body left behind. I bet there’s Star Wars lore somewhere on this
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Mostly I agree but some things are still a little confusing. Your comments seem to assume the cremation takes place before the funeral. Most I know of personally are the opposite: the body is taken to a church or chapel for the funeral and then cremated afterwards.
BLESSINGS and thank you Father for a well presented Orthodox point of view. This is not a place for debate but I do wish to make additional points that are contrary to yours. We believe in respect for the Temple of the Holy Spirit indeed! However, traditional Western embalming (which really is peculiar to the USA, Canada and Australia) is also quite disrespectful, perhaps more so, if you know every step of what happens in the mortuary. And that is why the funeral industry mystifies and scares people. Now if we are speaking of Orthodox green burial that is another and better situation.
FORM and INTENTION mean everything. A dignified cremation is far better than what happened during the holocaust. One is respectful, the other isn't. The Orthodox Church of Japan allows cremation because it is the law of the land and Orthodoxy respects that. Does that mean it is ok for them but no one else?
God does not need a body to resurrect. He is far beyond that limitation. And while I am thoroughly Orthodox I do believe we need to really examine this as an issue. We are not frozen in amber. And lastly I do wish to point out that when we have holy items, vestments and etc that are no longer serviceable to the church, we respectfully destroy them in fire to prevent desecration. It's form and intention that really matter most. Digging up bodies later in archaeology or whatever other reason there may be is just as disrespectful. After a cremation there is no desecration. The Roman Church has come around on their thoughts and I do believe we need to reexamine this issue also. Cremains should be handled respectfully.
Lastly, the family can still view the dead beforehand for all the benefit there is in that practice.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Where does the church stand on organ donation? Thank you!
Video coming within the month on this topic!
This was amazing! I was hoping there would be a teaching on how martyrs are beheaded and cry out in revelation. And how that relates. If the body is mutilated in the death. Obviously there is a resurrection for those, but wanted to hear about it. I’m a new catechumen. God bless you
I'm a recent convert to Orthodoxy. The denial of Orthodox burial to people who get cremated "feels" cruel to me (I put "feels" in quotation marks because, well, who am I to judge what may in fact be "above my pay grade"....nevertheless, my feelings on this matter are what they are). To me, turning the body into light and heat seems more respectful (or at least as respectful, or maybe "differently" respectful) than putting it into the ground to slowly decompose, rot, get eaten by bugs and worms, etc. Also, I think there is a practice of burning clothing or carpets upon which the Eucharistic blood has been spilt....yes? I'm not sure I see the difference between that and cremating a body. I found the arguments here--all of them--to be extremely weak (again, judging by 'my own lights'....)--and it sort of scares me, because it smacks of a kind of fundamentalist thinking that is hard for me to accept as true.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I realize that the "seed" image is supposed to be a metaphor. And if one does not look too closely at it, and thinks about it in contrary-to-fact terms, it works. But seeds do not die when they are sown. They awaken and begin to grow. Yes, they change shape and form, but springing to life is hardly dying. That is quite different from what happens to a human body in burial. The human body does not spring to life. It rots, stinks, and becomes food for bacteria and worms.
Your assertion that the image of burial is a "noble" image, and that cremation is a horrible image, may be true for you. It is not true for me. Quite the contrary. As I said, having one's body turned into heat and light is far less horrible to me than having it buried in the ground (and, in some ways, I can see it as beautiful, liberating, freeing....). On the other hand, I've had moments when I've been able to see burial as a kind of peaceful returning to the earth...but, well, that is more rare for me.
You mention scriptural examples of burning applied to unholy things. But what about all the burnt offerings to God?
And killing people for choosing cremation (as you say Charlemagne did) is about as deeply anti-Christian a thing as I can imagine. It says more about the sorry state of Charelemagne's lack of love for his neighbor than it does about cremation. It's a reason to reject Charlemagne--not cremation.
I would question your use of fundamentalist, especially when theology of the body is in fact fundamental to Orthodoxy.
@@ArthurMPena
The Bible teaches the Resurrection of the Dead:
Job 19:25-29
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the last day I will rise out of the earth. And I will be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I will see my God. Whom I myself will see, and my eyes will behold, and not another: this my hope is laid up in my bosom. Why then do you say now: Let us persecute him, and let us find occasion of word against him? Flee then from the face of the sword, for the sword is the revenger of iniquities: and know that there is a judgment.
Job 33:24-25
God will be gracious to him, and say, Deliver him from going down to the Pit, I have found a ransom (atonement). Then his body will be fresher than a child's, he will return to the days of his youth.
Isaiah 26:19-21
The dead will rise, and they that are in the tombs will be raised, and they that are in the earth will rejoice: for Your dew is healing to them: but the land of the ungodly will perish. Go, my people, enter into your chambers, shut your door, hide yourself for a little season, until the anger of the Lord has passed away. For, behold, the Lord is bringing wrath from His holy place on the dwellers on the earth: the earth also will disclose her blood, and will not cover her slain.
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? So I answered, O Lord God, You know. Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off. Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord.
Daniel 12:2
And the multitude who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Daniel 12:13
But as for you, go on your way until the end. You will rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.
2 Maccabees 7:9
And when he was at the last gasp, he said: You indeed, O most wicked man, destroy us out of this present life: but the King of the world will raise us up, who die for His laws, in the resurrection of eternal life.
2 Maccabees 7:14
It is good, when put to death by men, to look for hope from God to be raised up again by Him; but for you there is no resurrection to life.
2 Esdras 2:23
When you find any who are dead, commit them to the grave and mark it, and I will give you the first place in my resurrection.
2 Esdras 2:31
Remember your children that sleep, because I will bring them out of the hiding-places of the earth, and will show mercy to them; for I am merciful, says the Lord Almighty.
Matthew 22:23-32
That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him. Teacher, they said, Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh. And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her. Jesus answered, You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
Matthew 27:50-53
Then Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After His resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.
Mark 12:18-27
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him: Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children. Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise. In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her. Jesus said to them, Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken.
Luke 20:27-38
Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him. Teacher, they said, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife, but died childless. Then the second and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. And last of all, the woman died. So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her. Jesus answered, The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God. Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.
John 5:28-29
Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out-those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
John 11-23-24
Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection, on the last day.
@@ArthurMPena
Acts 17:16-32
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day. Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, What is this babbler trying to say? Others said, He seems to be advocating foreign gods. They said this because Paul was proclaiming the gospel of Jesus and the resurrection. So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, where they asked him, May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean. Now all the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time in nothing more than hearing and articulating new ideas. Then Paul stood up in the middle of the Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 2For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, We are His children. Therefore, being children of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination. Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead. When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock him, but others said, We want to hear you again on this topic. At that, Paul left the Areopagus. But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.
Acts 23:6-11
Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial. As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, Take courage. As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.
Acts 24:10-21
When the governor motioned for Paul to speak, he began his response: Knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my defense. You can verify for yourself that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city. Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me. I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man. After several years, then, I returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to my people and to present offerings. At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia who ought to appear before you and bring charges, if they have anything against me. Otherwise, let these men state for themselves any crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, unless it was this one thing I called out as I stood in their presence: It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.
Acts 26
Agrippa said to Paul, You have permission to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews, especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently. Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion. And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers, the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews. Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them. I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Who are You, Lord? I asked. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, the Lord replied. But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me. So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen: that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.
At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, You are insane, Paul. Your great learning is driving you to madness. But Paul answered, I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety. For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do. Then Agrippa said to Paul, Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian? Short time or long, Paul replied, I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains. Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them. On their way out, they said to one another, This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment. And Agrippa said to Festus, This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Thank you for sharing this most sacred and important information series on burial.🙏🏽☦️
Great discussion!
Christ is among us! As a priest, the question that comes back often to me is “What’s the difference of putting a body in the ground and having a disintegrate and putting it in an oven and having it disintegrate?” -Fr. Theodore 😊
Thank you Father. This has been on my mind of late, and I have long been aware of the Orthodox view. I come from a Presbyterian family. All were cremated, and are in a wall at a Crematorium. My parents are there as well, and I have always wanted to be near them after death. A difficult decision to wrestle with!
Thank you for this detailed and succinct explanation of why the Orthodox Church does not support cremation. Some questions have come up in my circle that perhaps you could help to answer for us. Does active cremation deny or affect someone's resurrection and/or salvation? And if the body is integral to the resurrection, as explained in the video, what happens to all those people who have been cremated actively, or, who died in a way that their body was destroyed naturally during or after death, (say in a fire, or at sea)? I've heard the argument that if God made man from the dust of the Earth, and if Jesus said Himself that he could raise up sons of Abraham from a stone, then surely what we do with the body after it falls asleep is of no importance for the resurrection, and ultimately salvation? I've heard yet another argument that if the method of disposal of a body was of such great importance to the resurrection, Jesus would have mentioned it explicitly, and that the fact that He was buried Himself, says very little about the spiritual significance of preserving the body for resurrection (and more about the cultural traditions, which bear no influence on the resurrection/salvation of a person). Any guidance would be much appreciated! Thank you.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
@@HHH_Hymnal Since you gave the same answer here as you did to my comment, I'll repeat my response to you here as well, as I'd like to get Fotini's thoughts on this:
I realize that the "seed" image is supposed to be a metaphor. And if one does not look too closely at it, and thinks about it in contrary-to-fact terms, it works. But seeds do not die when they are sown. They awaken and begin to grow. Yes, they change shape and form, but springing to life is hardly dying. That is quite different from what happens to a human body in burial. The human body does not spring to life. It rots, stinks, and becomes food for bacteria and worms.
Your assertion that the image of burial is a "noble" image, and that cremation is a horrible image, may be true for you. It is not true for me. Quite the contrary. As I said, having one's body turned into heat and light is far less horrible to me than having it buried in the ground (and, in some ways, I can see it as beautiful, liberating, freeing....). On the other hand, I've had moments when I've been able to see burial as a kind of peaceful returning to the earth...but, well, that is more rare for me.
You mention scriptural examples of burning applied to unholy things. But what about all the burnt offerings to God?
And killing people for choosing cremation (as you say Charlemagne did) is about as deeply anti-Christian a thing as I can imagine. It says more about the sorry state of Charelemagne's lack of love for his neighbor than it does about cremation. It's a reason to reject Charlemagne--not cremation.
@@HHH_Hymnal
I'd add Amos 2:1:
This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Moab,
even for four, I will not relent.
Because he burned to ashes
the bones of Edom’s king"
Note: The prophet condemns the cremation - even of an enemy - as an unforgivable crime, since it caused the soul of the dead to enter a state of unhappiness.
@@aiziszizis2536 thank you, I will add this verse from Amos to the list
Sort of interested in how the Japanese Orthodox Church accomplishes this. I've got a plot in America but if I move to Japan to be with my family I wonder if there is a way to get an exception for a burial.
You just inspired an upcoming video. We'll be tackling this subject very soon! Thank you!
Thanks!
👍looked this up after watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.... they cremated their father🙁 without controversy in the film
When I was a Kid - before Vatican II - we Catholics weren't allowed to be cremated either. Don't know when they changed it. Left the Church long ago.
Awesome video...very educational and did find the modern examples funny.
I'm going look more into your channel, or I should talk to my spiritual leader...but I have two questions;
1) what's the rule if someone dies violently (explosion, fire, etc)?
2) is true must bury facing a certain location?
Thank you! Father Maggos will be answering your question during one of our upcoming Orthodoxy Questions Answered Summer Specials. Keep an eye out for those episodes Thursdays nights in July!
I know this is a long way off for some of us, and for others it might be closer (no offence).
However you should do a video on how an orthodox funeral is held so forth. Kind of wandering.
THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION
Thank you. You were very clear. And I shared it
You're very welcome!
Thank you, father, for your video. I understand that you are presenting the Church's teachings and I respect what you're doing.
The only point that I found persuasive was the one you made about us respecting the body as a temple that belongs to God Himself. I have two questions related to this, that I ask in a spirit of humility and ignorance.
As it is acceptable to bury or burn the images of the saints and Christ (icons), how is it disrespectful to bury OR burn the body, which is made in the image of God? Both the decomposing elements in the ground and the fire of the crematory are in a sense natural, and fire is even a symbol for God in Exodus.
As for the bones that are left over, can you address how the buried remains are treated in Greece, presumably with the consent of the Greek Church? I am referring to the exhumations and relocations to osteofylakes.
The bones will fall to dust anyway. Is it truly more respectful to exhume a body than to keep it in an urn? Is this a teaching of the Church that may change in the future, or is it 100% certain for all time?
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I am exploring the Orthodox faith itself, and in relation to the stand of the Orthodox faith about burial and cremation, I am wondering how we have to handle this in the case of a country such as Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, where the Orthodox faith is few and far in between in followers and the laws hardly allow for burial, especially in the case of Singapore where burial is now becoming next to extinct. There is an Orthodox church mission here, at least from 2005 (although I have no idea if it is still active), and the norm now even for Catholics and Christians of the evangelical bent has been to cremate. In this case, what does the Orthodox church recommend?
Thank you for this wonderful video and explanation.
May I ask, what is the Orthodox Church's position when a person dies in an authoritarian totalitarian country that forces and mandates cremation?
One example might be mainland China. What should the family do when an Orthodox person dies in these places.
You're very welcome! We will be tackling this subject very soon as a few others have asked this as well. Thank you!
100% agree, but can understand why people cremate due to their financial circumstances. Here in Australia funeral expenses burial with monument minimum you need at least $30,000 Orthodox Church $1000 plus an additional $250 in cash for death/funeral orthodox certificate that’s not worth the money it’s written on, it’s a useless piece of paper. I know as my husband’s funeral was late 2022. the plot was nearly $12000 with a further $1300 permit fee for the monument
Thank you for this explanation.
Now I'm wondering the Orthodox view about organ/tissue donations.
Hello father, my question is how does our church handle people that have perished in fires? Thank you !
yea i have wandered that too.
I'm going to jump in here as a layman. Sadly sometimes people die in fires or from some form of trauma (accidents or violence) that can leave the remains badly damaged. In those situations the normative practice is to gather whatever remains can be found and inter them physically. A closed coffin funeral is not preferred in Orthodox funeral rites but as a practical concession to the situation, it is sometimes permitted. In the event of death in a fire, the remains are often badly damaged, but are rarely completely incinerated. In cases where someone dies and their remains are either lost or completely destroyed without deliberate intent, the funeral rites are frequently still performed with some modifications by what is known as economy (oikonomia). There are also various memorial rites that are often performed sans the body of the deceased. In short the Church acknowledges that sometimes things happen that are beyond our control and we accommodate when this happens as far as possible and with compassion. What is prohibited is the deliberate desecration of human remains.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
What about people that died on a explosion and there is nothing left? From ashes to ashes dust to dust. Cmon
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Thank you father.
What is the church stance of human fetal cells being used for things like experimentation, vaccine production, research etc..?
Well I'll adhere to the teachings of the Orthodox Church.
However, I don't see how cremation would affect the soul or spirit of a person. And our Lord, (when He returns) can give us a new body or reanimate our bodies, etc. our bodies will be changed on the day of resurrection so. The Lord knows all and is all powerful, So he can bring all the molecules back etc.
You make a few good points though brother. So i will give you a like.
Anyway,
When I'm dead my body will most likely be in a mausoleum type inner structure that's below the surface of the earth a bit. That's a very long time from now though.
I have thought of having a Viking funeral when that does happen but yes I'll admit orthodoxy was one of the things that change my mind a bit, So that's one of the reasons for the inner mausoleum thing.
On a secular note though,
Vikings are still awesome, and Vikings don't have anything to do with orthodoxy but it be fun if you had more of them in rp pc games. just wish there was more time to play em these days.
I’m Serbian Orthodox, I have a strong faith in Jesus however I am still working on aligning myself to all the religious aspects of Orthodoxy… just one question… Didn’t God create Adam from dust and soil? I’m just wondering how is it impossible for our souls to return to our bodies, God can do anything. Nothing is too hard for God, and God often works fluidly, I have never seen God work like clockwork. Just wondering at what point can we agree that nothing is impossible for the Lord?
Father Maggos will be answering your question during one of our upcoming Orthodoxy Questions Answered Summer Specials. Keep an eye out for those episodes Thursdays nights in July!
In regards to burials can you please make a video about Pottersfield and how even the wicked were at least buried. Probably the most famous Pottersfield was in New York it has been even in movies. I think the term in the Bible is ALKADAMA? I’m not sure but burying IS BIBLICAL!
Thank you and God Bless
Tasso Papoulias
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Where does the church stand now regarding cremation. ? As i believe now they have accepted it !
Let me clarify that ancient Greeks never cremated their dead. They buried them. There is no historic or mythological reference to 'cremation'. When circumstances called for it (war, disease, etc) they did burn them, but that's different from cremation. There are remains when a body is burnt, but only ash when it's cremated. And the Greeks honored those remains. One could write a whole diatribe on the subject.
Jesus was able to repaired his damaged body, leaving only the some wounds of the crucifixtion...decay in dying also occurs of course, and would all have to be repaired, as well as in accidents. The closure factor, I don't know why a cremation cannot happen after the viewing at a funeral. I am not disagreeing, I am just reasoning."Come let us reason together", that's all I'm doing. Thank you for this video.
What is the church’s stance on human composting? I realize it’s a fairly new way.
We are going to answer this question in tonight's Orthodoxy Questions Answered show. Great question!
@@annunciationorthodox Oh good.
In parts of Greece they collect the bones after a certain period, and reuse the plot for someone else. I assume that is still orthodox. Land is becoming scarcer with time, and just from a practical point of view, surely reusing plots is reasonable. Cremation is still the most practical. It doesn't take up space. One day the church will have to reinterpret its doctrine. When a body is buried it decays. The bones may last some time, but isn't a decayed body the same as a cremated one anyway? And if we are to be resurrected, then surely god is great enough to perform that miracle even if someone, who was good, was cremated.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I,for a long time was curious as to what made the people who worshipped Molech who was basically a reptile fire god and how they arrived at such disgusting practices as fire child sacrifice and in that research I discovered that it was their belief that you couldn't enter his realm whole but had to be "burned into"his realm.Might that be the pagan origin of cremation???
I have a question about cremation.. my bf's aunt had a Greek Orthodox funeral, but years later was cremated in order to make space in her crypt for her sister. Does that nullify her Orthodox funeral? She obviously had no choice in the matter.
Father will answer this question this Thursday in a special edition of Orthodoxy Questions Answered!
Amen 🙏
You are overlooking one very important fact: God can resurrect anyone whether there is a body or not. How many dead people from ages past are decomposed by now, but died believing?
If how a person dies destroys the body (like a building fire, a fiery car accident, or an explosion) would the Orthodox church still refuse the funeral?
Father Maggos will answer your question in tonight's live Orthodoxy Questions Answered!
Does this preclude the donation of organs?
What about organ donations?
We have a video on this topic: ua-cam.com/video/AzdUTblwSK8/v-deo.html
Guess it's too early to know. What would Orthodoxy think of composting. As long as they don't grind our bones to make their bread. Seems like this would work better in Greece also where they dig up the bodies to collect bones. You just decay faster. Around a month and your bodies turned into soil . Suppose you could bury the soil and bones somewhere that should take up less space . This business wants to put the bones through a grinder, the same as cremation, but maybe the Orthodox could convince them to leave out that part. Bury a box with dirt and bones, which is what you are doing anyway.
Father Maggos will be answering your question during one of our upcoming Orthodoxy Questions Answered Summer Specials. Keep an eye out for those episodes Thursdays nights in July!
I have a question What happens to the soul if the body is cremated ???
they’re still raised up on the last, same as those who’ve died in fires, drownings or explosions, but it’s completely disrespectful to cremate somebody
“Even the Jedi did it” hahaha, nice😂😂
What if your family member isn’t orthodox Christian and is a Jehovah’s Witness and wants to be cremated what do we do?
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@@annunciationorthodox thank you so so much!!
I have done ,out of sheer curiosityse research on the people who worshipped Molech,a reptile god mentioned in the old testament,a reptile fire god and I asked myself "who were these people and how did they arrive at such disgusting practices like making fire sacrifice of their childrenIt turns out ,archaeologists have found a few fraents of glyph -eritten accounts of some of their beliefs one of which is that you couldn't get into Molech's realm your body had to be burned to enter this being"burned in"to his realm.Might that be the origin of cremation?And if so ,then it is a PAGAN practice.And are we to participate in or engage in ANY pagan practices AT ALL???
What happens to those people consumed by animals? Those who are blown to pieces? Those who get nuked and turned to dust? A rotting corpse is the temple of the Holy Spirit? From dust you came, from dust you will return. I'm not provoking a fight. I'm just asking questions respectfully. The thought of being burried in a coffin scares the heck out of me, but grinding your bones to dust sounds worse. If I could ascended to Heaven lile Elijah, that would be great.😊
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What is someone dies in a house fire and burns up
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Okay dude, you spend half the video talking about how the body and the soul are so intrinsically tied together that it's impossible to separate them, this is by God's design. Yet we can break that with Oog make fire? There's a serious inconsistency here. Either the body and soul are divinely linked and cannot be broken, or it can be broken by our hands.
"Dude??"
@@carolweaver3269 dude.
I am greek orthodox. I am 61 yrs of age. I will be cremated as per my wish. My body will be taken to church for the prayers. Then to the crematorium. My ashes will be scattered in the ocean.
What is part of GOD ( my soul ) will go back to the Father if it is his will. As a created being my body will go back to being ashes and dust.
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.
Priests don’t have the right to judge as Matthew 7:1-2 tells us. Forgive us if you deem it a sin and leave it to GOD to judge us at the second coming.
But does the bible go against it?
So far the 1st point does not hold water; have you seen a dead body after a week or two, it is not of the image or likeness of GOD, "from the earth we became, and to earth we return."; also When Jesus said, "let the dead bury their dead." His message here was to teach his Apostles to seek the living and care for them not the dead.
Q: what happens to Christians who were disintegrated in wars, work, or by accident? will they not go to paradise?
To bury someone, one must take a loan due to the businesses (leechers) that built their business of the dead, and families CAN'T afford it - I say the church MUST change with the times and look after its people especially when the solution does not alter the faith.
Darn. Cremation was my last chance to have a smoking hot body.😂😂😂 oh well.
😂
Cremation is far from environmentally friendly.
My Father is not Orthodox and is being cremated. I do not agree with this bit it was his wish and my other family members agree with his decision. Am I sinning by not making this an issue. I am choosing not to make this an issue to honor my father and not cause Strife while the family Grieves
So does this mean that anyone who is cremated is a lost cause?
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
Respectful treatment? You obviously do not know what they do to a body to prepare for burial.
Yeah, but the body is going to deteriorate anyway. “From dust you were created, to dust you will return.” God can join dust into its original state, just as He joined bones and sinew into a risen army in Ezekiel 36.
The bodies of those who are burned or cremated suffer no loss because Christ is able to raise the dead, for Him there is no trouble to gather dust or ashes to restore the body, but the burning of the departed is a fearful and destructive thing for those who are sending off the departed, because it shows a terrible image.
When a person is buried, there is a clear image, a noble and lofty image, the seed that is sown into the earth.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1 Corinthians 15:42
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
When a person is thrown into a burning oven, that is also an image, but one that is clearly unpleasant, an image of eternal fire, an image that is hurtful to people's souls.
That is why the Church opposes cremation, not because it will hurt the soul of the departed, but because it is hurtful to the living.
Cremation was universally condemned in the early church (See: Minucius Felix, Octavius Chapters 34-35)
Cremation was banned by Emperor Charlemagne in 789 as a capital offense (punishable by death) because it is a pagan practice that is antithetical to Christianity.
The Church has firmly stood against cremation for 2,000 years, upholding the dignity of the human body, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, made in the image of God, and awaiting the glorious resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
When a Christian wants his body to be burned, he shows that he does not believe in the value that the body has, does not respect it, rejects the resurrection of the body, and is influenced by various heretical teachings.
The funeral of the Lord Himself is an example to follow. Christ’s body was treated with the utmost respect and reverence, being wrapped in fine linen and anointed with costly ointments.
1 Corinthians 15:42
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever.
2 Peter 2:6
By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.
Exodus 32:20
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
2 Chronicles 34:4
They chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
2 Chronicles 34:7
He broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder.
I want a natural burial under a big tree. I came from the earth and so I want to return to it.
What then do you say about a person who is a Christian but is murdered and dismembered or burned? Or a soldier that is blown up in battle or a pilot whose plane explodes. All these are examples where body is gone, so what about these people? Are they not going to heaven because they don't have a body anymore? The bible says. "From dust you were made, to dust you shall return." When we die as a believer in Christ, our spirit goes to heaven, not our physical body. Christ told the thief next to him that: "Today you shall be with me in paradise" It is immediate. I don't agree with the reasons you give against cremation. However, I do agree it is not very respectful to the body yet I'm not sure that traditional embalming is respectful either. The whole process is gruesome. Removing the blood and organs. Sewing the mouth shut. Argghh.
And embalming?
The blood is the LIFE and it is drained out of the body and it is sick what happens to it. Many Orthodox do not allow this either and use a Pine Box and just do a simple amount for the body and not that part I understand anyway. Not embalming at least the Russian does not. I just wonder about embalming, and cremation, just do not like any of them. Jesus was placed in a tomb and wrapped in cloths and the next day they used * Or planned to use anyway, oils fragrant special Myrrh and others and anoint the body and may that is better, except I would not want people looking at my body. But it would be a way to preserve it. But not anything to destroy it.
Jehovah God, doesn't get upset how the deaced is placed, people who die in the ocean, etc.
God " Knows " every person that has died.
Every " spirit " or life force is in JEHOVAH'S ENDLESS MEMORY
The spirit of " life force" is returned to Jehovah, the Body or " Soul" Is deaced completely. No flesh or bone survive the grave.
Jehovah God gives it " a new body" only when Jesus Kingdom on earth ( ruling from heaven) During the 1000 years.
( All will be made alive) they will hear Jesus's voice from the grave, and the deaced will answer.
For atm, the dead " know nothing at all" Ecclesiastes 9:5
You cannot communicate, with the dead, as they cannot listen , see, etc from the grave, they're brain " no longer functions" from the grave.
If you try to communicate with the dead, you're actually communicating with demons, who may pretend to be the people that died( Deuteronomy 18:10-12
All that have died are brain dead! It's like an unconscious sleep)
This is why Jesus compared death to a sleep, just without having dreams.
Only Jesus can " reawaken " all that have died.( ECCLESIASTES, 9:10 3:20, )
JOHN, 11: 11-14.
Read also Isaiah 8:19, Revelation 4: 11
Romans, 6:7
Deuteronomy 32:4 and 1Jonh, 4: 8
Which is the reason I left greek orthodoxy.
Father Maggos, with due respect, I find that none of these arguments against cremation hold water.
(1) RE: St. Paul and the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. One could simply hear St. Paul's statement in the context of our living bodies, how we regard and treat our physical bodies while alive.
(2) Example of Lazaras: Even if one takes the 'resurrection' of Lazaras' body as fact, he was laid to rest in a tomb, not stuck in a locked casket many feet underground with a body filled with embalming fluid. Let's be real here. The body can be argued to be the Holy Spirit's vehicle while alive, not after death. How the body is respectfully disposed of is a return to God's elemental realm of matter. "Ashes to ashes...dust to dust."
(3) RE: the "violence" of cremation. I've witnessed the cremation of loved ones and it was far from anything that could be considered "violent". Further, if anyone has been present at a loved-ones passing (especially from the ravages of cancer) I think we could all agree that the process of death itself is violent to body.
(4) RE: Psychological closure. I've been present at a cremation where there was an open casket viewing before-hand where family and friends could say goodbye and kiss and honor the body as the vehicle of our loved one during life. This provided as satisfying a psychological 'closure' as any burial ceremony I've been part of.
In closing, Father, I have to say that in regard to all the reasons provided why Orthodoxy denies the spiritual legitimacy of cremation, these policies are the result of men who gather in Ecumenical Synods to discuss and make religious policy for others. The reasons you provided have not been handed down by God, but are only interpretations of scripture. Thanks for hearing me out.
God Bless! Anastasi Mavrides