Cremation or Burial?

[thechickenchick]

Yes, it is a weird poll, but another thread got me thinking about this. I choose cremation. The only reason I can really think of is my Grandparents and Parents were all cremated and their ashes spread over the same farm ground. So I guess I am just following suit. So what is your preference and why?

 

[mom'sfolly]

Cremation or green burial. I just don't like the idea of conventional burial and embalming. I think our bodies are meant to rot, and waiting a week or so for a funeral makes embalming necessary. The whole idea of embalming just creeps me out. And besides nothing says "Goodbye mom, love you" like dropping a bunch of toxic chemicals into the ground. I do however like the idea of having a place to go to for remembrance, so a green burial is somewhat appealing. Or cremation with a beloved place for the ashes to reside.

My ashes can be spread on the river below this mountain. This is in the town where I grew up, and still is home in many ways....

http://my.opera.com/pixelpusher/albums/showpic.dml?album=437393&picture=6192608

 

[EE lover:)]

cremation. i dont want bugs crawling all over my corpse when i die.

 

[TwistedSerpent]

What about the option of donating your body to science? It doesnt cost a thing (I heard even your survivers get some kind of monetary or tax benefit from it, not 100% sure about that though), you will help students or researchers, and usually afterwards you're cremated anyways. Lets face it, when you're dead what happens to your body is the last thing on your mind.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I try to remember it this way. What will your family visit to remember you? What will future generations do to remember you?

When my mom passed, I don't know what I (or especially my dad) would have done had my mom chosen cremation and spreading. It's somewhat soothing on the tragedy to have a place where you know at least part of your loved one is.

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
This only works if your body is in good shape and you're not older than dirt when you keel over.

My grandfather thought this would be a brilliant plan for both he and my grandmother - except by the time they both died (she was early 70s, he was 76) they were no longer "good specimens" and the universities and learning hospitals in the area didn't want them. My grandmother died first so they had to scramble to organize the cremation. He just figured the hospital would do it after they were done with the bodies. He at least had a space purchased at a mausoleum so that worked out.

When he died my mother had him cremated and placed in with my grandmother. Cremation does take up way less space.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

I'm like this - at the moment a lot of space is taken up by cemetaries, and old cemetaries are dug up all the time and bodies moved to 'safer' locations when to close to homes now that the laws were made...Just think in a couple more decades or a generation or two - most of the cemetaries we have now will be 'moved' and probably piled up to 'save space' for more development and what not...We're running out of room and some 'prime locations' are cemetaries in smaller cities/towns that are growing over the years...I don't want to think about my grandparents or my brother's graves being dug up, distrubed, moved, reburied, and possibly mis-placed or mis-marked...some people are really touchy about this kind of thing - but really you're not going to have much of any say if the person who owns the whole property (some cemetaries are privately owned by churches or people - some by cities/towns) and if its sold - who knows what may ACTUALLY happen to the remains...

Cremation is in my opinion the way to go - especially with these realistic thoughts - it takes up less or no room, its more ecological as many places do not allow green burials, and its just safer - you can put the ashes in an urn, you can get a head stone put on the family property in memory of that person, etc... You don't need a pretty casket thats going in the ground, a body pumped full of chemicals and teh degredation and man handling that goes into it done to the body to embalm and prep, then buried in the ground to never be seen and possibly a headstone that will never be visited because of location or a move etc.... If you get a small stone made for your own backyard and cremation - the memory stone can be moved with you if you leave, the urn of ashes can be taken as well, etc etc...

But really its just what a person thinks is more 'proper' or their own preference.

I know many people think burial is 'traditional' or its a religious thing...Go for it if its what you believe

- me if I had my choice i'd just have it in my will to throw me on a burn pile in the backyard and save my life insurance money for the kids instead of burying or cremating me for thousands of dollars! makes more sense to me

when you die - theres nothing but a body, a shell - to me when I die I think my body is pointless and useless to keep around - lol. I'll feel better knowing I'm not taking up space for no reason

but thats just me. (I'm 22 and I do have a will - it says in essence: "CREMATE MY TAIL - and the kid gets the money"

 

[WingingIt]

Providing that we get back home before we die, our plan is a 'green' burial on our own land.

 

[castleqween]

Cremation, ashes to ashes, as they say. My moms in the backyard and gotta say I like her there. Everyone else in the fam in in the gound in a box somewhere and who visits them...bugs. Moms where I can say "hi". As far as science... good for you. We all need a lil bit help solving the problems of why we are dead in the first place, that is if your not dead due to 'just been here too long'

 

[Slinkytoys]

Most people who leave their bodies to science have no idea what they do with them. There are a few good books now that describe in detail what will happen. Some, for example, will be used in speed crash experiments others might be sold (yes sold) as parts for different uses. Heads are a premium being used in practice for plastic surgery and dentals. Or maybe you'll end up at the Body Farm, left out for the bugs and elements to do their thing. Yes, this is all for the advance of science---but one should know that they may not end up at a college school room.
Slinky