onducted by the Presbyterian Panel, 40% of members and 53% of pastors choose to be cremated (Presbyterian, 2004, p. 15).
Despite the majority of Presbyterians preferring cremation, how they wish their ashes to be treated is quite different. Some want their ashes scattered, others want the ashes buried, still others want the ashes placed in a memorial columbarium, and a few wish their ashes to be retained by loved ones. These differences show how different cultures and religions view death and funeral rituals, even when they ascribe to the same methods of body disposal. George (2004) maintains that ôThe real question isnÆt whether they choose burial or cremation, but the meaning given to these actsö (25).
In the Jewish culture and religion, cremation is expressly forbidden. As Dimond (2004) maintains, ôThe body must not be cremated. It must be buried in earthö (547). Even if the body is buried in a casket, the casket must have holes drilled in it so that the corpse comes in contact with earth. Hindus have practiced the act of cremation for body disposal for centuries. However, there are elaborate rituals involved in the treatment of the dead body prior to cremation. After death, Hindus arrange the deceasedÆs body in the entranceway of the home, with the head facing south. A lamp is kept on near the head and incense is burned. Both the thumbs and the big toes are tied together. The body is not embalmed and no organs are to be removed before creation occurs. Among the Sikhs, cremation is also the ôpreferred method of disposalö (Dimond, 2004, p. 548). In contrast to the Hindu preparation for burial, the Sikhs thoroughly cleanse and freshly clothe the body of the deceased before taking it to the cremation site for disposal.
Among Buddhists, the deceased may be buried or cremated. The method of body disposal is dependent upon the wishes of the family of the deceased. In Japan, the concern for land use and the h...