Is embalming a body sinful?

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vin_dedvukaj

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I was thinking along the lines of the bodily resurrection at the end of time ? should would not tamper with the body by putting toxins into even after death if we will resurrect with our bodies? just a thought that I had would be interested in your thoughts.
 
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Of course not. Unless a body is buried within about 24 hours it’s necessary (and in some cases legally required) for health reasons.
 
Enbalming and cremation are not problems for the Lord. Our Lord will enable all to rise.
 
Modern embalming does little to respect the dignity of the body.
 
I’m not aware of anywhere which legally requires embalming as a matter of course, however many jurisdictions do require it in certain circumstances (e.g. transportation of a body) and many undertakers will insist on it in certain circumstances. Sorry - my earlier post was a bit badly worded.

I would add though that, having talked to embalmers, the way in which the carry out their work is respectful to the dignity of the person’s body.
 
No, it is absolutely not a sin.
My personal opinion however, is that it should be avoided because of the toxins that can leak out in the ground. I don’t really understand the American tradition with metal caskets and burial vaults either, a wooden casket seems to be the best to me.
 
We resurrect with glorified bodies, like Christ; in scripture (First letter of John) it indicates that “we don’t know what we’ll be like, but we’ll be like Him.” (paraphrased)
That seems to say that while we do get our bodies back, our present bodies aren’t exactly what we’ll be getting. This is also why the Church permits cremation.
 
My father was against being embalmed because he considered it a barbaric practice. When I went to the funeral home to discuss his desires I was initially told that he was required by law to be embalmed. After discussing what his issue was, they explained that there are different levels of embalming. One, which is required by law, was to remove bodily fluids (I suppose to keep them from entering the water table). The other is to remove the bodily fluids and replace them with an embalming solution. The only stipulation for the first method was that he must be buried in a metal casket.
Note that this may be different in other places.
 
What nation requires embalming?

Think about it, bodily fluids are bodily fluids. Waste products are all natural.

Say you go hunt a wild deer and kill it. You are then struck with the flu so the deer decomps before you can field dress it. Does the law require embalming of the deer or do you just get a backhoe and bury it?

Unless someone dies from a very small number of specific diseases, a dead body is not dangerous.

We have become so separated from the death process that it is sad, people used to care for their dead loved ones themselves.
 
InThePew said:
add though that, having talked to embalmers, the way in which the carry out their work is respectful to the dignity of the person’s body.
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In my experience, most funeral professionals are very respectful of the dead person. The modern embalming process for cosmetic reasons can be problematic.

It is also poisoning our environment.
 
I didn’t say it was a national requirement, it was local (as far as I know - and again, it could have been the requirement of that particular cemetery). I suppose it has to do with the rear of contamination in the wells around the cemetery.
 
It’s not sinful, but I very much dislike it, and I much prefer the practice of the Jews and the Muslims, to bury promptly in a manner that actually ensures quicker decomposition. We are meant to return to the elements.

This said, I have had to agree to a prepaid funeral and burial arrangement which incorporates modern American practices. My family has very strong sensibilities about this sort of thing (even though, when pressed, they will concede that embalming only delays decomposition) and it was a “package deal” of sorts. If I outlive them, I am seriously considering selling my interest in it, and arranging for “green burial” with no embalming and only a simple, biodegradable container or even just a shroud.

Incidentally, bodies can be preserved for some time by refrigeration, so unless there is some loathsome disease or transport situation, embalming is never necessary. (For obvious reasons, strong embalming is also needed for medical cadavers.)
 
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I don’t know if embalming can be mandatory. Jewish law forbids it which is why Jews are buried within 24-48 hrs…usually 24 unless it falls on the sabbath. It would be a violation of religious freedom to mandate it and I’ve never heard any Jew comment that a fellow Jew had to be embalmed. Caskets are always wood as well…often with holes drilled in the bottom to hasten the decomposition.

Quite honestly, embalming just seems like an up charge to an already expensive process.
 
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