Burial And Cremation, What Are Their Pros and Cons?
The modern resurgence of cremation opened another options for those who have recently loss their loved ones. A growing number of people are choosing cremation over the traditional burial. But there are those who through personal religious conviction still stand for traditional burial methods. How about you? Do you think cremation is better than burial? Or do you still prefer to bury the dead instead of burning their remains because of traditional beliefs? Here are some pros and cons of both burial and cremation that may help you determine which one is better.
A) Cremation
Cremation is the practice of burning the remains of the dead and then placing the ashes in an urn. Survivors have the option of bringing the urn (and the ashes to their homes) or storing the ashes in a columbarium.
Advantages
- Generally, cremation is more economical than burial because there are fewer funeral activities associated with burning the remains of the dead.
- Cremation is more flexible to the remaining family members. They could choose to get a portion of the ashes as their keepsake. Family members can also choose to keep the ashes in a columbarium, a portion of it in their homes, or entirely spread all the ashes in a place that is close to the heart of the dearly departed.
- Cremation can make it easier and cheaper to remove the remains of the dead from where death took place and transport it to where the rest of the family lives.
- Cremation is more beneficial for people who are ecologically predisposed. Only a small space is needed for the ashes of the dead.
Disadvantages
- Cremation does not require a formal funeral service. For this reason, it can be a cause for lack of closure.
- Cremation is still not generally accepted in a Christian society because it is not in agreement with certain Christian belief and practices. Majority of families are still averse to the idea of burning their dead. When it comes to burying the dead, the sensitivities of the remaining family members is one of the major factors that must be considered.
- Typically, there is no permanent place where people can pay their respects to the dead. No headstone is required in cremation.
B) Burial
Burial is the traditional method in most Christian societies. This has been the method by which Christian families give respect to their dead loved ones for thousands of years.
Advantages
- Burial is practiced by families to follow their religious beliefs, especially if the dearly departed is of the same religion.
- Burial is the method by which the remaining family members give their final honors and respects to their dead loved ones.
- Burial also brings families back together. With this tradition, the remaining family members and their friends are able to keep their relationships close because it provides them the opportunity to share and deal with their grief together.
- There’s always a funeral service conducted in the burying of the dead. This funeral service functions as the important closure in the dead person’s life.
- The burial place serves as a memorial and a place where family friends can visit whenever they wish to.
Disadvantages
- One major disadvantage of the burial method is the expenses involved in the practice. The total expense will depend on the funeral services that the remaining family members want for their dead ones. Funeral expenses usually include the following: embalming, preparing and dressing up the remains for viewing, a casket, a viewing room for the wake, a hearse, funeral ceremonies and many more.
- Another significant disadvantage is the time involved in the traditional burial method. It takes a longer time to complete the whole process of burial. In some countries, sympathizers may have to pay honor to the dead several days before the remains of the dead are finally buried. This will also entail additional expenses to the well-wishers, not mentioning the expenses being shouldered by the family members during the wake.
Whether they choose cremation or burial, the remaining family members should be able to consider a lot of things and then balance their wants and that of the final wish of the dearly departed to the practicality of their situation. If financial constraints are one of the major considerations, cremation would be the practical option. However, if the family has no money problems, the traditional burial method is preferable, especially if the dead one is a Christian.
