Catholics and Cremation

Catholics have long been opposed to cremation for two main reasons.  One, because the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and should be treated with dignity.  Two, because cremation is a pagan practice, and no Catholic wants to do anything that might get him labeled a pagan.  Obviously, God can resurrect a body reduced to ashes just as easily as one buried, but, maybe for the same reason we are divided on organ donation, we just don't want to make things harder for Him.  He's going to pretty busy during the last judgment, and probably not in a really great mood, so  nobody wants to have to explain why their temple is all ashy, or how Bernie's liver is nowhere to be found, but he's walking around with one that belongs to some other guy.  Meanwhile, the other guy is so busy wondering how he's standing upright with no liver that he can't pay attention to what's going on.  You can see how this would be a worry for some folks, even though God could sort it all out in a wink.
Many times, you can take every shred of morality out of a Catholic teaching, and still see worldly benefits.  For instance, Catholics are commanded to keep holy the Sabbath.  We are not allowed to miss mass, or to work on Sundays.  This is for our own good.  Take any talk of morality out of it, and you still benefit from taking a day to relax.  Even taking the day to go to mass -- you may not enjoy it, and you may not even be Catholic, but there is a peace that comes from assisting at mass that you can't find anywhere else.  I've had full-blown charismatic Pentecostals tell me they can feel the presence of God in our little chapel, even with the silence and solemnity so opposite of what they are used to seeing.

I believe in the Church, and I believe what She teaches.  I also like to figure out why I believe them (most reasons are matters of Faith), and why I believe them even if I take out anything which requires me to be a Catholic before I believe it.  This way, I can explain a particular belief to a non-Catholic without a lot of background discussion, because, frankly, most people don't want to hear me talk for that long (hence, the blog).

Ok, so the point (and I will try to be brief, here)...How Does the Ban on Cremation Benefit Me?

Well, if you are Catholic, leaving your body around here on earth with a giant stone engraved with your name does two things:  It reminds everyone to pray for you, and it gives your family something to do on All Soul's Day.  If you had been cremated, you would probably not be getting as many prayers as all those smarties who chose to be buried.  Many Catholics are in the habit of praying for the poor souls every time they pass a cemetery, and pray especially for those buried there.  Just think how many Catholics may drive by your grave every day and pray for you...obvious benefit, but doesn't do much for someone who doesn't believe in Purgatory.

So, if I were not Catholic and didn't know about Purgatory, would I still opt out of cremation?  Yes.  Because...
1.  Cemeteries are pretty.
2.  My family can bring flowers and remember me -- it gives them a place to "visit" memories.
3.  It's weird to have a funeral service without a burial -- burials give closure.
4.  I can spend all my left-over dough on a fancy casket so my spoiled family members don't have anything to fight about.  (If you know me, you know how serious a problem this could be.)
5.  I can be buried with all my favorite things, also a way to leave nothing to fight over.
6.  If there is ever a question about how I died, forensic pathologists can exhume my body and be all detective-y...this makes for an awesome Dateline NBC. 
7.  I will finally get my hair and make-up professionally done.
8.  Sometimes, people just need something at which to throw flowers.
9.  It's kind of fun to watch people negotiate grass and mud in their Sunday best.
10.  There is no mistaking whose body is in the casket, but there is just no telling with ashes.