Abstract
This paper looks at the ways in which religions approach the disposal of human bodies after death with a particular focus on cremation. The paper examines religious issues associated with the disposal of the body after death as well as funeral rituals and includes interviews with contemporary religious leaders from different faiths.

From the Paper
"The ways in which various religions approach the disposal of the human body after death vary quite significantly. Dimond explored this issue and commented that the two primary practices of the disposal and preparation of the body are burial and cremation. It is the purpose of this research study to first review the literature on the topic of cremation -- a form of body disposal within funeral rituals of many different religious groups that has gained wider acceptance worldwide except among members of the Jewish faith.

Tags:cremation, burial, religion, funeral

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that cremation has long been in practice and once was the only process by which ancient men would dispose of their dead. The writer discusses that cremated bones, though archeologically available only in small fragmented pieces, can become the gateway through which one can travel back in time and study the culture and traditions of a society long gone and lost in the realms of time and history. The writer studies what a cremated bone is and what information can be obtained from cremated bones regarding a person's society. This study aims to demystify the cremated bones and shed some light on them.

Outline:
Cremated Bones - A Definition
Brief History of Cremated Bones
The Process of Cremation
Information available from Cremated Bones about Society & Individual
Dating Cremated Bones
Survival of Cremated Bones
Summary

From the Paper
"The age of civilization can be predicted with the help of this. Study of a cremated bone would also tell us about age of the cremated individual as to whether he was an adult or a child. The age could be ascertained from various remaining bone fragments like parts of the skull having cranial sutures, not completely ossified parts of long bones, unfused epiphyses and diaphyses. Teeth which have not erupted at the time of death, as in a child, generally survive the intense heat and can tell a rough estimate of the age of the individual. Smaller bones like seamaids, terminal phalanges often survive bone fragmentation thus allowing a detailed study. Bones can also be recognised from their fragmentation pattern which follows a regular pattern and is not random. The fragmentation pattern depends on the anatomy of the bone and an experienced person can tell at once just by looking at it as to what part of the bone the fragmented part belonged to."

Tags:human, fragments, crematorium, tradition

Abstract
This paper defines and discusses the history of the cremation of bodily remains after death. The paper discusses how the funeral industry in the United States has been offering new alternatives to the traditional burial plots to cope with new developments and problems and looks at the popularity of cremation in the US. It finally looks briefly at the impact on cremation of globalization.

From the Paper
"More and more people are also mobile in response to global trends. We are now a transient society. Cremation responds to that need to transport to a burial site (Forrest-Riley and Krug 2005). The trend to share or scatter remains has also grown. Members of the family may live in separate and distant parts of the country. No single location was convenient for burial so sharing the remains is the best option. However, there are individuals who object to cremation because it goes against their belief in the resurrection. They respect the body and will not burn or destroy it. They consider it part of what the person is. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit. While they understand the reasons for the preference for cremation, they suggest that those who opt for it bury the remains. Judaism essentially requires that the body should remain intact. The Holy Society or Chvrah Kadisha in the Jewish community prepares the corpse for burial. But since the Holocaust, things have changed. Now, current-day Reform Judaism allows cremation but recommends burial of the ashes as a show of respect for the soul of the deceased (Forrestt-Riley and Krug)."

Tags:globalization, ashes, body, soul

Abstract
This paper first the discusses the cremation scandal in Georgia that sparked proposals in many states to tighten the regulation of funeral markets. The paper then looks at different state laws, or lack of state laws, regarding cremation and some of the state laws that have been proposed as a way of safeguarding against more cremation scandals.

From the Paper
"Although it has been over a year since the 2002 cremation scandal in Georgia when hundreds of decaying corpses were found on the grounds of Tri-State Crematory, many people throughout the country still have concerns about how a crematory would treat their own bodies and those of loved ones. An event this gruesome is not forgotten easily. The situation sparked proposals in many states to tighten the regulation of funeral markets. It comes as no surprise that Georgia was the first state to do so (Wyatt). Whether such laws will calm fears as well as help rectify the situation is still debatable."

Tags:funderal, directors, crematory, operators, emissions, regulations, inspections, human, remains

From the Paper
"Cremation is simply the practice of burning human corpses " except for the fact that nothing about a culture's last rites is ever really simple. Last rites are among the most important to any group in how it defines itself. Cultural identity consists of a series of actions and beliefs that one does and has " and that one's neighbor does not do and does not have. Some of these actions and beliefs are relatively inconsequential and can be (and are) changed frequently and without much thought or significance given to such changes. Other customs, such as funerary rites, tend to change slowly and to reflect large overall changes in the society. How we say goodbye for the last time is one of the ways in which we learn to define who exactly it is that we are.

"This paper looks at the ritual of cremation in two different cultures ..."

Tags:DEATH, DYING

Abstract
This paper traces the history of funerals and burials in the Catholic Church. There has not been many changes in the standard practices but the Church allowed cremation of the body in 1963 which was one practice strictly forbidden in early times.

From the Paper
"The practice of burying the body among Catholics is as old as the faith itself. Catholic church did not permit cremation and burial of the body was the only practiced ritual in funerals, it was believed that cremation of the body was against the catholic beliefs. Since Catholics firmly believe in the Resurrection of the body, they did not allow the body to be burnt and then its ashes later buried or dispersed in the air. The Church strictly forbade this practice and even after the ban was lifted in 1963, most Catholics do not believe in cremation."

Tags:Resurrection, cremating, Christ, Jews, Greeks, Romans, body, death, life

Abstract
This paper first relates, that, with an emphasis on individuality in all aspects of social relations, the baby boomers have made the process of death a highly individual rite of passage. Next, the author points out that the popularity of cremation, a way of "giving back" to the earth, reflects this generation's concern with the environment. The paper suggests that the baby boomers are more concerned with personal contributions to a world than with following tradition; therefore, the modern funeral attempts to place the individual within this context to lay claim to a piece of eternity.

From the Paper
"Modern death rites can frequently be seen as attempts on the part of those unfamiliar with death to cope with sudden and painful loss. Studies have shown that death, or thoughts of death, occupy a greater place in the minds of many at the turn of the new millennium. A study of college students in the 1990s - most the children of baby boomers - asked the same question as those asked in a 1935 study. The results were astounding - a society obsessed with death and dying. In particular, participants in the recent study were consumed with thoughts of the process of death, and by images of violent death and death from disease."

Tags:reflection, rite of passage, personal orations, cremation achievements

Abstract
This paper examines how burial rituals or funerary customs in other cultures are as unique and different as the cultures themselves and how, in every culture, when death occurs, the body is usually buried or cremated respectfully to honor the person that passed on. It looks at how different cultures have different beliefs regarding what happens to a person after they die and how, in general, most cultures believe that one's soul leaves the body and goes on to another world or to become another creature. In particular, it shows how a culture's belief of what happens to the soul affects the manner in which the dead are prepared or disposed through analysis of the burial rituals of several different cultures and religions.

Outline
Introduction
Egyptians
Hinduism
Judaism
Islam
Tibetan Buddhists

From the Paper
"An Egyptian funeral began at the house of the deceased early in the morning. By the time that the funeral began the person had already been mummified (Taylor 114). The mummification process itself was a very long process that lasted on an average of seventy days or more (Mims 197). The mummification was completed in order to preserve the body so that when it's soul came looking for the body it would be recognizable (Arriaza 123). They would be carried from their house by servants through town and across the Nile in a procession that would end at their tomb (Taylor 115). During the procession food would be handed out and professional mourners were hired to mourn the dead (Taylor 114)."

Tags:death, soul, heaven, cremation, culture

Abstract
The idea of life after death has intrigued every culture, religion, and generation since the earliest days of recorded history. Although there is no one specific answer as to what happens to a person once they die, many people have speculated different conclusions. This paper shows how Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Hindus have some similar views and some opposing views on the topic of an afterlife. Not only does the idea of an afterlife puzzle people, but the way a person is laid to rest also differs across cultures. The paper shows that, while Christians, Muslims, and Jews bury their dead, Hindus cremate them. The paper also covers rituals, beliefs, and concepts of Heaven and Hell.

From the Paper
"What happens when we die? That's a question that has intrigued the hearts and minds of men and women since the earliest days of recorded history. In fact, anthropologists have concluded that it is virtually impossible to find any major world culture, past or present, which has not developed some form of belief in life after death. If you were to go back four thousand years and study Egyptian culture, you would see a society that was so concerned about the afterlife that they started worrying about it before they hit mid-life. The pyramids and the astonishing numbers of people who worked on them year after year provide ample evidence."

Tags:Buddhist, Day, of, Judgement, Purgatory

Abstract
Death is a topic that affects all of us. The Roman Catholic Church has many rituals concerning death, funerals, rosaries and family. The decision to have a burial or cremation is often an expensive as well as difficult decision to make.