Holo

Do you think the superstition of burying the dead is archaic and wasteful? I mean the human race is growing at a geometric rate. Every few months here I see another housing complex going up where the was an empty lot. We build more housing complexes to house the living, and take up huge plots of land to house the dead. Funerals are ridiculously expensive, and wasteful.


I submit there are better ways to honor a person than wasting space in a cemetery and the money for a coffin and burial plot. I myself have seen this firsthand this weekend. A member of my gf's family chose cremation and spreading of the ashes in the Atlantic. I thought it was the coolest and most economical funerals I have ever been to. His ashes are given back to the Earth, and his body takes no space up anywhrere anymore. It was still a memorial, as we threw a rose apiece over board where his ashes were dropped. We all had a moment to think of him, pray iif you wished, and then left the ashes and flowers behind. It was a very nice thing to be a part of, and I realized how economical it all was.

So what do you think?

rockogre

I have often found it odd that we should pay an amazing amount of money to place someting in a fancy box that we never want to look at again.

I realize that it matters to thousands of people daily, but I see my body as just a vehicle. When I leave the vehicle it is of no further use to anyone and should be scrapped. Creamation and dispersal are good enough for me.

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stinkynutz

burial is more like a ritual or a tradition for some. just like it was in egypt for pharaohs with all the fancy pyramids. it may seem wasteful for some, but not for others.

but yea, i'd rather be cremated the more i think about it. i just don't like the thought of having little vermin crawling all up in my ass when i'm six feet under.

bermuDa

cremation is my plan when I die; leaving this world shouldn't cost thousands of dollars, although I wouldn't mind having my body launched at the sun.

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The_Dude

as a hindu-atheist, i'm definately gonna be cremated.

it's fast (usin the machines) and u get ashes pretty fast.

definately cremation.

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micah67

I agree, don't waste time on my body. Cremate and dispose.

I read an interesting idea where at the wake, friends/family/well-wishers were offered vials containing the cremated remains. They could take a bit with them as a keep-sake (I think it was technically "illegal-disposal" but who cares). Interesting idea.

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BBtB

Well I personally don't think we are in any danger of running out of land for a while to come but yea I will most likely be cremated. I see and understand why many people like going through the burial process though. It IS just a little ceremony, but it takes us all back to our tribal days and helps with closure.

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hotdogg

Golf courses and cemetaries should both go...What a waste of good land.

scope

The reason I don't like burial is that your body literally rots. Insects eat your innards, and bacteria turns your corpse into mush. I don't want worms to eat me, and I don't like the idea of fungi/bacteria to live on what was once a living person.
Cremation is cool. Most of your body (water) evaporates and is returned to the atmosphere. The solid portions are chemically turned into ash: simple carbon that blends in with the earth.

Spinach_Indeed

Amen, my good man.
The wastes of such land we should ban.

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vermin

We prefer the vagina.


(I voted yes)

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Phaenx

Anyone ever hear of having your ashes pressed into a diamond? That sounds neat, but I wouldn't do it, I have put some hope into a theory of mine on death.

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tecnocrat

I am all for cremation. Land is for the living. Not even a question.

Crank up the furnace, dump my dead ass in, and burn away. Sprinkle me somewhere nice where you can visit and have a rememberance if you want to.

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JStrider

cremate me... put me in a mayonaise jar and then my kids are gonna take turns putting me on the mantle of their fireplace...

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miked10270

What about donation to medicine?

Look at it this way... Anything that's of use to another is used, the remaindergoes to teaching, and with a bit of luck at least your skeleton gets to go to some killer student nurse/doctor parties

MIke.

Example: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/directserv...ow2medical.asp

scope

Cryonics! I want to be frozen in liquid nitrogen until the day when humanity has the knowledge to revive me

mtsgsd

Some people's religion requires burial, so I guess they don't really have a choice. Freedom of religion would keep us from stopping it.

Personaly, I've never understood the practice, and I sure don't want to make someone else rich off of my estate when the money could be going to a relative instead.

Burn me baby.

Reese

Why don't they just build huge skyscrapers to house the dead? just think... 100,000 people buried on a single block. That to save space not money...

To save money, just feed me to the pets, I'm sure you can get a butcher cheaper than cremation.

Getting shot into space or mummified would be kind of cool though, even if I don't get to enjoy it.

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guthmund

You know, that would be uber creepy.

A 100 floor house of death made of steel and glass.

There has to be a reason why they don't build these things, but for the life of me I can't puzzle it out. Anyone have an idea?

Personally I don't care what you do with my body after I'm dead. Because I'm dead. However, given the choice, I'd like to be donated to science or cremated depending on cost and ease of effort.

I don't think death should throw anybody in debt or demand a great effort from my survivees.

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GakFace

yeah you beat me to it.. turn the Carbon into a Diamond ring or something. Or with the new Fuel Machine thing.. We could at some point turn our Carbon into Light Oil

Guthmund.. I don't know the reason Either, But I figure it would have to be constantly refridgerated if people weren't cremated. I also think I'd hate the thought if some loony set up bombs in that place.. Known that there were thousands of dead bodies spewed through out the city.. ugh


Burial has held meaning thru all of time. I don't care either way. What I do not like is how expensive it is to do anymore. WAY BACK in time, they'd just dig a hole, and place you in. Now you have to let your decendants go into debt to put you in the ground.

If its cheap.. do that, cause burial is getting just too expensive

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