Should graves be disturbed?

[HisFirst]

Eg: archeological digs?

[HisFirst]

Just now, Redemption79 said:

depends.

i personally have no problem in situations where no descendants remains that will be upset by it, and there is actually a real purpose behind doing it other than just doing it for fun or denigrates someones remain.

 

One day, on Christs return, the bones in the grave rise and will be  part of the "new resurrected body" won't they?

[Deborah_]

11 minutes ago, HisFirst said:

One day, on Christs return, the bones in the grave rise and will be  part of the "new resurrected body" won't they?

If they've been buried for thousands of years, there's often nothing left by then anyway. But God doesn't need bones to work on, does He?

Revelation tells us that even the sea will give up its dead (those eaten by the fishes!) (Revelation 20:13)

John Wycliffe's body was dug up and thrown into the river by churchmen angry because he had translated the Bible into English. They thought that by doing this they could deny him his resurrection! Could they? I hope not!

And what about those people pulverised in the Twin Towers? Can God not resurrect them?

Graves get disturbed all the time, often without anyone being aware of it. Even if you're buried in a church cemetery, there's no guarantee you'll stay put: in the UK you can only 'own' a grave space for 100 years, and after that you may be moved to make room for someone else!

[HisFirst]

Just now, Deborah_ said:

If they've been buried for thousands of years, there's often nothing left by then anyway. But God doesn't need bones to work on, does He?

Revelation tells us that even the sea will give up its dead (those eaten by the fishes!) (Revelation 20:13)

John Wycliffe's body was dug up and thrown into the river by churchmen angry because he had translated the Bible into English. They thought that by doing this they could deny him his resurrection! Could they? I hope not!

And what about those people pulverised in the Twin Towers? Can God not resurrect them?

Graves get disturbed all the time, often without anyone being aware of it. Even if you're buried in a church cemetery, there's no guarantee you'll stay put: in the UK you can only 'own' a grave space for 100 years, and after that you may be moved to make room for someone else!

That's true what you've said.

Do you think some folk don't agree with cremation because of this?

I mean, people have perished in fires .

[Neighbor]

As a civil matter no, instead  interment sites should be maintained not disturbed. That is the whole purpose of Memorial Parks ( Cemeteries) with their endowment care  funds. Memorial Parks (Cemeteries) are about the only green space that is protected as such in cities across the USA. Also the history of peoples are told in the cemeteries they establish. Forest Lawn Memorial Park being the first USA example of the modern day memorial park  devoid of upright monuments and headstone markers other than flat bronze or granite memorials, all to keep a park effect  rather than a marble orchard look.

The first duty of a Jewish Congregation is to establish a separate place for burial of the dead.

History is found  at burial sites, in inscriptions and even in the organization of the dead, often by ethnic or religious clans.

There is dedication  too, the famous  and solemn monument to the unknwn fallen warriors at Washington d.c. as example; and all the national cemeteries across this land. All tell of a caring people and are a measure of the mercies of it's occupants. So no they should not be disturbed, they should be maintained.

History is very important, and cemeteries are history, evidence of a people.

 

As to  resurrection, the first resurrection ( How many resurrections will there be?): That is a very different subject. If we are to believe the physical dead body that is cremated and scattered, or the body that is embalmed and buried  or entombed, rises again, we are all going to be a rather bizarre sight. One making the silly zombie movies seem like cartoon shadows of the real thing  to come as resurrected bodies.

So what is resurrected? What are we told within scripture? Of what we are told, just what is literal and what is more symbolic in nature? Is there even a resurrection of the saints bodies of any kind?

I sure hope this tired old body of mine that will be cremated and scattered is not what  I will have to drag around  for eternity- that seems a rather cruel thing for my awesome creator to do  in love to me.

Personally, I buy into the idea of the comparison of planting seed, the seed is not what arises. Similarly but not exactly we are sown,  sown as corruption, corrupted bodies, and we are to be risen, not as the firstborn but as one of many, incorruptible, a new spirit body not of the flesh at all.  Our spiritual body will not even have the same functional purposes as our physical body does today.

All the saints in Christ Jesus have been known to God from before the beginning, and those that He  knew He also predestined. God is not a trickster, He is just, righteous and merciful. He will not have His own to suffer over where their physical flesh was laid down nor how it  was "conditioned". In that sense it is not seen by me as  being particularly important  whether a body is disturbed or not.

That is not to say that  there should be no care over the dead by the living, for as a lesson  God has established in certain cultures a rather specific guideline of how to care for the dead and who is to  do that caring. Perhaps to make all of us aware of how He has valued his creation. We too are likely not callous to death itself, and so we do memorize the fallen, we do give thanks to God for the knowledge of others that we have grown to love and yet are gone from us for a time, and gone from the flesh forever.

In summary I praise my creator, for all things, even this corrupted physical body, for God makes no mistakes. He created me He uses my flawed body to make me aware of Him and His Glory, that HE can take what is fallen from grace and restore it through His Son's sacrifice that I may  have eternal life, shedding this corrupted shell, and then being eternally with Him. Praise God He is the awesome power that has made all things, all things, and He loves His own and protects them eternally. In that I am personally secure for eternity to come, as it has been known to Him from before time itself. 

“Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.”-William Ewart Gladstone four times  Prime Minister of England

 

 

"It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."

 

"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."

 

"Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jewels7]

10 hours ago, HisFirst said:

Eg: archeological digs?

Quite a thought given all the museums across the globe that display remains. 

If they're pagan burial sites would it matter? Why? 

If they're consecrated burial sites like say a church closes and sells the land that includes a graveyard next door? Would it matter? Why? Doesn't God have the souls already with him? Remains. What remains there really?

[HisFirst]

Also, Joseph was removed from Egypt and laid to rest with the Patriarchs - however, he wasn't buried but was embalmed in the Egyptian tradition for Royalty. 

[missmuffet]

10 hours ago, Redemption79 said:

i should also add in cases of criminal investigation it should be allowed, even if families might be upset by it.

Yes, that is my take. It should be necessary for cases of criminal investigation.

[Guest BacKaran]

With costs rising alarmingly, I could hardly afford a cheap cremation.

My aunt spent about $8000 on her casket and funeral 20 years ago, I can't imagine what it costs now.

I got a cardboard coffin that looked like steel, husband and all was cremated. With the excess money, if you call it that which I didn't spend for a casket, I donated to charities.

Like martyrs who are burnt at the stake, beheaded etc, God knows where our souls are and we should take no care as to what the world does with our remains.

Edited February 25, 2017 by BacKaran

[Willa]

Personally, I have only visited my parents burial site a few times in the 40 years they have been with the Lord, and for that very reason.  The people I knew don't reside in the ground.  I know one lady who calls it a meeting place to visit her dead parents.  I don't know that it is a Christian attitude.  I don't believe souls of dead people hover around in cemeteries either.  So much of that is superstition and fear of death. So many of these beliefs are not godly.  Jesus said let the (spiritually) dead bury the dead.  We should follow Jesus.  

But I do respect the beliefs of others somewhat for their own sakes, not wanting to deeply offend them.  Kennewick Man was finally laid to rest by the Indians in WA State, US.  It did make me wonder if they were elevated on a platform as was the customs of some Indians or buried where the coyotes can drag them off.  Hopefully scientists obtained enough information from them to satisfy future scientific investigation as well.