Urn

An urn is a type of container commonly used to house the remains of a cremated body. Though most religions of the world do practice cremation, it is interesting to note that Orthodox Jewish, Islamic, and Christian faiths, the three main monotheistic religions, have traditionally not done so. They bury their dead while most other religious beliefs involve cremation where a dead body is exposed to the high temperatures of heat and flame until nothing is left of it but ashes.

Because Christians bury their dead, there were times in history when cremation was used politically against them, for the purpose of discouraging Christians, refuting the belief in the resurrection of the dead, seemingly nullifying the possibility of such a thing by the use of cremation to leave nothing to resurrect. Somewhere along the way, perhaps in retaliation, the Roman Catholic Church made official prohibitions against cremation and attached the penalty of excommunication from the churches grace to anyone involved in it.

However, in 1969, they changed their long held position, and since that time, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "cremation is permitted so long as it is not chosen as a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body.” Despite what is proclaimed allowed of not allowed, the Christian should take heart, for the scripture says, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. This obviously would include fire, and would also include those falsely made out to be "heretics" and subsequently burned by fire "at the stake.”

A Christian knows that his soul belongs to and is safe because of God’s character and the words for a hope and a future that he has given to us, his promises. No matter what happens, even to his or her body upon death, God who formed Adam from the dust of the earth, who not only made man out of the dust of the earth, but cause all things to be by his very word, also raised Jesus Christ from death to life, and He will raise us once again by his power, because we have believed on the one whom he sent. We will be raised, this time, to everlasting life.