About those ashes
June 22nd, 2008 ~ Orthodox perspectiveI sometimes wish that the Orthodox Church wasn’t against cremation. Then again …
Last fall, attendants watching the security monitors at Disneyland noticed a woman dumping a powdery substance from a boat going through the darkened “Pirates of the Caribbean” cavern. When the attendants confronted her, she told them it was only baby powder, but it later turned out to be the cremated remains of a human being. No one was much surprised. According to some reports, scattering ashes at Disneyland had already reached “epidemic proportions.”
The epidemic, if that’s what it is, probably is not limited to Disneyland. Cremation has become increasingly popular in America, especially in Western states, where more than 50 percent of the deceased are cremated.
(Via WaPo)
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June 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I’ve always been skeeved out by cremation, and converting to Orthodoxy cemented that. But, now contemplating that all around me are scattered ashes just skeeves me out more. Lord have Mercy.
I’ve heard that “It’s a Small World” is a big place to scatter ashes.
June 24th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Skeeved out it EXACTLY what I am! On one hand, I can certainly understand the environmental argument for it, and I think people like that it seems like you’re sort of letting them drift away rather than decompose (eww).
But I also note that the people that I’ve seen do this seem to want the person to just … go away, be wisked away in a gentle breeze and sort of be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. They crave a peace that doesn’t seem like our lot with all things death-related, and they seem to want a kind of forgetfulness that … Well, you never want to think harshly of anyone in their grief, but I can’t help noticing how that stands in opposition to the Church’s saying: Memory eternal.
August 16th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I think it’s sad for our culture that of all places so many would choose Disneyland. :-/
August 16th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
That’s the other part of this that is noteworthy. You’re going to strew the remains of a loved one on a silly theme-park ride? Are we so uncomfortable with the things in life that are worth taking seriously that we have to constantly take refuge in our havens of silliness?
Maybe so.