5 World Religions: 5 Burial Practices, and Sam

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

Captain Sam Britton, Dayton National Cemetery (OH)

My uncle's tombstone arrived this week, and it's a beautiful memorial to a beautiful man. This occasion also prompted me to wonder about the differences in burial practices of the five world religions? While my uncle's tombstone and coffin are stately, much of the Christian tradition seems to focus on elaborate and expensive displays such as the $25,000, gold-plated coffin used for Michael Jackson. Not the Jews though. According to Blu Greenberg, author of How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household, Jewish law mandates a simple pine box. The Muslim practice calls for the corpse to be wrapped in a simple plain cloth (the kafan) without a casket. The Hindu ideal is cremation, while Buddhists are not very particular regarding the burial or cremation of a dead body, or so I am told. They are certainly all beautiful memorials, but I like what we did for my uncle - a beautiful casket and tombstone for a beautiful Christian man.