Retired Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 At its most basic explanation, it involves recycling human bodies as fertilizer, a process based on preserving the body in a biological form after death and returning it to the soil. http://www.thelocal.se/33178/20110413/Swedish green-burial firm to turn frozen corpses in compost I heard this on a radio show today and just gut reaction gross. So I goggled when I got home and found this article. It still has a eek factor but it is not as bad as some of the pictures I got in my head So what do you think gross or more like scattering ashes after a cremation Would you want it done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 To boring. When I'm dead I want to be a super hero. :) http://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Curious-Lives-Human-Cadavers/dp/0393050939 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 From a Christian perspective- As long as I didn't have to interact with the corpses or otherwise think about it, I'm cool with it "Dust you are and to dust you shall return." I suppose that could be interpreted as compost. I mean, it could be considered good stewardship of God's resources. Just don't tell me my compost came from some dead body and I'm good. As far as proper disposal of bodies for a later resurrection. Well, we're talking about God here. He can find all the pieces of a body and create a new, resurrection body. I mean, he's God! He can do anything, right? Can I just pretend I never read about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britomart Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think it's disrespectful. Yes, our bodies will eventually disintegrate and become dust. But they are the bodies of people. While we are alive, we aren't separate from our bodies; they are part of our selves. Also, as a Christian, I believe in the resurrection of the dead in bodily form; humans are bodied beings, now and in the resurrection. No, a corpse isn't a person. But it is part of what was a person, and I think treating corpses respectfully is part of what makes a civilization civilized. It's not a waste to treat a corpse with respect. There are other things that can be directly made into fertilizer. Let the dead rest in peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I know that it's totally different but I keep thinking "Soylent Green is People!" (Charlton Heston movie). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think it's fine. I personally want to be buried in a plain pine box in the forest behind my parents' house without being preserved in anyway. I worked hard my whole life keeping chemicals out of my body--why pump it full of chemicals after I die. Perhaps now I can instead ask my kids to sprinkle me into their flower beds! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Yes, this! No problem with dust to dust but it would be nice to keep it in a respectful manner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 My first thought was BIOHAZARD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think it's disrespectful. Yes, our bodies will eventually disintegrate and become dust. But they are the bodies of people. While we are alive, we aren't separate from our bodies; they are part of our selves. Also, as a Christian, I believe in the resurrection of the dead in bodily form; humans are bodied beings, now and in the resurrection. No, a corpse isn't a person. But it is part of what was a person, and I think treating corpses respectfully is part of what makes a civilization civilized. It's not a waste to treat a corpse with respect. There are other things that can be directly made into fertilizer. Let the dead rest in peace. What happens then to cremated people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think it's fine. I personally want to be buried in a plain pine box in the forest behind my parents' house without being preserved in anyway. I worked hard my whole life keeping chemicals out of my body--why pump it full of chemicals after I die. Perhaps now I can instead ask my kids to sprinkle me into their flower beds! ;) :iagree: this is how I would view this as well. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I know that it's totally different but I keep thinking "Soylent Green is People!" (Charlton Heston movie). :iagree::lol: I've already told Wolf, I'm turning him into a nice diamond or 3. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britomart Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 What happens then to cremated people? I assume whatever happens to buried people. :) Sorry, I didn't mean to be unclear: I don't think that burial/cremation practices affect your eternal state. God is powerful enough to make bodies out of dust, ashes, whatever. I just meant to say that since we have bodies now, and will have bodies then, and that those bodies are part of what makes us human, that we ought to, whenever possible, treat those bodies with respect. Even after the soul has departed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Not having read the article first, my gut reaction is: Eww! Stinky! But then again, what about when spread ashes.. Needless to say being inside my head can be freaky. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Sounds fine to me! (I wanted to be cremated but I guess composted is okay too lol). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I know that it's totally different but I keep thinking "Soylent Green is People!" (Charlton Heston movie). That's the first thing I thought too. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think it sounds like a wonderful idea. I think it's respectful to both the deceased and the earth. My plan is to be cremated because I cannot stomach the idea of putting another large, usually fancy, box in the ground with my body full of chemicals that are designed to preserve the dead body. I do understand that being able to view the deceased is a way to mourn but I have never been comfortable with the idea. It's been 31 years since my grandfather died, and 22 years since my dad died, and I still have the horrid images of their dead bodies lying in a casket while people took turns staring at them. I found it totally disrespectful. when I think of them, the way they looked at the funeral is the first vision in my mind. For the longest time after my dad was buried, I even thought about how slowly his body was decomposing and gross pictures pop into my mind. I have to look at pictures to remind me of how they looked when they were alive. I do not want my children to have that image of me after I die. So yes, if this Swedish green burial were available for me, I would absolutely request it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I do not want to be embalmed. Dh doesn't want me to be cremated-it creeps him out. I'd be thrilled if my body was composted when I die, but then, I'm a major composting fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 My gut reaction is ewww. I prefer cremation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 It would be an anathema to Jews! We don't embalm, we bury in plain pine boxes (unless we're buried in Israel, in which case no box), and we're all buried in the same white shroud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 It would be an anathema to Jews! We don't embalm, we bury in plain pine boxes (unless we're buried in Israel, in which case no box), and we're all buried in the same white shroud. I think this is lovely, and it's the only other way I would go if I were not being cremated. The thought of all those lead-lined metal caskets in the ground make me ill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyinND Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I know that it's totally different but I keep thinking "Soylent Green is People!" (Charlton Heston movie). :lol: I watched that movie in high school & that line has always stuck with me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I know that it's totally different but I keep thinking "Soylent Green is People!" (Charlton Heston movie). That was my thought as well. IDK, I have a hang up about cremation. I grew up going to a lot of funerals. For me there is something comforting about being able to say your good-byes to the actual body. I've been to a couple of funerals were the person was cremated and it totally freaked me out. I'm getting nauseous simply thinking about it. I don't know why really. But I'm also the person that actually goes to cemeteries to pay respects to people who have been gone a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 It doesn't matter to me what happens to my body once I'm dead. I think it would be best to benefit someone in some way. Compost would be fine with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirtymomma Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I assume whatever happens to buried people. :) Sorry, I didn't mean to be unclear: I don't think that burial/cremation practices affect your eternal state. God is powerful enough to make bodies out of dust, ashes, whatever. I just meant to say that since we have bodies now, and will have bodies then, and that those bodies are part of what makes us human, that we ought to, whenever possible, treat those bodies with respect. Even after the soul has departed. I agree with you. And cool that you're Anglican. I think we're heading that way ourselves. And I just looked at your blog and saw that you're a black belt. Me too. Can we be BFF? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Well, I'm also one who thinks recycling body parts is a good idea, so I figure why not? Ideally, I'd like for all my donatable organs to be donated--without harvesting any tissues for some one else's profit, which pisses me off. I would then like my remains to be handled in a natural manner. In my case for spiritual/religious reasons my ideal would be to be burned on an open pyre (preferably in a casket built to resemble a ship) and then to have my ashes buried at sea. I'd also like a memorial stone or plaque somewhere, on my own land if I have any when I die, or in a national cemetery (I'm a veteran), so that there's a place for those who'd like to remember me can go to do so (some people find this beneficial as part of the mourning/grieving process). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 My gut reaction is "are you serious? that's just wrong". but I can't really say why it's wrong & I expect its not. But that's my reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 (edited) I think it disrespectful of the dead. Just as disrespectful as the embalming and current funeral process. I'd like to see a return to the living room/parlor viewing after loved ones have cleaned and prepared the body, then a pine box and family burial. And yeah, Soylent green came to mind. Edited April 22, 2011 by Martha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 There is a certain "eww" factor, but hey I'll be dead, what do I care? Either something like that, or cremation. I really like the way the movie "Elizabethtown" ended, with the fathers ashes being scattered across America. That sounds like something I would do with my parents, or have done with me. I don't believe that the body has anything to do with what might come after death, just a place for it to reside for a time, so no religious issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I know that it's totally different but I keep thinking "Soylent Green is People!" (Charlton Heston movie). :lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think it disrespectful of the dead.Just as disrespectful as the embalming and current funeral process. I'd like to see a return to the living room/parlor viewing after loved ones have cleaned and prepared the body, then a pine box and family burial. And yeah, Soylent green came to mind. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think what bothers me about it, and why I thought of Soylent Green, is because it feels like the company is using corpses as an ingredient. I realize that there is a whole industry around death, so making money from managing the death and burial of people isn't new but perhaps the reference to fertilizer makes it seem more than just finding a final resting place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I assume whatever happens to buried people. :) Sorry, I didn't mean to be unclear: I don't think that burial/cremation practices affect your eternal state. God is powerful enough to make bodies out of dust, ashes, whatever. I just meant to say that since we have bodies now, and will have bodies then, and that those bodies are part of what makes us human, that we ought to, whenever possible, treat those bodies with respect. Even after the soul has departed. Ok, thanks for clarifying. :) I don't think, though, that composting is less respectful than cremation or burial if it honors the person's wishes. All three are pretty gruesome. Leaving a body to rot in the ground is gruesome, as it putting it in an oven and lighting it on fire really. I think this is just different and outside our current paradigm which is why it seems absurd to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 At its most basic explanation, it involves recycling human bodies as fertilizer, a process based on preserving the body in a biological form after death and returning it to the soil. http://www.thelocal.se/33178/20110413/Swedish green-burial firm to turn frozen corpses in compost I heard this on a radio show today and just gut reaction gross. So I goggled when I got home and found this article. It still has a eek factor but it is not as bad as some of the pictures I got in my head So what do you think gross or more like scattering ashes after a cremation Would you want it done? My first reaction was... EEEWWWW!!! Close the thread quickly! After that, it seems natural. I just don't know that I could handle it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLG Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Disrespectful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 It makes me feel sick.:ack2: Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 (edited) http://funerals.naturalburialcompany.com/categories/Shrouds%2C-Liners-and-Burial-Garments/ http://funerals.naturalburialcompany.com/products/Organic-Cotton-Shroud.html Edited April 23, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I know that it's totally different but I keep thinking "Soylent Green is People!" (Charlton Heston movie). Me too!! :lol: :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate CA Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I don't want to grow tomatoes in someone else's remains!! That is my gut reaction. GROSS. :ack2::ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 My first thought was BIOHAZARD. Mine too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Gross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I think it's a fine option. It's not like they're digging up people. You have to want to do it. Personally, I have asked in my will to be cremated and to have my ashes worked into the next spring tilling of the farm. Being composted would fine too. I just want to offer something back to this wonderful little piece of nowhere, even if it's just the fertilizer form of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 At its most basic explanation, it involves recycling human bodies as fertilizer, a process based on preserving the body in a biological form after death and returning it to the soil. This seems like a great idea. I think this is much better for the earth than being cremated. Perhaps now I can instead ask my kids to sprinkle me into their flower beds! ;) I love the idea of being sprinkled into the flower beds :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 My first thought had was of 'Soylent Green'...my next was that bodies would make excellent fertilizer. :tongue_smilie: It doesn't really bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 My "gut" reaction? Please let me die naturally first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 My "gut" reaction? Please let me die naturally first. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I think it disrespectful of the dead.Just as disrespectful as the embalming and current funeral process. I'd like to see a return to the living room/parlor viewing after loved ones have cleaned and prepared the body, then a pine box and family burial. And yeah, Soylent green came to mind. This. :iagree: No. No composting me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annandatje Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 When pondering death rituals, I have often wondered why this practice is not already in place for those who desire it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 My mom wants to be sprinkled on her rose bushes. Does it really matter if it is as ashes or compost? I think it's going to be just as hard either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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