The origin of ashes to ashes, dust to dust was first mentioned in the Bible in the book of Genesis. Over time, this phrase has been used in poetry, literature, and speeches to convey that humans are made of the earth and will return to the earth after passing away.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust (Genesis 2:7, 3:19)
Genesis 3:19. “Dust you are and to dust you will return.” To me, that's one of the most familiar lines in all of Scripture. I've said this very thing to individuals at least 2,000 times throughout my life.
In the Bible, there are no passages that prohibit or encourage cremation and scattering of ashes. However, many Christian sects believe a burial funeral aligns with best end-of-life practices. As a result, some Christian clerics may discourage cremation or prohibit it entirely.
WE commend unto thy hands of mercy, most merciful Father, the soul of this our brother departed, and we commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust ; and we beseech thine infinite goodness to give us grace to live in thy fear and love and to die in thy favour, that when the judgement ...
When the priest applies the cross of ashes, he says to the worshiper: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” He also may say “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
There are no rules with regards to the words to say at an interment of ashes. The ashes are either placed in an urn niche or lowered into the ground. Someone may say a prayer, read a poem, or give readings for the interment of ashes. The urn is sealed in place.
Since the Bible does not ban nor promote cremation, most Christian denominations do not consider cremation to be sinful. The Catholic church, however, held an opposing view for many years.
According to most Biblical study websites, there is no explicit scriptural command for or against cremation. There are no passages that forbid cremation, according to most Biblical scholars.
Nor can the ashes be scattered in the air, land or sea since doing so would give the appearance of "pantheism, naturalism or nihilism," the guidelines said. It repeated church teaching that Catholics who choose to be cremated for reasons contrary to the Christian faith must be denied a Christian funeral.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
But in the ancient Middle East, the writers of the Hebrew Bible forbade tattooing. Per Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves.”
The very first mention of dust in the Bible is mind-blowingly positive—in Genesis 2:7 we read that God formed the first person, Adam, from dust, and God blessed him. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Also, in the King James Version of the Bible, two passages in Corinthians reference cremation. In 1 Corinthians 13:3, the apostle Paul writes, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
They are either to be interred in an urn in a cemetery or sprinkled on consecrated ground, "dust returning to dust," and not stored at home or disposed of in an undignified way. Several littoral parishes do also have consecrated sea areas where the ashes may be sprinkled.
We have commended N to God's eternal love, and committed his/her body to be cremated. We now inter his/her ashes in this ground (scatter his/her ashes in this place), in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For most Christians today, the question of cremation is largely left to individual discretion. Many Christians choose cremation as an alternative to burial, while still retaining those aspects of their traditional funeral practices that allow them to honor the lives of their loved ones and glorify God.
During cremation, the body parts that do burn consist of organs, soft tissue, hair, and skin, while the water in our bodies evaporates. The body parts that do not burn are bone fragments.
The reunion of believing loved ones
When Paul writes to believers who grieve the loss of a loved one, he offers them this comfort: “We who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17, emphasis mine).
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven.
Biblical Inspiration
Speaking of Christians, the practice of east-facing tombstones can also be traced to the bible. The scripture (Matthew 24:27), which talks about the second coming of Christ, teaches that he will come from the east. This belief also affects how Christian churches are built.
Cremains contain what is known as rest energy, sometimes referred to as free or dormant energy. This type of energy is still subject to the restraints of natural law, and can have no physical or spiritual impact on those around it.
The most famous prayers that Christians can say when scattering the ashes of a loved one include the Irish Funeral Prayer, the Christian Prayer for the Dead, and reciting of Psalms 23.
Human ashes do not dissolve in the ocean's waters. However, being a coarse, gritty, sand-like substance, the ashes will scatter throughout the ocean with no negative effects.