Jump to content
An Old School Catholic Message Board

Turn Your Loved Ones Into Diamonds!


CrossCuT

Recommended Posts

Is this a permissible way to treat out bodies after death? Cause I kinda wanna be a diamond. :|

 

 

 

 A Swiss company is making diamonds out of cremated human remains. The process reduces ash to carbon and then applies intense heat and pressure for weeks to create diamond crystals. Once these have cooled off, they’re cut to shape and engraved. ‘Human diamonds’ tend to have a blue colouration due to the amount of boron present in the human body.
http://www.npr.org/2014/01/19/263128098/swiss-company-compresses-cremation-ashes-into-diamonds

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dunno.  My classmate died my freshman year of college and she was Catholic and they turned her into a diamond.  Not sure it's licit, though because you're supposed to respect remains.  They've been doing this for over 10 years.

 

I must say, when I saw her mother a 3 years later still with the diamond, it was a bit creepy....just how long do you hold on to things like that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I plan to be cremated. I had a cousin in the funeral business. If you knew what was truly involved in the embalming process, you'd never want it done to you. I wanted to be made into a reef ball, but have contented myself to a niche in our Catholic Ukrainian cemetery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want to be buried in no box or a biodegradable box with a small headstone. I want a tree or a pretty garden to be grown on top of me so that I essentially become a part of the tree! That would be romantic!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ToJesusMyHeart

I plan to be cremated. I had a cousin in the funeral business. If you knew what was truly involved in the embalming process, you'd never want it done to you. 

 

Now I'm curious. Resisting temptation to google it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Orthodoxy, it's forbidden to be cremated (unless you live in a country like Japan, where you really have no choice). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IgnatiusofLoyola

Why would you want to be cremated in the first place?

 

CatherineM made some good points above. Also, cremation is normally cheaper than burial. Depending on the circumstances, it can be MUCH cheaper for the relatives, because normally a person does not buy a very expensive casket if they plan to be cremated.

 

From an environmental standpoint, cemeteries take up room, and many are getting full or are already full. A cremated body takes up far less space.

 

If you have serious expectations that you will become a saint with an uncorrupted body, then cremation is perhaps not the best option for you.

 

What you plan to have done with your body after death is a very personal decision. As I understand it, the Roman Catholic church allows certain options, and the right option for you might not be the right option for someone else.

 

When I was 17, I couldn't imagine being cremated. As I got older, my views changed, and like CatherineM, I plan to ask to be cremated.

 

As for this "turn your loved one into a diamond" business, it sounds kind of creepy and a way to prey on loved ones at a very vulnerable time. On the other hand, when I first heard about the practice of saving saint's relics, that sounded creepy to me, too, but now it makes sense to me.

 

I am already a "precious stone" as one of God's creations. I don't need anyone to wear me around their neck as jewelry.

 

Question: Does the Roman Catholic church allow organ donation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

KnightofChrist

I would love to have my atoms spread across the universe, that would be pretty cool, but I think not yet possible. So I'll settle for a simple pine box and a humble marker.

 

PS: It's been impossible for me to get the "Shine bright like a diamond" by Rihanna out of my head, since I saw the thread earlier today, thank you very much for this... privilege Crosscut. :|

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Orthodoxy, it's forbidden to be cremated (unless you live in a country like Japan, where you really have no choice). 

It was forbidden in the West too, until more recently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...