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Portland, Oregon Church - Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association |
| SUBJECT: CREMATION—and Organ Donation QUESTION: What does your church believe regarding cremation and organ donation? ANSWER: The Intercontinental Church of God does not have an official position on this subject, as we feel that people must make up their own minds in these matters. In the past, the parent church strongly recommended against cremation. We now encourage members and others to make up their own minds on this matter in thoughtful meditation and prayer. The Bible does not specifically offer commands about what is to be done with human bodies after death. There is much information and specific example to the practice of burial. The patriarchs went to great lengths to secure places of burial (as did Abraham for Sarah); the kings were buried in important sepulchres; Christ was buried in a new tomb; the dead are said to be "sleeping," which hardly describes a nonexistent body, reduced to heat, light, gas, and a small handful of ash. There is simply too much in the Bible about the burial places of the dead. Remember, Satan "disputed about the body of Moses,". Today, cremation is chosen largely for economic reasons, or for sentimental reasons (people wish to have their ashes scattered over a favored place, etc.). We encourage that people gain a good concept of what the Bible says about death, the state of the dead, the burial of the patriarchs and Christ Himself and about the resurrection. Having said that we acknowledge the countless thousands if not millions who died in fires, were vaporized in atomic blasts, placed in ovens in concentration camps or eaten by animals. Millions have been lost at sea or have long since returned to dust from which they came. These people are not lost. God speaks of the valley of dry bones and how the sea will give up her dead. Nothing can be hidden or lost from God. Our aversion to cremation stems from the fact that death and destruction of the human body by fire is the method God will use to utterly eradicate all incorrigibles from the earth in the end time. We are speaking here of a lake of fire… Revelation 20: 9-10, 14-15 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. ORGAN DONATION Mr. Armstrong has made the following statement about organ donation: While medical science CAN transplant organs, and I find it hard to pontificate against such a procedure to one who has had his vision restored by a corneal transplant, or one who is only alive because of a heart or liver transplant, I nevertheless never sign the form when I obtain my driver's license which would allow them to use my organs in the case of an automobile crash in which I perished. Again, each of you must make up your own minds on this issue. We are not going to take a position on this issue other than what is said in this document already. |
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Portland, Oregon Church - Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association |