Cremation: Can society embrace or reject?

21 May, 2017 - 00:05 0 Views
Cremation: Can society embrace or reject? Sunday Mail

The Sunday Mail

Changing world traditions and customs have seen more and more people cremating their departed loves ones. Not so long ago, confusion reigned supreme for the Brown and Maraire families following the death of Chiwoniso Maraire. Burial customs in this rapidly changing world have generated debate around the issue of tradition – to cremate or not to cremate the dead. In our society, what does cremation mean culturally, religiously and sociologically?

Sekuru Friday Chisanyu

A traditional healer, who is the president of the National Practitioners Association, says cremation is a Western concept. He says as an organisation they are against cremation.  “In Zimbabwe we bury our dead and they are lots of different ways of doing this according to our different customs within our culture.

“For instance, the way we bury our spirit mediums and the way we bury chiefs is different. Chiefs will be buried in a certain way following certain rituals and so will spirit mediums, ways which are different from how ordinary people are interred.

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“However, we don’t know about cremation in our culture. In the several ways that we bury our dead, cremation is not a part of it. Cremation has been brought about by people embracing certain religions and alien cultures. Also migration and marriages have brought this about.

“Cremation fights our tradition. Cremation feels like rebelling against God. A body has to be buried so that traditional ceremonies are done and appeasement of spirits carries out. How do we do that when we only have ashes?”

Rev Taurai Maforo

Reverend Taurai Emmanuel Maforo of the United Methodist Church believes that people should choose what they want. “It is the choice of an individual based on their cultural context. Whether the dead person is a corpse or ashes — we still respect the dead. As a society we should look at this new social paradigm. We have to talk about these things. Let us come together — traditional leaders, the church and the family institution.

“We have many of our relatives that live abroad. When they die there it is expensive to transport the body back home. So why not cremate the body and bring back the ashes than bury them there or pay the huge amounts involved?” reasoned Rev Maforo.

He said no Bible verse forbids cremation. “From the Christian perspective, it is not the same body that will resurrect when the time comes. So whether we bury ashes or not, it makes no difference.

“Whether the ashes are kept or buried makes no difference. Here in Zimbabwe there are communities that bury their dead at their doorstep, so what’s the difference? Times are changing, we are headed in that direction whether we like it or not. We need to accept reality.”

Prof Claude Mararike

The University of Zimbabwe lecturer says cremation is unAfrican. However, he acknowledges that times are changing and that change — good or bad — is inevitable.  “In a changing world traditions and customs are a collective responsibility of society. You do not just wake up and start doing your own thing. However, things like cremation are new changes in our customs.

“They are unAfrican and society will still frown on them until it gets used to it. “There are plenty of things that we never did that we do now.  “Our ancestors fought against the church but today almost everyone goes to church. It is the beginning of new things. However, I insist that they are unAfrican.”

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