Which religious groups prohibit cremation?

• A. Buddhists and Hindus
• B. Catholics and Protestants
• C. Sikhs and Jains
• D. Orthodox Jews and Muslims

Answer: (D)

Different faiths lay out guidelines for how to treat the body after death, and cremation is not equally accepted everywhere. In Orthodox Judaism, burial is a central obligation and the body should be laid to rest in the earth as soon as possible; cremation is viewed as disrespectful to the body and contrary to Jewish law. In Islam, the funeral rites specify washing the body, wrapping it in simple shrouds, and burying it promptly in the ground; cremation is forbidden because it violates the sanctity of the body and the proper burial process. The other groups listed generally do not prohibit cremation and often practice or permit it in various circumstances: Hindus and Buddhists typically cremate as part of the rite of passage; Sikhs and Jains also commonly practice cremation; Catholics and Protestants usually permit cremation today, with some historical preference for burial.