No religious significance. Early Christians were Jews who buried their dead in tombs carved in the side of great rocks or caves. It doesn't matter if you are buried underground or put in a tomb above ground or burned up to ash, the God who made you in the first place from the dust of the Earth is able to put you back together when the time comes.
I guess the Hindus have more awareness that "you are not your body and mind".Christians have a more physical perspective of the after-life,like drinking milk and honey all day.How can a non-physical body drink milk and honey?Milk and honey are physical and of earth.Milk and honey is produced by cows and bees who are of the earth.
But first realize that not all Christians are buried in wooden coffins. A great many are also cremated, or buried at sea or whatever. Also realize that for most of the past 2000 years poor people were buried in a winding sheet, and wooden coffins were reserved for the middle classes with the rich being buried in stone or metal caskets. The universal use of wooden coffins was a fairly recent cultural innovation. So it USN?t as simple as it may look.
Christians, or at least Roman Catholics who made up the vast majority of Christians, were forbidden from cremation until 40 years ago. IN addition many other Christian sects also forbade cremation and many still do. The reasoning behind this are the various exhortations and injunction in the Bible about treating the body with respect, as a temple and so forth. The logic being I assume that it is more respectful to leave the temple to be eaten by worms than to be burned by fire.
For many Hindus cremation is of great spiritual importance. ?"In Hindu religion, fire is considered a sacred gateway to the spiritual world. Cremation of the body has to occur within six hours of the person's death in the simplest ceremonial way".
>>>>How can a non-physical body drink milk and honey?
The Land of Milk and Honey referred to Canaan in Plestine, the Holy Land promised to the Israelites out of Egypt. Those people Had physical bodies. Nothing whatsoever to do with an after life.
>>>>Milk and honey is produced by cows and bees who are of the earth.
Tradition says that the milk is produced by goats and the honey by date palms.
Burning body seems to be more scientific and economic. 1. Buring creates a permanent impression in the minds of relatives that the person does not exist any more. (Bad dreams, fear etc. is checked..) 2 No big grounds for grave yards are required. 3. The body is not decomposed causing pollution. 4. Insects and animals can not eat the body. 5. Hindus were afraid of Tantriks. (the black magicians), who could misuse the bodies by recalling spirits to be their slaves. (as they believed). 6. In many religions fire is supposed to be form of God. Fire help digest the food people eat and make their bodies grow. The faith in Hindus is to return the bodies to the power of God (fire and earth) which created it. 7. Hindu scriptures say that "life" in the bodies is a compound of five different gases. (Pran, Apan, Vyan, Udaan and Saman).
A person is dead when the soul leaves body, but these gases take 13 days to decompose and mix in air, if burnt. It takes longer time, if the body is buried. These gases till decomposed keep the mind of the person alive though the body is dead. This is dangerous for relatives and harmful to deceased person. Hindus recommend burning for early decomposition of mind of the deceased. (We can verify it. If we stop breathing for few seconds, our mind stops working). 8. During 13 days after death, Hindu priest recite the Mantras that help early ending of mind which is possible only if the bodies are burnt. Keeping mind alive for more days may create problems for the kith and keens of the dead person 9. Hindus bury the dead body of the enlightened saints and infants. Infants have no developed mind and the saints are able to come out of body and mind.
I cannot answer for Hindus, but I think the practice of burial was the most traditional way. Also, Christians believe in the resurrect in of the dead, and they did not want their bodies burned for that reason. The logic behind this is not that strong, since the body decomposes anyhow...
Why do Christians Bury the Deceased in Wooden Coffins, Hindus burn the dead Bodies.An
