How do two religions compare on cremation?
Choose any two traditions below to see, side by side, whether each allows cremation, prefers burial, permits scattering, keeping, or dividing ashes, accepts memorial jewelry, holds a funeral with the ashes present, and who makes the decision.
This tool was built for a specific moment: you know your own tradition, and you are trying to understand someone else's. Maybe you are planning for a parent whose faith you did not share. Maybe you are choosing a memorial gift for a friend and are afraid of getting it wrong. Every short answer here is taken from the full page for that tradition in our Religious Views on Cremation series, where each claim is cited to the tradition's own documents and every page carries a dated update history. When in doubt, ask your own clergy; individual parishes, congregations, and rabbis can be stricter or more lenient than the official position.
Quick reference: every tradition at a glance
The same answers in one table, for a fast read or for printing. Click a tradition for the full page, its sources, and guidance on memorial gifts.
| Tradition | Cremation | Ashes at home | Memorial jewelry | Funeral with ashes present |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Church | Allowed with conditions | Not permitted | Not permitted | Yes |
| Eastern Orthodox Church | Not allowed | Not accepted | Not accepted | No |
| Protestant churches (general) | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed | Yes |
| Southern Baptist Convention | Allowed | No rule | No rule | Yes |
| United Methodist Church | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed | Yes |
| Evangelical and nondenominational | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed | Yes |
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Allowed | No prohibition | No prohibition | Yes |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Allowed | No rule | No rule | Yes |
| Judaism (Orthodox) | Not allowed | Not permitted | Not permitted | Generally no |
| Judaism (Conservative) | Against tradition, not a ban | Not accepted | Not accepted | Before cremation only |
| Judaism (Reform and Reconstructionist) | Permitted, burial encouraged | Discouraged | Discouraged, family choice | Yes |
How to read the answers
Each verdict is one of four plain words. Allowed means the tradition permits it and leaves the choice to the family. Allowed with conditions means it is permitted but with rules that matter, such as where the ashes must rest. Not permitted means the tradition's official guidance says no. No rule means the tradition has never addressed it and treats it as a matter of conscience. The one line under each verdict tells you the source of the position; the full page tells you the rest.
Traditions that are not yet in the tool, including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and the remaining Christian denominations, are summarized on the main page and will be added here as each full page is published.
Keep reading
- Religious Views on Cremation: every tradition, one place
- Christian Views on Cremation, denomination by denomination
- Jewish Views on Cremation: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist
- Cremation and Cremation Jewelry Trends: 2026 Report
Update history
September 5, 2026: Added a "Next step" box linking to the new Memorial Gifts by Faith page. (source)
September 5, 2026: The comparison tool moved from the main Religious Views on Cremation page to this dedicated page, with a static quick reference table added beneath it. Data unchanged. (source)
September 4, 2026: Tool first published with eleven traditions, drawn from the audited pages in the series. (source)
If you are choosing a keepsake, for yourself or for someone you love, we would rather you get it right than get it from us.
This tool is educational. Positions reflect official teaching as published by each tradition at the time of the update. Cherished Emblems sells cremation jewelry, and where a tradition does not permit keeping ashes we say so plainly.