An older gentleman from the chess club once said that he believed that burying the dead was a waste of space. At first it sounds disrespectful to the dead by not giving them a proper burial, but I guess depending maybe on your religious beliefs or your personal life experiences it may or may not make sense to you. Thoughts?
No I don’t .
Returning to the earth is a good thing and cemeteries and church yards become important green spaces where wildlife and fauna find a haven and flourish . They becomr places of peace and reflection in todays busy world a reminder that one day we too shall step off this frenetic roundabout .
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Wastes less space than having a whole pyramid to yourself.
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The vikings had it right…going out in a blaze of glory
Not a waste of space at all, no. Some people might be, but everyone deserves a chance to give back to nature if possible,
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Different times Primus1, there wouldn’t have been 8 billion persons on the planet then so, sending off the portion of 8 billion who pop daily in this fashion would have a severe impact on Global Warming possibly
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a church and its graveyard is officially sacred ground and therefore I imagine would remain so in perpetuity ; my only disappointment I suppose which has been raised here before is the neglected upkeep of some of these grounds and graves. Some families cease visiting and tending the graves and then who can be responsible? But despite all of this unkempt or not it surely remains sacred ground. And for many families there is a dislike of any other method of internment compared to burial. So unless the law is change the option remains whether we agree or not?
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Not always a bad thing
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I don’t want tobe buried but I do love cemeteries, the peace and beauty is important for those to visit loved ones . No not a waste of space at all .
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In September my husband was buried in a Green Burial Ground following his wishes not to be cremated. It is a beautiful place with trees and wild flowers abounding. He will have a tree planted there in his name - which I find moving because although his life has ended there will be another life (the tree) in his name. He will also have a small wooden grave marker with his name, his dates and a rugby ball and a cricket bat engraved onto it. There are not any marble etc. gravestones - nothing to suggest that it is a burial ground except the wooden markers. No flowers in pots on the graves, just wild flowers that have seeded naturally. It is a peaceful place where all you can hear is the wind in the trees and birdsong. So my view is that burial isn’t a waste of space at all.
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One of my favourite things to do is walking around graveyards reading headstones.
So i do not think its a waste of space,and it`s good for nature and wildlife.
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We may have to consider burying folks vertically!
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I thought thats why they dug the graves so deep?
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For a lot of people having their late loved ones nearby and visiting their graves is a very big part of their life.
I live right beside a church and most days somebody walks past carrying flowers to put on a grave. Weekends is even busier and families come with children and grandchildren.
I have been known to take my coffee and sit in the churchyard in the summer. Even though I have a lovely garden it is just a nice feeling to sit in the sunshine in such a peaceful place.
My husband won’t be there though as he wants to be cremated with no fuss, no service and to be scattered or as he usually says “just put me in a ditch somewhere.”
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No, For a lot of people it’s the right thing to do. Yes some go for cremation but then they are gone and it’s not the same for the ones left behind, with no grave to visit and tend. We have a lot of the old Clan Graveyards up here and I love visiting them, some of them are 100s of years old and the marker stones are so beautiful. This is the entrance to the Clan MacNab Graveyard, it’s on a small island, so wild, beautiful and peaceful. A safe haven for wildlife as well. Have visited several times when in the area.
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Each to their own. It’s up to my family what they want to do with my decaying carcass when I peg out. The only thing i have stipulated is that spending a fortune on my funeral would be sometthing I’d be shaking my fist at from beyond the grave. Big black cars, with some folk wearing Dickensian black outfits for a fee. No thank you!!
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I don’t think it is a waste of space burying someone.
I am having a woodland burial (no grave) and I will provide food for flowers and trees.
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So, ultimately, it is conceivable that in a generation or two down the line you may be digested by a Vegan!!! 
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If, as most Christians believe, the soul leaves the body upon death. Then burying the remains seems superfluous, and a waste of space. To do some good after my death. My body will go to medical science, then finally incinerated, my ashes to be spread upon the flower beds. Per chance, maybe the veggy patch Where I might grow into a lovely big cabbage. Seems so apt.
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I recall that in other cultures, especially where the land isn’t quite so fertile and/or can’t be dug so easily, they use human remains to feed animals and also make useful items from skeletons, such as cups and bowls from skulls.
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