Is touching a dead body wrong/a sin?

AceHarddrive · Oct 21, 2005

This may not be the most appropriate place to post this, and I do feel foolish for asking...but for Christians, is touching a dead body wrong or a sin (unclean)? This refers to, for example, touching the hand of a loved one at a viewing or church service after your loved one passes on. The Bible mentions something about a person being unclean until they wash on the third day and the seventh day after touching a dead body. I think the Bible is referring to sanitary conditions of those days. What would it mean now?

~Tim

Wildwood · Oct 21, 2005

Jesus touched touched the hand of the ruler's daughter who was dead when he healed her and raised her from the dead. (Matthew 9:25) And, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body and wrapped it in linen and laid it in the tomb. (Mattew 27:59)

So, I don't believe the Old Testament sanitary laws mean it is wrong or sinful to touch a dead body as in your example.

rushingwind62 · Oct 27, 2005

AceHarddrive said:
This may not be the most appropriate place to post this, and I do feel foolish for asking...but for Christians, is touching a dead body wrong or a sin (unclean)? This refers to, for example, touching the hand of a loved one at a viewing or church service after your loved one passes on. The Bible mentions something about a person being unclean until they wash on the third day and the seventh day after touching a dead body. I think the Bible is referring to sanitary conditions of those days. What would it mean now?

~Tim

Ace, I lost my dad back in March of 2003...I was holding his hand when he went to be with the Lord and at the funeral I held his hand and kissed his forehead...No I don't think and expression of you love for a past loved is a sin. Rob

Josh Buckman · Oct 27, 2005

NO! gosh, things since the old testament has changed, I think its fine
(of coarse tahts my opinion)

Tangnefedd · Nov 12, 2005

If you want to touch a dead body like giving it a fairwell kiss then do, there is nothing wrong in that!

My father died last month, I had no wish to see his dead body, so didn't, it is all a matter of choice.

Fantine · Nov 12, 2005

One of the most touching things I heard was when a friend of mine, a Mary Kay lady, did her mother's makeup for the last time (her mother had been a Mary Kay lady, too.) I'm sure it must have been a very hard thing to do, and a real act of love.

Tangnefedd · Nov 12, 2005

In the UK it would be unusual for the family to have anything to do with the laying out of the body, that is left to the undertaker. Some may wish to see it after it has been tidied up, but then the lid of the coffin is screwed down, we don't go in for open caskets here.

CountryLady · Nov 20, 2005

I've never heard of it as a sin.

thepianist · Nov 21, 2005

AceHarddrive said:
This may not be the most appropriate place to post this, and I do feel foolish for asking...but for Christians, is touching a dead body wrong or a sin (unclean)? This refers to, for example, touching the hand of a loved one at a viewing or church service after your loved one passes on. The Bible mentions something about a person being unclean until they wash on the third day and the seventh day after touching a dead body. I think the Bible is referring to sanitary conditions of those days. What would it mean now?

~Tim

I, personally, don't believe it is wrong to touch the hand of a loved one that has died....or kiss them on the forehead. The 'real' person who we loved is absent from that shell we were used to seeing - but that IS what we were used to seeing. When my daddy passed away seven years ago, I had no problem touching his old hand...and, yes, I did kiss him on the forehead. Daddy wasn't there, of course, but his shell was. I do not regret touching him. Although that's not how I want to remember him, not by a long shot. I will always remember him being the vibrant, energetic, evangelist that he was - and the Daddy that raised me.

Tangnefedd · Nov 21, 2005

The only think wrong would be having sex with a dead body, I think that is probably illegal in the UK, but I am not absolutely sure of that.

Arwenbaby · Nov 21, 2005

No the action you are asking about are not sinful. The reference you make would have been real if you were still under the Law before the Cross. This was part of the Law that made Israel a different people a people set aside to God. The was the role of many of the facets of the Law. There were I am sure as have already been pointed out sanitary reason as well.

Anti Existance · Nov 22, 2005

No , only hatred that you bring upon yourself and others can make your soul unclean.

The difference that Jesus tried to make us clear is that you have

- a body + a spirit.

If you dive in the mud it won't make your spirit unclean, if you touch or even eat dead people it doesn't make your spirit unclean. If you abuse someone then your spirit will become unclean, if you hurt someone your soul becomes unclean.

The perspective should therefore not be materialistic, but spiritualistic, what you do wrong or good upon other people is spiritual , we have to disguish these two things, body and spirit. What affects the body does not necesserily affect the spirit.

wildthing · Dec 21, 2005

Touch the love one nothing wrong with it. it might give you closer.

CJD · Dec 27, 2005

Even health care workers are required to give a bed bath to the deceased. Some people are uneasy with the idea of touching someone's body who has died, but I really think that there is a time and a place for that. Sometimes is simply a way of showing affection for the person who has passed. I personally do see anything wrong with touching the body of someone who has passed away. I don't think it would be considered a sin......alot has changed since old testament times.

Redneck Crow · Jan 3, 2006

AceHarddrive said:
This may not be the most appropriate place to post this, and I do feel foolish for asking...but for Christians, is touching a dead body wrong or a sin (unclean)? This refers to, for example, touching the hand of a loved one at a viewing or church service after your loved one passes on. The Bible mentions something about a person being unclean until they wash on the third day and the seventh day after touching a dead body. I think the Bible is referring to sanitary conditions of those days. What would it mean now?

~Tim

Those under the Law, the Kingdom dispensation (Jews) had various prohibitions against contact with dead bodies. Yet, as others have pointed out, Christ Himself touched a dead person to bring that person back to life.

Christians are under the dispensation of Grace, not Law. We are dead to the Law, and not bound by it's restrictions. I held my father's hand after he died. There is no reason for a Christian to not be able to touch the body of a dead loved one.

Ritz · Jan 12, 2006

I hugged and held my Dad when he was gone from here. Simply a shell of what they were. What sin lies in holding on one last time before we reunite someday? None. No sin here.

vimto · Jan 13, 2006

OK let us be clear - touching a dead body is not a sin.

It is not a sin.

Nothing is unclean to the Christian - it is the intentiions of our hearts that matter.

Kindest regards in christ.

SecretAdmirer · Jan 18, 2006

i never heard that it was a sin.

younwha · Jan 22, 2006

there's nothing wrong with touching a dead body. i've been to a few funerals but they were all cremated.

justafayes · Jan 29, 2006

AceHarddrive said:
This may not be the most appropriate place to post this, and I do feel foolish for asking...but for Christians, is touching a dead body wrong or a sin (unclean)? This refers to, for example, touching the hand of a loved one at a viewing or church service after your loved one passes on. The Bible mentions something about a person being unclean until they wash on the third day and the seventh day after touching a dead body. I think the Bible is referring to sanitary conditions of those days. What would it mean now?

~Tim

Well I'm not totally read up on God's Word.. but He does know our love for our family.. Should I give my thoughts,, it would strictly be my opinion,, but I tell you what I would do,, I would touch my loved ones hand and give them a kiss goodbye if I really needed to,, again God knows our heart,, he understands grief,, I'm sure it would be a heart matter,,, What about the undertakers and those that work in the morgue and so on.. this is their daily job,, if they didn't do it... and no one could touch the still bodies,, humm,, that is unimaginable.. again that's what I think and strictly my opinion.. Love in the Lord,, Faye

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