To the editor: Appropriately, his article on composting human remains appeared in print on a Sunday, the traditional Sabbath for many Christians.
It may have been considered rude for the article to consider the fundamental source of opposition to more environmentally friendly means of disposing of human remains. To wit: some religions hold that miraculous resurrections await the bodies buried in coffins of a church's followers.
Unsurprisingly, no Bible Belt states are represented among the 10 that have legalized human composting.
Pray that the heartwarming stories shared by surviving family members of composted loved ones will help change the mindset of religious followers. It is time to take literally the biblical warning of “dust to dust.”
Roberta Helms, Santa Barbara
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To the editor: Composting human bodies is wasteful, the opposite of “green.”
The highest and best use of a cadaver is to recycle the parts by donating the entire body to a medical school. This option costs nothing. Whole-body donations enable organ harvesting, saving lives and educating the next generation of doctors.
When my mother died, we followed her wishes and notified the UC San Diego School of Medicine, which sent people to respectfully remove her body. After the school used my mother's body, her remains were cremated.
Kim Cox, El Cajon
