Human Composting: The Ultimate Denial of the Soul
Crisis MagazineJan 21, 2019
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Saturday signed a law legalizing "human composting," or the natural organic reduction of the deceased, making N.Y. the sixth state in the nation to approve eco-friendly burial services after Wash., Colo., Ore., Vt, and Calif.
The process puts the deceased body in a reusable container with organic plant materials — e.g. wood chips, alfalfa, and straw — from which natural microbes break down the body. It takes roughly a month, resulting in about 36 bags of nutrient-dense soil that can be used for planting trees or land conservation.
This is another law that strips the human body of its innate metaphysical aspects. Even before the Christian Church, ancient civilizations understood the idea of the human soul to some extent. Only very recently have governments decided to forego these ideas and treat the deceased as mere pieces of garbage to be carelessly disposed of. This is immoral on religious and humanist grounds and should be vehemently opposed.
Eco-friendly burial is a positive move for those who care about the environment. This act of devotion to future generations will not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions but instead will help to grow trees and grasses that capture carbon dioxide. Those who choose this alternative can save one metric ton of carbon from entering the environment for a similar or cheaper cost than a traditional burial.