Recently, MSNBC reported on a trend of people being buried with their cell phones and BlackBerrys. My initial thought was that individuals felt that doing so would give them a lifeline, in the event that they weren't really dead. However, the article emphasized that the real reason people are choosing to be buried with their phones was because of their personal attachment to them. Or for loved ones to be able to leave voicemails for the deceased.
I believe that there are two problems with this phenomenon:
1) As a society, we have unhealthy relationships with our cell phones
2) We are misguided in our understanding of what consists a proper funeral and burial.
I'll leave it to others to debate problem #1. This isn't the appropriate forum. Here's my take on Problem #2.
When someone dies, the relationship between body and soul ceases to exist. The body has holiness and is to be respected and treated appropriately, but the person as he or she was known is no longer. Death is not a time to try and maintain the living relationship. That is why we don't bury the deceased in street clothing, we don't use fancy coffins, or embellishments.
It is sad that many people have a misguided understanding of death. That being said, it is very important to be sensitive to their needs and concerns, and in no way to hurt or cause additional pain to the loved one's family. But there needs to be appropriate education, teaching what is right and wrong.
