What do you want to happen to your body after you die?

[mysticwolf]

Jay520 said:

mysticwolf said:

Coffins, in a sense do steal resources. Coffins don't grow on trees, they come from trees. A tree has to be cut down in order for me to be buried in a coffin. Cutting down that tree for my coffin sends the message that I am more important than that tree. If you look at what it takes to make the average wooden coffin, it's a lot more than just wood. Much stuff that could be harmful to the environment.I realize that coffins aren't permanent and that they will eventually break down. But for me, the problem I have is the premise behind it. To me, a coffin sends the message of trying to protect and shield the body from the outisde world. We don't even need coffins. Originally, coffins were used to prevent decay, to stop spread of diseases from corpses, a way to respect and give comfort to the dead, and as a symbol of wealth. We don't need any of those things. 

I never said I was taking atoms away from the universe, I said that if I was to be put in a coffin I would feel like I was keeping my atoms all to myself, instead of giving them back to the earth. Furthermore, I believe the energy in my body would be put to better use on the forest floor or in the ocean, rather than inside a box six feet under. 

What makes a tree more important than a coffin? They're all a bunch of atoms, just with different arrangements. There's no true significance either way. If the atoms form trees, then that's fine. If they form a coffin, then that's fine too. There isn't much of a difference. Why is a tree more valuable than a coffin?

Also, why would the energy of your body be of better use on the ocean floor rather than in a box six feet under? What's the difference between being home to underwater organisms versus being home to underground organisms? Are you trying to say that lifeforms in the ocean are better than lifeforms in the dirt? That's racist.

Let's analyze your perspective for a moment here. What I'm getting from this is that everything is just atoms and nothing matters. Let's see how practical that is. Why don't I just go perform some huge terrorist act, and let's say I killed 10,000 people. There's nothing wrong with that, they are just atoms so it doesn't matter if their tissues are living or dead. While it's true that a dead human and an alive human are both simply an arrangement of atoms, that doesn't tell me if what I did was the moral thing to do. You can't honestly tell me that you care about nothing. You can't sincerely tell me that there are not good and bad things in this world. 

The point you are missing is the value of life. The tree is more valueable than the coffin because the tree is alive. Unless you see no value to life in and of itself, you should have a problem with the idea of me killing you and your family. 

As for my desire to decompose in the ocean, that is simply my preference. My body would be easier to access to larger scavengers and would decompose more quickly in the water. It doesn't really matter in the long run I suppose, but then again, neither does anything else according to you.