Editing Embalming (section)

==Religious practices==
Opinions differ among different faiths as to the permissibility of embalming. A brief overview of some of the larger faiths’ positions is as follows:
*Most branches and [[Religious denomination|denomination]]s of the [[Christianity|Christian]] faith allow embalming. Some bodies within [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] profess an absolute ban on embalming except when required by law or other necessity,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/death/death_talk.aspx |title=Let's Talk About Death |publisher=Orthodoxinfo.com |access-date=9 March 2012}}</ref> while others may discourage but do not prohibit it.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.saintgeorge.mn.goarch.org/PastorsCornerFunerals.htm |title=Funerals<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=7 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818031856/http://www.saintgeorge.mn.goarch.org/PastorsCornerFunerals.htm |archive-date=18 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In most Christian denominations, the decision on embalming is the preference of the deceased's family rather than for church policy or theological viewpoint.
*[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] does not discourage or prohibit embalming. Often, due to the custom of church members dressing the deceased, embalming is given preference.
*Some [[Neopagan]]s discourage embalming, believing it unnatural to disrupt the physical recycling of the body to the Earth. 
*Members of the [[Bahá'í Faith]] are not embalmed. Instead, the body is washed and then placed in a cotton, linen, or silk shroud.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Langness |first=David |date=2022-05-21 |title=The Environmental Case Against Cremation and Embalming |url=https://bahaiteachings.org/the-environmental-case-against-cremation-and-embalming/ |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=BahaiTeachings.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
*[[Zoroastrians]] traditionally hold a type of [[sky burial]] within a structure known as a [[Tower of Silence]] in which the body is exposed to weathering and predation to dispose of the remains. Embalming the body is thus contrary to their funeral designs.
*Traditional Jewish law forbids embalming. Burial is to be done as soon as possible; preferably within 24 hours.
*Embalming is not practiced in Hinduism. The body is usually cremated as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, except when the offspring of the deceased need time to get to the location (in which case the body is refrigerated).
*In Islam, embalming of the dead is not practiced, except in cases of necessity, such as when a body is being transported internationally and the law requires it to be embalmed. Muslims bury their deceased without delay (preferably within 24 hours), to allow the soul to transition to the afterlife as soon as possible.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-09-30 |title=How Muslims Wash, Bury Their Dead |url=https://www.wfae.org/local-news/2013-09-30/how-muslims-wash-bury-their-dead |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Repatriation of the deceased - Can it ever be justified? |url=https://nmfas.org.uk/repatriation/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=National Muslim Funeral Advisory |language=en-US}}</ref>
*Buddhists generally do not favor embalming, but it is not strictly prohibited in most Buddhist traditions. The practice of embalming varies among different Buddhist schools and cultures. In Theravada Buddhism, embalming is allowed but not considered essential. However, in Tibetan Buddhism, embalming is typically discouraged and should not take place.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Buddhist Funeral Traditions |url=https://www.everplans.com/articles/buddhist-funeral-traditions |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=www.everplans.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Home |first=Renaissance Funeral |date=2021-03-22 |title=Buddhist Death Rituals and Funeral Rites |url=https://rfhr.com/buddhist-death-rituals-and-funeral-rites/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Cremation, Funeral Pre-planning - Raleigh, NC {{!}} Renaissance Funeral Home |language=en-US}}</ref>