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At 20:36 19/08/2007, you wrote: > From the GMC consultation on personal beliefs etc. >http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/news_consultation/personal_beliefs.asp >"Completion of cremation forms >26. >You should not refuse to sign statutory cremation forms on the basis of >your own personal or religious objection to cremation. It is not >appropriate, in this situation, to advise relatives of their right to >see another doctor5, since there may be no other doctor in a position to >sign the form6. Refusal to sign the form could necessitate a referral to >the coroner and a post mortem, causing unnecessary delay and distress to >the relatives of the deceased patient." > >Is there any religion which objects to cremation for non-believers if >that is the choice of the non-believer's relations? (I am using >"non-believers" as a term to cover anyone who does not belong to the >religion which is causing the doctor asked to sign the cremation form to >have a religious objection: the situation , presumably, would not arise >where the deceased belonged to the same religious persuasion) > >Just curious - and I suspect that GP-UK is likely to include people who >would know the answer! > >MaryH >-- >Mary Hawking I think we've established that Roman Catholicism does not accept that cremation is appropriate. Hence practicing Roman Catholics who wish to have a Catholic funeral service probably can't be cremated. However judging by the numbers of those of Roman Catholic faith who use contraception or have abortions, without otherwise appearing as "lapsed" this could be a complex issue. Clearly there is also a huge difference between signing part one of the certificates (which I thought was going to be abolished), and signing part two, which is a matter for negotiation. Julian