A bill that would legalize alkaline hydrolysis is a step closer to becoming law, having cleared a house committee in Indiana.
Although the Catholic Church has not taken an official position on the issue, Indiana Catholic Conference executive director, Glenn Tebbe, remains a critic of the bill, insisting that flushing human remains down the sewer is “disrespectful and offensive”.
Two things are worth remembering:
- “My personal beliefs say this is offensive” is not a valid reason to restrict the choices of other people under state law. If it were, we’d have to outlaw cremation, body burial, and cadaver donation. Some portion of the American public finds all of these “offensive.”
- One wonders if the Indiana Catholic Conference finds the “traditional” method of embalming more “respectful.” Millions of Americans, including Catholics, have their abdomens suctioned and the contents poured down the drain every year along with a healthy dose of formaldehyde.
