Miller wants see-through caskets draped

Flashy displays of glass caskets, transparent chariots and see-through hearses are fancy ways in which Jamaicans view their dead before putting them to rest. This growing trend has left many persons uncomfortable, as they are forced to see corpse being paraded in front of them.

Popular clergyman Reverend Al Miller believes that see-through caskets should be draped to shield the body from the public's view.

"We have to be careful about what we open up and expose our kids to, because death and the dead body speak of a lot of other things in the underworld and witchcraft, et cetera, and spirits and forces of darkness are real. So we have to be conscious of that and manage the process and protect children," Miller said.

He added that seeing these bodies can give children nightmares and open the door to what he describes as "evil, spiritual activities".

Miller told THE WEEKEND STAR that some of these lavish funerals with glass caskets are for persons who were once involved in illegal activities, and parading them sets a bad example to young people.

"If we are not careful, we are giving more respect and honour to the dead body than the life that was wasted," he said.

He also said that the dignity that was once attached to the burying of the dead has diminished over the years.

"We dress for funerals as if it's a party, and half of who attend these funerals don't really go in and participate in the activity. They're really outside drinking, smoking weed and everything, just like a nuh nothing," Miller said. He said the glass caskets are added proof that there is little to no distinction about what is sacred.

Some funeral directors such as George Lyn, director of Lyn's Funeral Home in Manchester, do not believe that the trend is morally wrong. However, Lyn said some persons don't want to see the body of the deceased.

"The body is not to be shown, because it has effect on some people. Some people don't want to see dead remains, enuh. They come here and they don't guh look. So, my view is that these stylish glass caskets should not be shown to the public while going on the road. When yuh guh church and they want to view, yuh guh view," said Lyn, who has been a funeral director for almost 50 years.