Religion: Competition for Cadavers

U.S. Protestant churches think that funerals cost too much, but they have tried only half-heartedly to get funeral prices down. The Federal Council of Churches, feeling that the time had come for action, made a survey, came up with a flat charge: many an undertaker, cemetery and tombstone maker is fattening on human grief.

The survey showed that super-salesmanship, when people's resistance is lowest, sometimes inveigles the bereaved into spending three or four times the deceased's monthly income for a decent burial. Some undertakers, said the survey, fix fees on the basis of the amount of insurance the deceased carried. During a...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!