Monks Fight Louisiana Funeral Industry over Right to Build Coffins

[The Straight Story]

Monks Fight Louisiana Funeral Industry over Right to Build Coffins


In need of a new trade to make money for their monastery, the Benedictine monks of Saint Joseph Abbey in Covington, Louisiana, took up casketing-making a few years ago to help support themselves. But then the state board that regulates the funeral industry found out about the simple wooden caskets the monks were constructing and selling, and threatened the monastery with fines and criminal charges. Under state law, anyone working in the funeral business must be certified by the Louisiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.

So the monks have filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that “there is no rational relationship between the sale of handmade wooden caskets and a government requirement that a monastery become a funeral home.” The suit alleges that the licensing laws establish and preserve a “cartel for the sale of caskets in Louisiana.”

Deacon Mark Coudrain points out that a casket is not required for burial in Louisiana, and that a person can be buried directly in the ground or in a shroud. The monks also argue that their modest cypress caskets are in line with the growing movement to use biodegradable coffins to avoid contaminating the earth. The monks make two styles of caskets, traditional and monastic.

http://www.allgov.com/Unusual_News/ViewNews/Monks_Fight_Louisiana_Funeral_Industry_over_Right_to_Build_Coffins_100814

[Odin2005]

1. Goddam cartelism!

[xchrom]

2. I want one of those for my time. Nt

[NobleCynic]

3. What? Are they concerned an unlicensed casket might be unsafe?

I mean, this might just be an issue of consumer safety.

[pitohui]

17. a casket is a wood box and is not required in louisiana AT ALL

they know v. well that there is nothing unsafe abt the monk's wood boxes, it's a pure and simple rule passed by the funeral industry to gouge people

most people i know deal w. it these days by getting cremated, who can afford a traditional funereal/bureal except the drug dealers who make a party of it with a second line and everything else...

a few years ago a guy on my street was quietly making pine caskets but he's been gone a few years

there is no requirement that a person be in a casket at all here, but IF they are in a casket it's supposed to be one of those car-priced monsters from the properly licensed funeral home

everything's a scam and when you die even your family is scammed

awhile back some pagans got a cremation and put their friend's remains in a shoebox that they decorated themselves because the funeral home was gonna try to charge $800 for an urn! you know what a fucking urn is right? a ceramic vase!!!!

if you assume a funeral home director is a thief preying on people's grief, now you have it right

"consumer safety" my ass, you do understand that when you're put in the casket, YOU'RE ALREADY FUCKING DEAD????

[NobleCynic]

18. The moment I posted, I knew that I needed the sarcasm tag.

I see my attempt at humor has failed in overcoming the great and powerful internets.

[Silent3]

20. No sarcasm tag *should* have been needed.

But yes, teh intarwebs are reliably stocked with fresh supplies of the sarcasm oblivious daily. :)

[MadHound]

4. This isn't surprising.

Funeral homes have carved out a nice little racket for themselves over the years, getting state legislatures to pass all sorts of exclusionary laws. That's one of the reasons that your standard funeral is so high.

[chaska]

5. READ THIS.... Very interesting site.

http://www.naturalburial.coop/about-natural-burial/conventional-burial/

[brewens]

6. One of the most disgusting industries imaginable. I have specific

instructions that I'd like to make official. Do not spend a dime! I'm dead dammit! I'm not gonna give a shit about anything you do. Save the money for the funeral and go out and drink it!
If it was legal I'd tell them to just haul me out in the woods and let the animals eat me.

[TlalocW]

12. Mine will be

Put zombie make-up on me, dress me in rags, and prop me up in the lawn of my worst enemy.

TlalocW

[Silent3]

21. My attitude too.

I'd like the living to benefit from whatever bits of me can be harvested and reused, the rest can be tossed in the trash for all I care. I guess your idea of the woods is even better -- a few hungry animals get fed then too. (Although maybe letting some animals develop a taste for human flesh might not be a good idea! :) )

The last thing I want is a ton of money wasted on corpse-related rituals.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

7. What a racket. Just mix me with a reef ball...

and toss me in the ocean.

Hope the monks win this.

[red red red]

8. Sad! Another Louisiana Debacle!...

I want to move! But, not to Arizona, Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma, 6th District Minnesota... Oh where, oh where can we go? :think:

[boppers]

9. Visited Oregon yet?

I came here for a only a few days, and decided to spend the rest of my life here.

Oh, and Welcome to DU!

[red red red]

11. Thanks boppers, and yes...

I love Oregon! Have been there 5 or 6 times (2 hours from Newport) and fell in love with it. Really do wish I could move there - it would be my first choice! :D

[boppers]

15. Hey, we need some more southern up in here.

I spent a year in Atlanta, and I totally miss a lot of the "laid back" charm. Don't get me wrong, we have our own blend of it here, but the whole "totally friendly to a stranger" thing is missing.

[Subdivisions]

10. You mean to fucking tell me that we can't build our own caskets without

breaking the fucking law?

Je-sus Christ.

[The Straight Story]

13. They call it 'nanny state'. Like San Fran - they want to ban happy meals/etc now

To protect the kids because parents are unable to make choices....

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Here's their site...

http://www.abbeycaskets.com/AbbeyCaskets.cfm?page=home.cfm

Not exactly cheap pine boxes, but apparently a lot cheaper then the funeral home wants to charge. Around here you end up paying around 3 grand for the cheapest decent casket, 5 grand and up for a nice one.

[Hannah Bell]

16. that's indiana.

here's louisiana:

http://saintjosephabbey.com/woodworks.html

[TreasonousBastard]

19. Oh. Thanks. Who knew so many Benedictines would go into the coffin business?