Religious considerations
Religious beliefs are often an important consideration for those
contemplating organ and tissue donation or transplantation. The
following is a summary concerning the various religious groups’ position
on organ and tissue donation and transplantation to assist families
in their decision.
AME & AME Zion (African Methodist Episcopal)
Organ and tissue
donation is viewed as an act of neighborly love and charity by
the denominations. They encourage all members to support donation
as a way of helping others.
Amish
The Amish will consent to transplantation if they believe
it is for the well-being of the transplant recipient. John Hostetler,
world renowned authority on Amish religion and professor of
anthropology at Temple University in Philadelphia, says in his
book, Amish Society, "the
Amish believe that since God created the human body, it is God
who heals."
However, nothing in the Amish understanding
of the Bible forbids them from using modern medical services,
including surgery, hospitalization, dental work, anesthesia,
blood transfusions or immunizations.
Assembly Of God
The Church has no official policy in regards to
organ and tissue donation. The decision to donate is left up
to the individual. Donation is highly supported by this denomination.
Baptist
Baptists generally believe that organ and tissue donation
and transplantation are ultimately matters of personal conscience.
However, the nation’s
largest protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention,
adopted a resolution in 1988 encouraging physicians to offer
the option of organ donation in appropriate circumstances and
to "...encourage voluntarism regarding organ donations in
the spirit of stewardship, compassion for the needs of others
and alleviating suffering."
Other Baptist groups have supported
organ and tissue donation as an act of charity and leave
the decision to donate up to the individual.
Brethren
The Church of the Brethren views organ and tissue donation
as a charitable act so long as it does not impede the life or
hasten the death of the donor. The church urges its congregation
to discuss these issues with family and clergy so the individual’s
wishes can be carried out at the time of his/her death.
Buddhism
Buddhists believe that organ and tissue donation is a
matter of individual conscience and place high value on acts
of compassion. Reverend Gyomay Masao, president and founder of
the Buddhist Temple of Chicago, says, "we honor those people
who donate their bodies and organs to the advancement of medical
science and to saving lives." The importance of letting loved
ones know your wishes is stressed.
Catholicism
Catholics view organ and tissue donation as an act
of charity and love.
Transplants are morally and ethically acceptable
to the Vatican. According to Father Leroy Wickowski, Director
of the Office of Health Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago, "we
encourage donation as an act of charity. It is something good that
can result from tragedy and a way for families to find comfort
by helping others."
Pope John Paul II has stated, "the
Catholic Church would promote the fact that there is a need for
organ donors and that Christians should accept this as a challenge
to their generosity and fraternal love, so long as ethical principles
are followed."
Christian Church (Disciples of God)
The Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) encourages organ and tissue donation, stating that
we were created for God’s
glory and for sharing God’s love. A 1985 resolution,
adopted by the General Assembly, encourages "...members
of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to enroll as
organ donors and prayerfully support those who have received
an organ transplant."
Christian Science
The Church of Christ Scientist does not have
a specific position regarding organ donation. According to the
First Church of Christ Scientist in Boston, Christian Scientists
normally rely on spiritual instead of medical means of healing.
They are free, however, to choose whatever form of medical treatment
they desire including a transplant. The question of organ and
tissue donation is an individual decision.
Episcopal
The Episcopal Church passed a resolution in 1982 that
recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ, blood and tissue
donation. All Episcopalians are encouraged to become organ, blood
and tissue donors "as
part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave
His life that we may have life in its fullness."
Greek Orthodox
According to Dr. Milton Efthimiou, Director of the
Department of Church and Society for the Greek Orthodox Church
of North and South American, "the Greek Orthodox Church
is not opposed to organ donation as long as the organs and tissue
in question are used to better human life, i.e., for transplantation
or for research that will lead to improvements in the treatment
and prevention of disease."
Gypsies (Romany)
Gypsies are people of different ethnic groups
without a formalized religion. They share common folk beliefs
and tend to be opposed to organ donation. Their opposition is connected
with their beliefs about the afterlife, which is, that for one
year after death, the soul retraces it is steps. Thus, the body
must remain intact because the soul maintains its physical shape.
Hinduism
According to the Hindu Temple Society of North America,
Hindus are not prohibited by religious law from donating their
organs. This act is an individual’s decision.
H.L. Trivedi,
in Transplantation Proceedings (1990), stated that, "Hindu
mythology has stories in which the parts of the human body
are used for the benefit of other humans and society. There is
nothing in the Hindu religion indicating that parts of humans,
dead or alive, cannot be used to alleviate the suffering of other
humans."
Independent Conservative Evangelical
Generally, Evangelicals have
no opposition to organ and tissue donation. Each church is autonomous
and leaves the decision to donate up to the individual.
Islam
The religion of Islam maintains the principle of saving human
lives. According to A. Sachedina, in Transplantation
Proceedings (1990), "...
the majority of Muslim scholars belonging to various schools
of Islamic law have invoked the principle of priority of saving
human life and have permitted the organ transplant as a necessity
to procure that noble end."
Jehovah's Witnesses
According to the Watch Tower Society, Jehovah’s
Witnesses believe donation is a matter of individual decision.
Jehovah’s
Witnesses are often assumed to be opposed to donation because
they are opposed to blood transfusions. However, this merely
means that all blood must be removed from the organs and tissues
before being transplanted.
Judaism
All four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform
and Reconstructionist) support and encourage donation.
According
to Orthodox Rabbi Moses Tendler, Chairman of the Biology Department
of Yeshiva University in New York City and Chairman of the Bioethics
Commission of the Rabbinical Council of America, "if one is
in the position to donate an organ to save another’s life,
its obligatory to do so, even if the donor never knows who the
beneficiary will be. The basic principle of Jewish ethics is
the infinite worth of the human being and also includes donation
of corneas, since eyesight restoration is considered a life-saving
operation."
In 1991 the Rabbinical Council of America (Orthodox)
approved organ donations as permissible, and even required, from
brain-dead patients. The Reform movement looks on the transplant
program favorably, and Rabbi Richard Address, Director of the
Union of American Hebrew Congregations Bio-Ethics Committee and
Committee on Older Adults, states that "Judaic Responsa
materials provide a positive approach, and by and large the North
American Reform Jewish community approves of transplantation."
Lutheran
In 1984, the Lutheran Church in America passed a resolution
stating that donation contributes to the well-being of humanity
and can be an expression of sacrificial love for a neighbor in
need. They call on members to consider donating organs and to make
any necessary family and legal arrangements, including the use
of a signed donor card.
Mennonite
Mennonites have no formal position on donation but are
not opposed to it. They believe the decision to donate is up
to the individual and/or his or her family.
Moravian
The Moravian Church has no policy addressing organ and
tissue donation or transplantation. Robert E. Sawyer, President,
Provincial Elders Conference, Moravian Church of American, Southern
Province, states, "there
is nothing in our doctrine or policy that would prevent a Moravian
pastor from assisting a family in making a decision to donate
or not to donate an organ." It is, therefore, a matter
of individual choice.
Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints holds the decision to donate
is an individual one made in conjunction with family, medical
personnel and prayer. They do not oppose donation.
Pentecostal
Pentecostals believe that the decision to donate should
be left up to the individual.
Presbyterian
Presbyterians encourage and support donation. They
respect a person’s
right to make decisions regarding his or her own body.
Protestantism
The Protestant Church generally encourages and endorses
donation and transplantation. Each denomination may have its
own statement.
Quaker
The Quaker Church maintains that donation or transplants
is an individual decision.
Seventh-Day Adventists
Donation and transplantation are strongly
encouraged by Seventh-day Adventists. They have many transplant
hospitals, including Loma Linda Hospital in California, which
specializes in pediatric heart transplantation.
Shinto
In Shinto, the dead body is considered to be impure and
dangerous and thus quite powerful. In folk belief context, injuring
a dead body is a serious crime according to E. Namihira. To this
day, it is difficult to obtain consent from bereaved families
for organ donation or dissection for medical education or pathological
anatomy the Japanese regard them all in the sense of injuring
a dead body. Families are often concerned that they not injure
the itai, the relationship between the dead person and the
bereaved people.
Unitarian Universalists
Organ and tissue donation is widely supported
by Unitarian Universalists. They view it as an act of love and
selfless giving.
United Church of Christ
Reverend Jay Lintner, Director, Washington
Office of the United Church of Christ Office for Church in Society,
states, "United
Church of Christ people, churches and agencies are extremely
and overwhelmingly supportive of organ sharing.
The General
Synod has never spoken to this issue because, in general, the
Synod speaks on more controversial issues, and there is no
controversy about organ sharing, just as there is no controversy
about blood donation in the denomination. While the General Synod
has never spoken about blood donation, blood donation rooms have
been set up at several General Synods.
Similarly, any organized
effort to get the General Synod delegates or individual churches
to sign organ donation cards would meet with generally positive
responses."
United Methodist
The United Methodist Church issued a policy statement
regarding organ and tissue donation.
In it, they state that, "the
United Methodist Church recognizes the life-giving benefits
of organ and tissue donation, and thereby encourages all Christians
to become organ and tissue donors by signing and carrying cards
or driver’s licenses, attesting to their commitment of
such organs upon their death, to those in need, as a part of
their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave his
life that we might have life in its fullness."
A 1992
resolution states, "donation is to be encouraged, assuming
appropriate safeguards against hastening death and determination
of death by reliable criteria." The resolution further
states, "pastoral-care
persons should be willing to explore these options as a normal
part of conversation with patients and their families."
This
section reprinted by permission of
James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness |
