Religious Views on Donation
Religious Points of View (Chart of Various Denominations)
AME & AME Zion (African Methodist
Episcopal)
Organ and tissue donation is viewed as an act of neighborly love
and charity by these denominations. They encourage all members to
support donation as a way of helping others.
Amish
The Amish consent to donation if they know it is for the health
and welfare of the transplant recipient. They believe that since
God created the human body, it is God who heals. However, they are
not forbidden from using modern medical services, including surgery,
hospitalization, dental work, anesthesia, blood transfusions, or
immunization.
Assembly of God
The Church has no official policy regarding donation. The decision
to donate is left up to the individual. Donation is highly supported
by the denomination.
Baptist
Though Baptists generally believe that organ and tissue donation
and transplantation are ultimately matters of personal conscience,
the nation's largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist
Convention, adopted a resolution in 1988 encouraging physicians
to request 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.
Buddhism
Buddhists believe organ donation is a matter that should be left
to an individual's conscience. Reverend Gyomay Masao Kubose, president
and founder of The Buddhist Temple of Chicago and a practicing minister,
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 donation as an act of charity, fraternal love
and self sacrifice. Transplants are ethically and morally acceptable
to the Vatican. Pope John Paul II 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 Christ)
The Christian Church 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."
The Church of Christ, Scientist
Christian Scientists do not take a specific position on transplants
or organ donation. They normally rely on spiritual, rather than
medical means for healing. Organ and tissue donation is an issue
that is left to the individual church member.
Episcopal
The Episcopal Church recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ,
blood, and tissue donation. All Christians 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 Reverend Dr. Milton Efthimiou, Director of the Department
of Church and Society for the Greek Orthodox Church of North and
South America, "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
Gypsies tend to be against organ donation. Although they have no
formal resolution, their opposition is associated with their belief
in the after-life. Gypsies believe that for one year after a person
dies, the soul retraces its steps. All parts of the body must remain
intact because the soul maintains a physical shape.
Hinduism
Hindus are not prohibited by religious law from donating their organs,
according to the Hindu Temple Society of North America. In fact,
Hindu mythology includes stories in which parts of the human body
are used for the benefit of other humans and society. The act is
an individual decision.
Independent Conservative Evangelical
Generally, Evangelicals have had no opposition to organ and tissue
donation. Donation is an individual decision.
Islam
Muslims believe in the principle of saving human lives, and permit
organ transplants as a means of achieving that noble end.
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses believe donation is a matter best left to an
individual's conscience. All organs and tissue, however, must be
completely drained of blood before transplantation.
Judaism
All four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and
Reconstructionist) support and encourage donation. Said Orthodox
Rabbi Moses Tendier, "if one is in the position to donate an
organ to save another's life, it's obligatory to do so, even if
the donor never knows who the beneficiary will be. The basic principle
of Jewish ethics - 'the infinite worth of the human being' - 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
upon the transplant program favorably. Rabbi Richard Address, Director
of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations Bio-Ethics Committee,
stated 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 leave the decision to the individual or his/her family.
Moravian
The Moravian Church has made no statement addressing organ and tissue
donation or transplantation. Robert E. Sawyer, President, Provincial
Elders Conference, Moravian Church of America, 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.
Mormons
The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints considers the decision to donate
organs a selfless act that often results in great benefit and the
decision to donate for medical purposes, or the decision to authorize
donation from a deceased family member is made by the individual
or deceased member's family. The Church states that the decision
should be made after receiving competent medical counsel and confirmation
through prayer.
Pentecostal
Pentecostals leave the decision to donate up to the individual.
Presbyterian
Presbyterians encourage and endorse donation. It's an individual's
right to make decisions regarding his or her own body.
Seventh-Day Adventist
Donation and transplantation are strongly encouraged. Seventh-Day
Adventists have many transplant hospitals, including Loma Linda
in California, which specializes in pediatric heart transplantation.
Shinto
In Shinto, the dead body is considered impure and dangerous, and
thus quite powerful. Injuring a dead body is a serious crime. It
is difficult to obtain consent from bereaved families for organ
donation or dissection for medical education or pathological anatomy
because Shintos relate donation to injuring a dead body. Families
are concerned that they not injure the itai, the relationship between
the dead person and the bereaved people.
Society of Friends (Quakers)
Quakers do not have an official position. They believe that organ
and tissue donation is an individual decision.
Unitarian Universalist
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 stated, “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.”
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