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General Religious Beliefs Concerning Organ & Tissue Donation
All major religions support organ and tissue donation and the concept of brain
death.
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 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 immunization.”
Assembly of God
The Church has no official policy regarding organ and tissue 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… “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
While no official position has been taken by the Brethren denominations, according
to Pastor Mike Smith, there is a consensus among the National Fellowship of Grace
Brethren that organ and tissue donation is a charitable act so long as it does
not impede the life or hasten the death of the donor or does not come from an
unborn child.
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 donation as an act of charity and love. Transplants are ethically
and morally 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 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.”
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 questions of organ and tissue donation is an individual decision.
Episcopal
A resolution passed at the 1982 General Convention at the Episcopal Church stated
that “The Episcopal Church recognized the life giving benefits of organ,
blood and tissue donation and encourages all Christians 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 Rev. Dr. Milton Efthimiou, Director of the 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 tissues in questions
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 are a people of different ethnic groups without a formalized religion.
They share common fold beliefs and tend to be opposed to organ donation. Their
opposition is connected with their beliefs about the afterlife. Traditional belief
contends that for one year after death the soul retraces it’s 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, 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 believes in the principle of saving human lives. According
to A. Sachedina in his Transplantation Proceedings’ (1990) article, Islamic
Views on Organ Transplantation, “… the majority of the 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 Witness
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 of their belief against blood transfusion. However,
this merely means that all blood must be removed from organs and tissues before
being transplanted.
Judaism
All four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist)
support and encourage donation. According to Moses Tendler, Ph.D., an Orthodox
Rabbi, Chairman of the Bio-Ethics Commission of the Rabbinical Council of America,
“If one is in the position to donate an organ to save a 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.
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, which
may include signing of a donor card.
Mennonite
Mennonites have no formal position on donation, but are not opposed to it. They
believe the decision is up to the individual and/or his or 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.
Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believes 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.
Seventh-Day Adventist
Donation and transplantation are strongly encouraged by Seventh-Day Adventists.
They have many transplant hospitals, including Loma Linda in California. Loma
Linda specializes in heart transplantation.
Shinto
In Shinto, the dead body is considered to be impure and dangerous, and thus quite
powerful. “In fold belief context, injuring a dead body is a serious crime…,”
according to E. Namihira in his article, Shinto Concept Concerning the Dead Human
Body. “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.
Society of Friends (Quakers)
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 it’s 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.”
(Adapted from UNOS/SEOPF “Organ and Tissue donation: A Reference Guide
for Clergy”, 1995)
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