Statements from Various Religions

AMISH         (Return to Top)
The Amish will consent to transplantation if they are certain that it is for the health and welfare of the transplant recipient. They would be reluctant to transplant their organs if the transplant outcome was considered questionable. 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.

BAPTIST         (Return to Top)
Organ transplants are generally approved when they do not seriously endanger the donor and when they offer real medical hope for the recipient. A transplant as an end in itself is not approved. It must offer the possibility of physical improvement and the extension of human life.

BUDDHISM         (Return to Top)
The Buddists believe that organ donation is a matter of individual conscience. There is no written resolution on the issue; however, Reverend Gyomay Masao, 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."

ROMAN CATHOLIC         (Return to Top)
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 in a recent statement said, "Those who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life for the salvation of all, should recognize the urgent need for a ready availability of organs for transplants a challenge to their generosity and fraternal love." 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. We do caution, however, that the organs are removed only after death and that people's wishes are respected."

CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Disciples of Christ)         (Return to Top)
There are no prohibitions against organ and tissue transplants. As a means of treatment, it is understood to be essentially a medical judgement, in consultation with patient, family and donor (or donor's family).

CHURCH OF CHRIST (Independent)         (Return to Top)
Organ transplants should not be a religious problem.

CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS         (Return to Top)
The church of Christ Scientists takes no specific position on transplants or organ/tissue donation as distinct from other medical or surgical procedures. According to The First Church of Christ Scientists in Boston, Massachusetts, Christian Scientists normally rely on spiritual rather than medical means for healing. They are free, however, to choose whatever form of medical treatment they desire, including organ/tissue transplantation. The question of organ/tissue donation is the individual decision of church members.

EPISCOPAL         (Return to Top)
In 1982, the Episcopal Church passed a resolution recognizing the life-giving benefits of organ, blood, and tissue donation and encouraging 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         (Return to Top)
According to spokesperson, 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 tissues 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         (Return to Top)
Gypsies are, on the whole, against organ/tissue donation. Although they have no formal resolution, their opposition is associated with their beliefs about the after-life. Gypsies believe that for one year after a person dies, the soul retraces its steps. All of the body parts must be intact because the soul maintains a physical shape.

According to Matt Salo, a research fellow at the Smithsonian Institute who specializes in gypsy studies, "The gypsies, a set of ethnic groups with a common historical origin, do not have an exclusive religion, but share common folk beliefs, which include the sanctity of deceased person's body."

HINDUISM         (Return to Top)
Hindus are not prohibited by religious law from donating their organs according to the Hindu Temple Society of North America. This act is an individual decision.

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL         (Return to Top)
Generally evangelicals have no opposition to organ/tissue transplants.

ISLAM         (Return to Top)
The Muslim Religious Council initially rejected organ donation by followers of Islam in 1983; but it has reversed its position, provided that donors consent in writing in advance. The organs of Muslim donors must be transplanted immediately and not be stored in organ banks. According to Dr. Abdel_Rahma Osman, Director of the Muslim Community Center in Maryland, "We have no policy against organ and tissue donation as long as it is done with respect for the deceased and for the benefit of the recipient."

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS         (Return to Top)
Jehovah's Witnesses do not encourage organ donation but believe it is a matter for individual conscience according to the Watch Tower Society, the legal corporation for the religion. Although the group is often assumed to ban transplantation because of its taboo against blood transfusions, it does not oppose donating or receiving organs. All organs and tissues, however, must be completely drained of blood before transplantation.

JUDAISM         (Return to Top)
Judaism teaches that saving a human life takes precedence over maintaining the sanctity of the human body. A direct transplant is preferred, however. According to Moses Tendler, Ph.D., an orthodox rabbi who is 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, it is 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." He adds, "It is given that the donor must be brain dead in accordance with the standards set by the Harvard University criteria and the President's Commission on brain death."

LUTHERAN         (Return to Top)
At its 12th Biennial Convention in 1984, the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) approved the donation of human organs for transplants but stated that organs should not be sold. The resolution asserted that organ donation contributes to the well-being of humanity and can be "an expression of sacrificial love for a neighbor in need." It also called on LCA members to consider donation organs and to make necessary family and legal arrangements including the use of a signed donor card.

MORMON (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)         (Return to Top)
The question of whether one should will his or her bodily organs to be used as transplants or for research after death must be answered from deep within the conscience of the individual involved. Those who seek counsel from the Church on the subject are encouraged to review the advantages and disadvantages of doing so, to implore the Lord for inspiration and guidance, and then take the course of action which would give them a feeling of peace and comfort.

PRESBYTERIAN         (Return to Top)
Presbyterians encourage and endorse organ and tissue donation. They respect individual conscience and a person's right to make decisions regarding his or her own body.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST         (Return to Top)
The individual and the family have the right to receive or to donate those organs and tissues that will restore any of the senses or will prolong the life profitably.

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST         (Return to Top)
When advocated by medical practitioners to improve or preserve human life, this procedure is encouraged provided that donor and recipient consent is secured.

UNITED METHODIST         (Return to Top)
The Church encourages "men of ethical concern in various relevant fields together to engage in the study and direction of these developments," recognizing that they offer great potentialities for enhancing health while at the same time raising serious issues for traditional views of human nature and values.