| |
Gifts
of Donation
Organ Allocation
Transplant Process
Brain Death
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Religious Beliefs
Facts and Statistics

|
|
|
Previous
5 | Return
to Religious Beliefs | Next 5
| EVANGELICAL
COVENANT CHURCH |
| TRANSPLANTATION: |
Encouraged. |
| DONATION: |
Encouraged. |
| DISCUSSION: |
A
resolution passed at the Annual Meeting in 1982 encouraged
the members to "sign and carry Organ Donor Cards."
The resolution also recommended "that it become
a policy with our pastors, teachers, and counselors
to encourage awareness of organ donation in all our
congregations." |
| GREEK
ORTHODOX |
| TRANSPLANTATION: |
The
Church has no objection to the use of therapeutic agents,
vaccinations, blood transfusions and medical procedures
that contribute to the restoration of the health and well-being
of the patient. |
| DONATION: |
Donation
for transplantation is acceptable. A decision to donate
one's body for medical experimentation or research is
not consistent with traditional Orthodox practice and
belief. |
| DISCUSSION: |
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 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 |
| TRANSPLANTATION: |
Generally
opposed. |
| DONATION: |
Generally
opposed. |
| DISCUSSION: |
Gypsies
are a people of different ethnic groups without a formalized
religion. Although they have no formal resolution, they
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 person's soul retraces its steps. Thus, the
body must remain intact because the soul maintains its
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 a deceased person's body." |
| HINDUISM |
| TRANSPLANTATION: |
Individual
decision. |
| DONATION: |
Individual
decision. |
| DISCUSSION: |
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 |
| TRANSPLANTATION: |
Individual
decision. |
| DONATION: |
Individual
decision. |
| DISCUSSION: |
Generally,
Evangelicals have no opposition to organ and tissue
donation. Each church is autonomous and leaves the decision
to donate up to the individual. |
Sources:
Organ & Tissue Donation: A Reference Guide for Clergy,
(SEOPF & UNOS); New York Regional Transplant Program,
Inc.; American Council on Transplantation; National Kidney
Foundation; the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network;
the Pennsylvania Medical Medical Society.
|
 |