Christian attitudes to transplant surgery
Most Christians are in favour
Most Christians agree with transplant surgery, and many Christians carry donor cards so that their organs can be used for others after their death. However, they would object to rich people or surgeons in the developed world paying for organs from the poor.
The reasons for these attitudes are:
Ø Christians who believe in the immortality of the soul, believe that the body is not needed after death and therefore its organs can be used to help the living.
Ø Christians who believe in resurrection believe St Paul's words that the body will be transformed and that the resurrection body will not need the physical organs.
Ø Jesus told Christians that they should love their neighbours and treat others as they would wish to be treated by them - both of which justify transplants.
Ø The Bible is full of statements about not exploiting the poor.
Some Christians are in favour some of the time
Some Christians are opposed to transplant surgery using organs from dead people, but accept transplants using organs donated by living relatives. They would not allow such organs to be paid for. This attitude is based on:
Ø the Christian belief that organs such as the heart are an intrinsic part of the individual who has been created by God.
Ø Transplanting organs from the dead into the living is taking on the role of God, and humans do not have the right to act as God.
Ø Organs which can be used from the living are not vital and so can be used to obey Jesus' command to love your neighbour.
Ø Organs cannot be paid for because that is exploiting the poor, which is banned in the Bible.
Ø the Christian belief that organs such as the heart are an intrinsic part of the individual who has been created by God.
Ø Transplanting organs from the dead into the living is taking on the role of God, and humans do not have the right to act as God.
Ø Organs which can be used from the living are not vital and so can be used to obey Jesus' command to love your neighbour.
Ø Organs cannot be paid for because that is exploiting the poor, which is banned in the Bible.
Some Christians are against
Some Christians do not agree with transplants at all and will not carry a donor card. They have this attitude because:
Ø they believe that transplants can ignore the sanctity of life.
Ø They believe that transplanting organs is usurping God's role and it is wrong to 'play God'.
Ø They agree with all the non-religious arguments against transplants.
Summary
Some Christians agree with both types of transplant surgery, because they believe the body is not needed after death but they do not agree with buying organs from poor people.
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Some Christians only agree with living transplants because using dead people is 'playing God'.
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Some Christians believe that all forms of transplant surgery are wrong because they are 'playing God'.
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