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Organ donation

T

theleastofthese

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Female
*Warning, this topic may be sensitive to some.

I'm sorry for the morbid question, however, me and my family have been looking into life insurance, the cost of death expenses, etc. My mom and I would like to donate our organs and possibly our bodies to science after we pass away. Are there any scriptural prohibitions regarding such issues?

Additionally, does anyone have experience with donating a kidney to someone else? How difficult was the process, any substantial long term complications?
 
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theleastofthese said:
*Warning, this topic may be sensitive to some.

I'm sorry for the morbid question, however, me and my family have been looking into life insurance, the cost of death expenses, etc. My mom and I would like to donate our organs and possibly our bodies to science after we pass away. Are there any scriptural prohibitions regarding such issues?

Additionally, does anyone have experience with donating a kidney to someone else? How difficult was the process?
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I don't know any Biblical rules dealing with body donation.
 
I'm not aware of any Scriptural prohibitions - other than suicide (self-murder; alternative: choose life!)

Any sarcasm aside, from what I have heard for many years, "signing the organ donor card," or the back of the 'Driver's License' can be a death wish. Too many organ donors weren't quite ready, had they the choice.

And don't even think about bringing up the CCP. Or the Deep State equivalent. Guess who the first-round donors are intended to be?
 
Asforme&myhouse said:
As someone with close family members in the medical profession I can only relay their advice based on what they have seen behind ambulance and hospital doors. From them it’s a resounding DO NOT DO IT.
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Can I ask why? Is it because of what Mark mentioned? I work as a CNA in a hospital at the moment and haven't really witnessed anything concerning personally, then again I'm on the low end of the totem pole 🙃
 
theleastofthese said:
I know some believers think that people should be buried in specific ways. I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything scripturally regarding it.
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Regarding burial, it has always been Christian tradition to bury rather than cremate, because we are looking forward to a bodily resurrection, where the bodies rise from the graves. Although nothing can stop God from resurrecting the body, going out of the way to destroy it and scatter it around to make it more difficult for Him has always just felt like going against His will, to many Christians over history and today.

That does not greatly affect the organ donation issue however. Don't do that, because it massively increases the chance of being knocked off when you're in an intensive care situation but someone needs your liver while it's fresh. You're probably going to die anyway, might as well take your liver. But if they hadn't taken your liver you might have lived. We live in an evil world.

On a more cheerful note, or maybe not:
 
theleastofthese said:
Can I ask why? Is it because of what Mark mentioned? I work as a CNA in a hospital at the moment and haven't really witnessed anything concerning personally, then again I'm on the low end of the totem pole 🙃
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Yeah kind of. Let’s just say, you are A LOT more valuable dead than alive to hospitals. People I know have witnessed people with donor cards getting, shall we say, different treatment than those without them.
 
FollowingHim said:
Regarding burial, it has always been Christian tradition to bury rather than cremate, because we are looking forward to a bodily resurrection, where the bodies rise from the graves. Although nothing can stop God from resurrecting the body, going out of the way to destroy it and scatter it around to make it more difficult for Him has always just felt like going against His will, to many Christians over history and today.
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Thank you 😊 Cremation had me concerned for that very reason. We had a few religious family members cremated for expense purposes, and I always felt terrible about that. Then again, what if someone was burned due to other circumstances? As you stated, it doesn't seem as though that would affect Yah's will being done.
FollowingHim said:
That does not greatly affect the organ donation issue however. Don't do that, because it massively increases the chance of being knocked off when you're in an intensive care situation but someone needs your liver while it's fresh. You're probably going to die anyway, might as well take your liver. But if they hadn't taken your liver you might have lived. We live in an evil world
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I understand. However, organ donation can save so many lives. We've had family members donate, it's amazing the things that can be used to improve the lives of others. I'll avoid the details for those with a weak stomach.

I can't help but think why take something with me just to let it rot away?
 
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theleastofthese said:
I understand. However, organ donation can save so many lives. We've had family members donate, it's amazing the things that can be used to improve the lives of others. I avoid the details for those with a weak stomach.
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But I'm sure you can give your family permission to choose to donate your organs at the time - even have a signed document to that effect as part of your will (with your lawyer having strict instructions to release it immediately on query by a family member). You don't need to put on your drivers licence that any medical professional can choose that.
 
FollowingHim said:
But I'm sure you can give your family permission to choose to donate your organs at the time - even have a signed document to that effect as part of your will (with your lawyer having strict instructions to release it immediately on query by a family member). You don't need to put on your drivers licence that any medical professional can choose that.
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I see! I had completely forgotten that was even an option 😊

Thank you!
 
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Asforme&myhouse said:
Yeah kind of. Let’s just say, you are A LOT more valuable dead than alive to hospitals. People I know have witnessed people with donor cards getting, shall we say, different treatment than those without them.
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I've heard that as well, just never witnessed it first-hand. It's definitely concerning. Thank you for sharing.

I think we'll do as @FollowingHim suggested, if we go through with it ❤️
 
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I'm friends with several people in the medical field, EMTs, ER docs and surgeons, GPs and nurses. They all, and 100% of them strongly advise against putting organ donor on a DL. I used to have mine listed that way, took it off.
 
NickF said:
I'm friends with several people in the medical field, EMTs, ER docs and surgeons, GPs and nurses. They all, and 100% of them strongly advise against putting organ donor on a DL. I used to have mine listed that way, took it off.
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I think I'll remove mine as well and just let my family know to give permission instead.
 
Here is another consideration.

My brother in law was instantly killed in an auto accident on his way to work some years back. He was an organ donor, and it was listed on his license.

Organ donation is a very time sensitive matter, and I know several of his parts benefitted others.

It was also very traumatic for my sister. She had all sorts of people calling her on the phone asking about getting body parts on the very day he died (multiple calls).

Here she was, in total shock, having suddenly lost her husband in an instant, and this was additional stress she had to deal with. She said the people didn't seem sensitive at all, and she had the impression that they were money grubbing.

She was glad that people benefitted, but kinda also wished he wasn't an organ donor, they way these folks carved up his body.

My wife also once worked very briefly (through a temp agency) for a company that did that tissue donation work. She was not impressed, thought them overly focused on money, and really disliked the environment.

I took organ donation off my driver's license, because I don't want to put my wife through that additional trauma if something happens to me.

By the way, I don't think organ donation will save anything on burial expenses. You still have to do something with the rest of the body that is left. I know my sister still had all the expenses.

Donating your body to "science" is different. That will save you the expense of burial. Your body will probably end up as a cadaver in a biology lab at a university somewhere. I majored in biology as an undergrad, and our department had a couple cadavers for the anatomy lab. The biology, nursing, and pre-med students will appreciate the educational resource.
 
We really need less expensive burial options for people. All you really need is a wood box, and about 30 sq ft of land. Unfortunately the funeral industry has persuaded governments to make a lot of restrictions that greatly push up the costs of funerals (and death industry profits).
 
On Cremation: Several patriarchs had their bones taken back to a land special to them. This meant the body had to be exposed to, well nature as it were, so the soft tissue was done away with. Cremation is very similar in that only the bone materials remain. I see no difference.
 
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