I Left My Heart...In San Francisco...

[Autolite]

I read an article today in our local rag about (post mortem) organ donation. The issue was whether or not organ donation should be mandatory. One side claimed that, as a society, everyone is morally obligated to the improvement of the quality of life in any way possible.

The other side claimed that compulsory organ donation violates a basic human right, (to the use of one's own body I suppose), and that it would go against certain religious principles.

So what do y'all think? Should organ donation be mandatory or not? Also, I am not exactly clear as to which religions allow or prohibit organ donations. What would any of you happen to know about this???

 

[Magenta]

I can't answer from a religious perspective. I don't think it should be mandatory (not sure how you could do that - there would always be an "opt out" choice, surely). We've recently had a public education program on the benefits of donation plus a nationwide Organ Donor Register so that people can register their consent or objection. Not sure how that has affected the availability of donor organs. An important thing seems to be to discuss it with family members so that they know what your wishes are and are not faced with a difficult decision at the worst possible time.

 

[fishbait]

I Left My Heart...In San Francisco...

But my liver took the train to Seattle.

 

[Chimera]

This post started me wondering about Judaism and organ donation, so I Googled and read a bit about it. Apparently there is some controversy about it, because Jews believe that the preservation of human life is a sacred obligation, but also that desecration of a dead body is prohibited. On some sites, I read that organs can be donated for an emergency, but not to an organ bank.

aish.com

Rabbi Moss says it's a no-no:

All Experts

Wikipedia states that the majority view is that organ donation is acceptable in Judaism.

wikipedia link


Sounds like they need to get their stories straight.

When I die, they can have what they want. Pass a law about grinding us up and making fertilizer, or a tasty snack (Soylent Green, anyone?) I'm sure I won't mind.

 

[Rufo]

I can see the point of making it mandatory - in an utopian society (on my terms, of course ), no one would question the use of their body to save lives. But in reality, it feels like it's just an attempt to take advantage of the fact that the dead can't object [cue necrophilia joke]. I would almost equate it with it being mandatory that the estate of every deceased person would be donated to charity, instead of being inherited by their heirs. Sure, it could probably save more lives and do more good, but if it goes against their wishes, we're really just taking advantage of that they're not around to object to it anymore.

 

[Ron_Tomkins]

I read an article today in our local rag about (post mortem) organ donation. The issue was whether or not organ donation should be mandatory. One side claimed that, as a society, everyone is morally obligated to the improvement of the quality of life in any way possible.

The other side claimed that compulsory organ donation violates a basic human right, (to the use of one's own body I suppose), and that it would go against certain religious principles.

So what do y'all think? Should organ donation be mandatory or not? Also, I am not exactly clear as to which religions allow or prohibit organ donations. What would any of you happen to know about this???

My veredict?

Yes. It should.

 

[Autolite]

Yes. It should.

I'm disappointed. I had expected to see a "Meaning of Life" link in under three posts.

Seriously though, what really got me thinking about organ donation is that something like only three or four percent of the people who sign their donor's cards actually end up losing their organs. I think that it has something to do with how or where you die.

I read that the death must occur in a hospital for the organs to actually be eligible for reuse. I remember hearing something along the same lines reference blood donations. IIRC, apparently only a very small percentage of blood donated will actually ever get reused. I suppose that is why such a large number of blood and organ donors are needed...

 

[MG1962]

I know that some groups like the Seven Day Adventist see it as a form of stylised cannabalism, hence their objections to blood transfusions, but in the wider Christian community I have never seen anything either way

 

[bokonon]

I don't think it should be mandatory, but I think it would be okay to assume consent unless one was on record to the contrary.

 

[Tumblehome]

I mentioned this in another thread about organ donation, but I think it's worth repeating:

I'm Going Back To University When I Die

(by Allan J. Ryan)

 

[Tumblehome]

BTW, I know that saving lives is almost a moral necessity for us, but given the problem of overpopulation in the world, I wonder if we have to change our mindset about that.

 

[dahduh]

In nearly every society the will of the deceased is respected, so it should follow that if a person expresses a desire to keep his or her organs ifor the afterlife then that will should be respected.

In practice, the people who are harmed if that will is disrespected are the family of the deceased, and this needs to be balanced against the harm caused to those dying for lack of organs.

The obvious solution is to offer some kind of incentive to the deceased family, like relief from death duties. Then they'll be more than happy to have ol' grandad sliced up and save their inheritance.

As for me, I wouldn't give a toss if it was made compulsory. I'd be dead.

 

[Autolite]

if a person expresses a desire to keep his or her organs ifor the afterlife then that will should be respected.

This is the part that I don't understand. Even if someone believes in an afterlife, surely they must be aware that the corporeal body does not continue on? Except for the belief in the "non-corruptible" bodies of catholic saints, (which few educated people actually take seriously), I don't comprehend why people think that they need to keep their organs intact after death...

 

[Autolite]

Then they'll be more than happy to have ol' grandad sliced up and save their inheritance.

Do you mean like take care of funeral expences and all? I hadn't thought of that. It sounds like a very good idea. I wonder if it's ever been done anywhere...

 

[dahduh]

This is the part that I don't understand. Even if someone believes in an afterlife, surely they must be aware that the corporeal body does not continue on?

Pardon, I was being sarcastic. My main point is that if grandad says he doesn't want to be sliced, whatever his reasons might be, then his survivors will be upset if he is sliced up and 'disrespecting grandad's will'; and there's the harm.

If it were only grandad involved, frankly whatever he thought when he was alive is completely irrelevant when he is dead.