some questions I wanna figure out...

[Tenshi no Ai]

So me and my friend got talking one day, and one issue that came up was donating blood. And then I asked him if he was an organ donor (cause I know some of my friends are), and he said "No, and I don't remember if the Bible says or not if it's alright to give blood or be an organ donor. Think there was something in there about 'the body must lay in the ground so it can become the earth again' or something like that, and that's why it basically also said that you can't get cremated when you die either".

...hmmm I'm VERY bad when it comes to remember scripture and all, but I'm certain that some of my Christian friends are organ donors, so I wouldn't think there's anything wrong about giving away a piece of you that you don't need to save another. With cremation, I'm not really one of those people that has (or really even gets) the deal about keeping ashes, but I don't see anything wrong with that... could be wrong though of course^^ And even with what my friend quoted, could have been something he read/heard that was metaphorically speaking. I DO know though that some groups such as Jehovah Witnesses don't believe in blood transfusions and that sort of thing, so I guess it can vary with one belief to another or something :/

So yeah if someone can help me out with this that would be great^^ Cause if I find out that the organ donor thing is fine, might be a good thign to sign up since it's not like I'll need my guts for the afterlife or anything^^

[dragonshimmer]

My parents don't believe in cremation for the same reason your friend is unsure of organ donation. I think that if you're truly a Christian, it's not gonna matter what happened to your body, because God will call you home anyway. What about people who are incinerated in house fires? Or people who are (I know this is gross) eaten by vicious animals? It's hard to think that those people wouldn't go to heaven simply because of something they couldn't help-not having a whole dead body.

As far as organ donation...if he wants to go by that logic, then the body is still laying in the ground, it's just missing a liver, kidney or other various organ. What about people who have to have amputations? Do they not get to go to heaven because they're missing a leg, something they couldn't help?

Organ donation is helping to save someone's life. "Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for another". If this is the case while we're alive, why should we not save people in our death as well?

[uc pseudonym]

I feel as though I should remember the passages that are generally used relating to this, but none come to mind at the moment and a basic keyword search didn't accomplish anything.

Regardless, the logic is rather poor. Bodies will eventually rot and decompose no matter how they are laid to rest, and donated organs will do the same, just later. Ironically, full burials with sealed caskets would actually prevent the body from becoming one with the earth for a very long time indeed.

There is more I could say, but it is all related to specific verses, so I'll hold off until I find them or someone brings them up.

[Puritan]

As far as organ donation...if he wants to go by that logic, then the body is still laying in the ground, it's just missing a liver, kidney or other various organ. What about people who have to have amputations? Do they not get to go to heaven because they're missing a leg, something they couldn't help?

I think that this is the biggest logical argument for organ transplant. God neither rejects people because they loose limbs or organs in the course of life nor says that this effects their resurrected bodies, so why is He going to reject someone who donates an organ to save the life of someone in need? The moral arguments I have seen on organ tranplant generally agree that it is a good thing for people to donate organs provided the donor is not coerced into donation or killed because of the organ removal. We are told to love our neighbor, and can we be any more loving than to donate organs we can live without, or other parts of our bodies after we die, to save people's lives? There are questions about other ethical issues surrounding this topic, but I personally haven't run into any Biblical arguments similar to the one you are talking about.

[dreamhacker]

I can't see why it would be wrong to save someone's life by giving up some organs you don't need...But what the Bible say about it, I don't know

[Rogie]

I've personally never really heard about a Biblical argument against organ donation, but I have heard the argument that if you become hospitalized, and the hospital staff knows that you're a donor and that someone else needs one of your organs, they will be more likely to "pull the plug" or let you die rather than take good care of you. Compounded with that is if the person in need of the organ is important in some way (politician, wealthy, etc.).

That's high paranoia, of course, but that's the only argument that I have heard of before now, and it's far from Biblical. It just tries to scare you. It's possible (anything is nowadays), but I believe it's highly unlikely, of course.

[ClosetOtaku]

I would agree that I've not seen any clear-cut biblical prohibition on organ transplantation. Mind you, the bible forbade the Israelites from eating meat with its blood still in it - for "the life is in the blood" - but I think this was more because it was a pagan practice that God did not want the Israelites adopting. We certainly have not interpreted in modern times to prevent blood donation.

Organs being matter, and all matter being done away with at the End of Time anyways, I don't see any immediate theological reason this would be prohibited. We're fairly certain the Resurrection body is not of the same ilk as the body we have now, so "missing parts" when one goes to the hereafter should not be of major concern.

[termyt]

Christians have always preferred burial to cremation, but there is no scripture expressly forbidding cremation. The preference toward burial comes from the examples put forth in scripture. The Jews have always buried their dead while many of the peoples around them practiced cremation. With only one exception that I am aware of (King Saul and his sons may have been cremated, possibly due to the desecration their bodies received from their enemies), the righteous were always buried while many of the wicked were burned in the fire. So the connotation there is that good people should be buried because wicked people are burned.

There is also the question of resurrection of the dead. When Christ returns, we are told that the dead in Him will rise first. If the dead are not but ashes spread to the wind, how are they to be resurrected? I believe this is a key reason why early (gentile) Christians put an end to cremation. Although, to my knowledge, it hasn’t happened since WWII, the Roman Catholic Church used to excommunicate those who arranged cremations for loved ones. However, in times of the plague, cremations were allowed to stem the spread of disease.

So, by 2000 years of Christian tradition, burial is definitely preferred. However, I am not aware of a specific prohibition against cremation. I am also not sure what those who preach that cremation is unacceptable say happens to you if your body is destroyed – do you got hell or Nirvana or do you still go to heaven, but are condemned to inhabit the room next to the noisy ice machine for all eternity? At any rate, I’m reasonably sure our God is bigger than all of that and cares a great deal more for what you did with your life than what others did with your body after its death.

Not surprisingly, the Bible has even less to say about organ donation since transplanting organs was not commonplace until about 1500 years after the last book of the Bible was written (give or take a few decades). I’m pretty sure that you can still be resurrected if a few organs are missing. If that’s not the case, then everyone who’s been dead for more than a few years is in a whole lot of trouble. And if you need all of your innards intact at the time of burial, what about those who lost a kidney? Or those who received organ donations? Or those who died in horrible, mutilating accidents? Again, I believe God is bigger than all of that. He will figure out someway to get your new, resurrected body a new heart, if you unselfishly gave up your last one so that someone else might live.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I look at it this way: what are you going to do with the organs once you get to heaven? It's not like I'm going to need them, so I may as well be a blessing to someone else one last time (In physical form) and give 'em away! I'm listed on my drivers license as an organ donor.

[Tenshi no Ai]

do you got hell or Nirvana or do you still go to heaven, but are condemned to inhabit the room next to the noisy ice machine for all eternity? [/b]

I just that that quote... reminds me of my ideas as a little kid of what it would be like if you went to hell: picking one of 3 miystery doors, one each just as agonizing as the last (mostly involving people that are REALLY bad singers etc.) But that is another story...

I look at it this way: what are you going to do with the organs once you get to heaven? It's not like I'm going to need them, so I may as well be a blessing to someone else one last time (In physical form) and give 'em away! I'm listed on my drivers license as an organ donor.

Basically the same idea I have in mind. But just like I pointed out before, wasn't sure if there was any scripture or anything against it. For example with the JW thing I said above, used it as an example cause they believe that the bodies should be pure, untainted by other's blood and stuff. The way that I was looking at it through a Christian perspective was, well on the negative side yeah a person could be mutilated acciently/forcefully, but doing it to yourself isn't a good thign at all :/ Of course being an opposite matter when you are well, already dead, it really didn't seem to matter if you were harvested for pieces that you don't need anymore. How much purer can dead people be?

But yeah thanks for the little bits of opinions and all^^

[mitsuki lover]

As far as cremation goes,how about all the martyrs who were burned at the stake throughout the ages?How would that be any different from cremation?

[KhakiBlueSocks]

As far as cremation goes,how about all the martyrs who were burned at the stake throughout the ages?How would that be any different from cremation?

Possibly because they were alive when they were being burned as compared to cremation when you're just burning a dead body.

When I tell people I'm a donor, I usually add on as a joke, "If my funeral gets to be too expensive, I want my mom to sell my organs on ebay! Just be sure to leave a nice feedback, and list that these organs have never been exposed to cigarette smoke or alcohol! You're bidding on A+ property! "

[mitsuki lover]

I don't think that would make much of a difference though since the end result is still ashes and some bone.
Though I also have to wonder if some of the anti-cremation propganada has more to do with the fact that that is the way some ancient pagans such as the Vikings used to dispose of the honored dead.

[Sweet Mercury]

I couldn't find anything on organ donation exactly, but here is a sight that discusses, objectively, some of the Biblical references to the cremation v. burial issue. It might shed some insight on the concept of organ donation as well. The sight references a lot of different Biblical passages.

[disclaimer: I only had time to skim the page, but found nothing that should be offensive. ReligiousTolorance.org is generally fair, objective, and honest, so I don't think the link should be an issue. If anyone is for some reason offended by the material I'll edit out the link.)

[Sweet Mercury]

I don't think that would make much of a difference though since the end result is still ashes and some bone.
Though I also have to wonder if some of the anti-cremation propganada has more to do with the fact that that is the way some ancient pagans such as the Vikings used to dispose of the honored dead.

I think that's part of it. I suspect the rule existed to prevent any type of body mutilation, cannibalism, Egyptian style mummification, or other behavior that would be considered abhorrent.

[Syreth]

I don't know if this is relevant, but I think the verse that JW's use for their claim that it's not right to give blood, etc. is

Deuteronomy 12:23
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.

But if there's no life, then there's no problem. Also, this verse is about eating blood, not donating blood. There might be more verses that they use to support their claim, but they're usually very skewed and taken out of context.

If someone claims something is sinful, ask for chapter and verse (I'm sure you did) because if it's not in the Bible, then there's little basis for calling it sinful unless it's a personal conviction (in which case it wouldn't apply to everyone). Anyhow, stuff you probably already knew. *goes away*

[Stephen]

I am an organ doner. If I am dead, I don't care what they do with me. I think it would be awesome to think that through my death someone else got somthing they needed. Save a life, feed the worms. Not a hard question.

[Lady Macbeth]

Probably not the most helpful, because the person arguing against cremation/organ donation was trying to find a Christian reason, but here's how some Pagans (including me) look at it:

Cremation, donation or whole burial - any way our bodies are treated after we die, they will return to the Earth, because it was from the Earth that they were born. It is those who do not wish to return to the Earth (such as the Ancient Egyptians, who practiced mummification for the purpose of keeping the body recognizably intact) who are upset by violation of the tomb (and thus the risk of the body being destroyed). The rest of us know that all things - including our bodies, our ashes, or bodies of others who have our organs - will eventually return to the Earth.

This is not the concern - our body is temporary and is discarded when it can no longer function as a sustainable means of Life. The soul is not temporary, transcends Death, and does not return to the Earth, for it was not within the Earth that it was created.

Matthew 22:15-22 particularly comes to mind, especially the most famous quote therein: "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God’s."

The matter of returning our bodies to the Earth can be arranged by us, but it does not have to be - the Earth is much older than any of us, and will take back what is Hers. The matter of returning our souls to the Creator must be arranged by us, for the Creator gave us Free Will - the Free Will to return to the Creator or to suffer Life over again, until we choose to return.