Your Religion & Organ Donation

Most religions support the participation of by their practitioners in organ donation. To learn more about how your specific religion addresses the issue of organ donation, identify your religion on the following list:

AME & AME ZION (African Methodist Episcopal)
Organ and tissue donation is viewed as an act of neighborly love and charity and all members are encouraged to support donation as a way of helping others.

AMISH
Organ and tissue donation is approved if there is a definite indication that the health of the recipient would improve, but the religion is reluctant to endorse organ donation if the outcome is questionable.

ASSEMBLY OF GOD
The Church has no official policy about organ and tissue donation and leaves the decision about whether to donate to the individual to determine. However, donation is strongly supported.

BAPTIST
Donation is supported as an act of charity and the Baptist Church leaves the decision to donate up to the individual.

BRETHREN
The Church of the Brethren's Annual Conference in 1993 wrote a resolution on organ and tissue donation in support and encouragement of donation. They wrote that, "We have the opportunity to help others out of love for Christ, through the donation of organs and tissues."

BUDDHISM
Buddhism believes that donation is a matter of conscience.

CATHOLICISM
Transplants are acceptable to the Vatican and donation is encouraged as an act of charity.

CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
The Christian Church does not prohibit organ and tissue donation. It is a personal decision to be made in conjunction with family and medical personnel.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
The religion of Christian Science takes no position on donation, leaving it up to the individual to decide.

EPISCOPAL
The Episcopal Church passed a resolution in 1982 that recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ, blood, and tissue donation. All Christians are encouraged to become organ, blood, and tissue donors "as part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave his life that we may have life in its fullness."

GREEK ORTHODOX
Greek Orthodox religion has no objection to procedures that contribute to restoration of health, but donation of the entire body for experimentation or research is not consistent with tradition.

GYPSIES (ROMANY)
Gypsies share common folk beliefs that tend to be opposed to organ and tissue donation. Their opposition is connected with their beliefs about the afterlife. Traditional belief contends that for one year after death, the soul retraces its steps. Thus, the body must remain intact because the soul needs to maintain its physical materialization.

HINDUISM
The donation of organs is an individual decision for the Hindu religion.

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL
Generally, Evangelicals have no opposition to organ and tissue donation. Each church is autonomous and most often leaves the decision to donate up to the individual.

ISLAM
The religion of Islam strongly believes in the principle of saving human lives. According to A. Sachedina in his Transplantation Proceedings article, Islamic Views on Organ Transplantation, "The majority of Muslim scholars belonging to various schools of Islamic law have invoked the principle of priority of saving human life and have permitted the organ transplant as a necessity to procure that noble end."

MOSLEM
Moslems approve of donation provided the donors consent in writing in advance and provided that the organs are not stored but are transplanted immediately.

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
Donation is a matter of individual conscience with provision that all organs and tissues be completely drained of blood.

LUTHERAN
In 1984, the Lutheran Church in America passed a resolution stating that donation contributes to the well-being of humanity and can be "an expression of sacrificial love for a neighbor in need." They call on "members to consider donating organs and to make any necessary family and legal arrangements, including the use of a signed donor card."

MENNONITE
Mennonites have no formal position on donation, but are not opposed to it. They believe the decision to donate is up to the individual and/or their family.

MORMON (CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believes that the decision to donate is an individual one made in conjunction with family, medical personnel, and prayer. They do not oppose donation.

PENTECOSTAL
Pentecostals believe that the decision to donate should be left up to the individual.

PRESBYTERIAN
Presbyterians encourage and support donation. They respect a person's right to make decisions regarding their own body.

PROTESTANTISM
Protestants encourage and endorse organ donation.

QUAKER
Quakers believe that the donation of transplants is an individual decision.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
Donation and transplantation are strongly encouraged by Seventh-Day Adventists. They have many transplant hospitals, including Loma Linda in California. Loma Linda specializes in pediatric heart transplantation.

SHINTO
In the Shinto belief system, the dead body is considered to be impure and dangerous, and thus quite powerful. "In folk belief context, injuring a dead body is a serious crime. . .", according to E Narnihira in his article, 'Shinto Concept Concerning the Dead Human Body.' "To this day it is difficult to obtain consent from bereaved families for organ donation or dissection for medical education or pathological anatomy . . . the Shinto religion regards them all in the sense of injuring a dead body." Families are concerned that they not injure the itai - - the relationship between the dead person and the bereaved people.

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS)
Organ and tissue donation is believed to be an individual decision. The Society of Friends does not have an official position on donation.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
Organ and tissue donation is widely supported by Unitarian Universalists. They view it as an act of love and selfless giving.

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
The United Church of Christ supports and encourages donation.

UNITED METHODIST
The United Methodist Church recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ and tissue transplant.