A Christian's Response to Organ Donation and Transplantation

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By Brad Harrub, Ph.D.

Q. Can faithful Christians take advantage of, and support, organ donation and/or transplants?

A. Fifty years ago, there was no controversy. If someone had organs that were failing, either from disease or poor genetic endowment, the only hope was medicinal therapy. Prior to modern-day transplants, surgical interventions focused primarily on replacing limbs or teeth—although success rates were dismal at best. During the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a number of animal organs were transplanted—unsuccessfully—into humans. But the seed took root. The first reliable report of transplant surgery is from 1823, when German surgeon Carl Bunger performed plastic surgery on a woman’s nose, grafting skin from her thigh. In 1906, Austrian ophthalmologist Edward Zim performed the first corneal transplant, paving the way for surgeons to use dead or donated material. But the major breakthrough occurred in 1954, when two medical doctors, Joseph Murray and David Hume, performed the first successful living-related kidney transplant from identical twins. This opened the door to what soon would become the promise of renewed health and life for literally thousands of individuals. Almost fifty years later, doctors have reported successful heart, pancreas, pancreas islet cell, intestine, lung, liver, and heart-lung transplants. But the question arises, “Is this new medical technology in compliance with God’s will?” What should Christians know about organ transplants, and can we support this ever-growing practice?

IS IT ACCEPTABLE?

The Red Cross lists “Statements from Various Religions” regarding their acceptance or rejection of transplantation practices (see Red Cross). The spectrum of positions taken by the various religious organizations listed, ranges from those that strongly support and view organ donation as “an act of charity, fraternal love, and self sacrifice,” to those that are strictly against such donations. Under “Church of Christ,” the listing states very simply: “Organ transplants should not be a religious problem.” While this may appear to answer the question of whether or not it is acceptable to support organ donation and transplantation, the truth is that this statement—in and of itself—is devoid of any real significance. The truth can be determined only from within the pages of God’s Word, and it is there that we must go for guidance in answering controversial questions such as these. Most arguments for or against organ donation and/or transplantation fall into three categories: those centered on loving one’s neighbor; those dealing with treatment of the body; and those that discuss the resurrection.

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