Organ donation vs. Organ Selling
Recent events in India have started me thinking about the subject of organ selling. No one disputes that organ donation is a good thing. Well except for a few radicals and fringe groups. But I was curious concerning the reasoning on a ban of the sale of organs. It’s a subject, quite frankly, that I had not really thought about. I am a registered organ donor and would gladly offer my kidney and or liver to help someone in need. So I started researching the subject. Reasons against the sale of organs seem to revolve around the following.
- Neither the Human Body nor it’s parts should become a commodity
- Legal sale of body parts would lower the level of donated parts
- Legal sale of body parts would unfairly target the poor
2 and 3 are spurious arguments that really should have no bearing on the discussion. Which leaves number 1 to consider. Human Life is unquestionably sacred but does that extend to a single kidney? Does it extend to the body after death? These are questions which must be addressed for any kind of conclusion to be made. This seems to be a moral issue in it’s entirety since the benefits of organ sale would undoubtedly be very high. Supply and demand apply to medical practices just as much as they do to commodity goods. The black market would be practically elminated. The supply of organs would undoubtedly rise and more people would recieve the medical care they need.
The real question then becomes is it moral (if legalized) to sell a portion of your body to another? And like any question on morality you must turn to a source of moral authority. I happen to believe the bible is the best one out there and for the life of me I can not find anywhere that says your liver, kidney, lung is sacred. I’m wondering if anyone out there knows of a passage that is relevant. Because I’m kind of leaning on the, It’s better to donate but not wrong to sell an organ camp, provided of course that it is legal to do so.
I don’t think that I’ve really done enough research to draw a firm conclusion yet though so please let me know what you think.
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Matthew 5:38-42
Ye have heard that it hath been said, `An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say unto you that ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh thee; and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away.
It isn’t so much that those organs are sacred. They are, but they are owned by God and entrusted to us. Who are we to hold our organs ransom? Did we create our organs? Do we own the right to them? Do we have the right to do anything but give freely? We are after all caled to be good stewards of what we have been given.
The old, somewhat overused acronym WWJD is bound to answer any doubts about this issue.
True but that is not so much an argument against organs for sale so much as it is for organ donation. There are many things that have been given to us by God that we have absolutely no compunction against selling. Cars, houses, books, and so on.
In some ways this question comes down to whether a Christian should ever sell for profit? For instance does that verse indicate that if someone needs a house we are bound by Christ to give our own house to him? Also that verse has the intended audience of Christians should that law of love be enforced by law on someone who is not under the law of love?
But we’ve purchased those books, cars, houses, etc. We have not purchased our organs. That arguement doesn’t hold water.
It would be a mistake, however, to make this an arguement about Christians making a profit. Luke says that a worker is worth his wages (10:7). Organ selling is a completely different monster.
The verses about going the extra mile and turning the other cheek cannot be logically taken to an extreme as to say that we should give our whole existence away. We are to be good stewards with our earthly goods. This is why I don’t give money to “homeless” people soliciting on street corners but do sell my house to recoup the work that I’ve done in maintaining it. There are some things to be bought and sold and others to be given away.
But playing the Devil’s Advocate by suggesting that we give our house away is plain ridiculous. There is one example after another in the Bible where Jesus Himself discusses financial responsibility and extols those who are pennywise. Such a suggestion, as it was made, was based on conjecture devoid of Biblical fact.
What would be the motivation for selling organs anyway? Our bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit. Should we not “turn the tables of the money changers” and give no occasion to sin?
Matthew 2:16
“He said unto those who sold doves [in the Temple], “Take these things hence! Make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
When our organs become merchandise, what a truly sad day for Christianity and Humanity both.
Also, who are we to hold another mans life ransom for financial gain? If our price is too high and we turn a sick man away then how have we profited the Kingdom of Heaven? Or have we their blood on our hands? Thank God that His mercy doesn’t come with a price tag. It is freely given. If we have it in our power to save a fellow man’s life, would it not be the best example of Spiritual fruit to do so with no strings attached?
I wholeheartedly agree. I would willingly donate but never sell my organs for profit. The question at hand though is should my personal preference be forced on others through law?
Matters of legality are not and should not be based on the Christian “law of love”. They should be based on morality but not charity. So where does organ selling come in? Should charity in this instance be law?
The level we as christians hold ourselves to should always be above and beyond the law. This is precisely what Jesus was saying when he said walk two miles and turn the other cheek. The law only required one mile Jesus required two. The law of the land is not written to hold people to the same level of conduct that you or I should hold ourselves to.
Should it be?
What is the law based on?
To say that “Matters of legality are not and should not be based on the Christian ‘law of love’” implies that the law came from something immoral and unloving. Where did the law come from if not from God (the epitome of Morality and Love)?
Morals are where we gain the foundation for establishing law. This is the precendent in American History. If laws in our society are based on morals that come from God, then would enforcing and protecting the law against selling organs be “forcing the law of love” on someone against their will?
Hardly.
Moral law exists whether or not it is written. God destroyed the Earth because of its evil inhabitants before He wrote the “Ten Commandments”. Was killing ok before the Ten Commandments? Was Adultery? Of course.
Don’t venture into the realm of moral relativism (i.e. “What’s right for you isn’t necessarily right for me”) and state that we have no right to institute this law (or keep it instituted as the case may be) because non-Christians are not held to any moral laws, written or not. If we have no right to enforce our moral law onto people, then why fight for abortion bans or fetal stem call bans or any other thing that goes against our Christian nature?
Without moral laws (which are absolute in nature), what holds society together? Where will we be if we decide to stop enacting rules to “be forced on others through law?” We have no right to force anyone to be a Christian, but we have every right to enforce Moral Law. Infact, not only a right, but a duty. Because, afterall, we didn’t make these moral laws and we have no right to give exemptions to those who may disagree.
I think you misunderstand me. The Law of Love that Christ and Paul speak of is something entirely separate from the Moral Law given in the 10 Commandments and the laws of the Old testament. I direct you to Paul’s treatises on the role of the Law versus the role of Christian love. They are wholly different animals.
Lets take your example of walking two miles. Was Jesus advocating that the Roman Law be changed to two miles? I don’t think so. Rather he was advocating that the Christian is called to a higher law. A law that isn’t set forth in legislation or codified by decree of man. Nor should it be.
Using abortion as an example is improper in this case because they are differ greatly in intent. Abortion is the premeditated murder of a human being. Selling or even not donating an organ is not. The Law is very clear about murder. However no where is refusing to be charitable with your money, possessions or time addressed in the Law laid down in scripture. Not even when such lack of charity might well condemn another to death or hurt. No amount of analysis could ever make it so. Since your organs are a possession and the act of donating them a charitable act this should not in any way be considered murder.
Deep discussion. However I’m having a hard time imagining me selling a body part that I’m actively using. This is hardly a tough question for a charitable person.
Counter to your argument that legalizing organ selling would reduce the black market, my opinion is that it would make it worse.
How much would the price of a kidney be? More than enough to by some drugs no doubt. And maybe most hospitals would demand proper paperwork, but I’m imagining that since more than a few hospitals have been caught taking illegally harvested organs, that sort of behavior will only grow.
And who is served and how fast by such a seller’s market system.
On the other hand, I envision a secure website where hospitals post ads for needed organs, and I could sign up as a seller, even become a post mortem seller. That way the income would be part of my will or go directly to a beneficiary.
The site would probably require in person DNA sampling to go on record so they could verify at time of donation.
Also, skin is an organ! Let’s not forget the number of burn victims that could use a spare inch or two of fresh skin to help them grow theirs back.
In all seriousness, I will not sell my organs. They can harvest them when I die for free.