Explain why Religious people may have problems with transplant surgery?

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Explain why Religious people may have problems with transplant surgery?

Transplant surgery is the transfer of an organ or a tissue from one person, where it is not needed, to another person or from one site to another within the same body, where it is required. People may need this as a result of loss of an organ, a missing organ or because of a malfunctioning or diseased organ. For example, if an alcoholic suffered from liver disease and was in a critical situation, liver transplant would be considered from a dead person (as living people need their liver to survive). His diseased liver would then be removed from his body and a healthy liver would be transplanted into him. Siamese twins may also require transplant surgery, as they may both share the same liver or heart. Siamese twins also cause much debate between religious people, for example Catholic Christians are against Siamese separation bans. A wide range of organs and tissue can be transplanted, such as kidneys, eye corneas, livers, bone marrow and even hearts. It is usually organs that are transplanted; however these organs must be compatible and are sometimes rejected by the body, drugs can then be used to treat this. The issue of transplantation causes a range of conflict, although it is an effective way of giving life to the hopeless. The conflict occurs within religious branches of the same religion, as there are two types of transplantation, from the dead and from the living, which both have advantages and disadvantages, which may offend different religious and non religious people. Many of these arguments occur between Christians.

Most Christians agree with transplant surgery and some also carry donor cards, meaning that their organs can be used after their death, however some have concerns for the issue. For example some Christians have problems with using organs and tissue from dead people, but accept transplants using organs or tissue from living relatives. They have this attitude because, Christians believe that organs such as the heart are an intrinsic part of the individual who has been created by God. Therefore transplanting organs that are needed by the body to survive can only be taken from the dead, and the heart that God gave to each person has to be taken when the person is living, meaning that they are killing the person, and only Christians believe that only God has the right to take life. They also believe that transplanting organs from the dead to the living is usurping the role of God, or ‘acting as God’, and Christians believe that humans do not have the right to take God’s role. They agree with taking unneeded organs from the living, as these are not vital and not intrinsic to the human individual. They believe this as Christians believe that it can be used to obey Jesus’ command, love your neighbor. They also disagree with using organs from the dead as they believe that organs cannot be paid for, as that is exploiting the poor, which is banned in the Bible. Therefore they are against using dead bodies for money.

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Other Christians have problems purchasing organs and tissue. Some of these Christians also carry donor cards showing that they are not against transplant surgery, however, they would object to people in the developed world paying for organs from the poor. The reasons for this attitude vary, however they believe in transplant surgery, but do not agree with large amounts of money being used. Christians believe in the immortality of the soul, therefore believe that the body is not needed after death, and that accordingly its organs can be used to help the living. The belief originates from Christians who ...

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