Organ donation (religions, science)

[The Black Whirlwind]

i think a persons last wishes should be obeyed, as long as they are within reason. If they dont wan to donate their organs, we should respect their wishes. If they want pieces of themselves taken to the ends of the earth, why not? I am torn on what i should do in the event that i die, i want to be burned on a pyre, with all of my pieces so i can return to the Force intact, but saving lives is important as well, so i dont really know...

[mr.guy]

Originally Posted by Fluffy

Once a person is dead, although they did have rights whilst alive these rights should no longer exist. Therefore, the law should do no more to protect these phantom rights.

This is my bone of contension. There's a little leap you make here (blink and you miss it) that is something of a problem for me. I'm still not completely sure on your view on a 'last will and testement', but this above quote states that they have no validity at all ; thus i'll for the present go with this assumption (sorry if i've pegged you wrong). To state that the dead have no rights of distribution of their estate and property (i consider my body my property) is essentially the meat of this entire debate on enforced organ donation. I propose we focus on this before moving on.

[Fluffy]

This is my bone of contension. There's a little leap you make here (blink and you miss it) that is something of a problem for me.

I wanted to try and figure out the leap before I replied. I must be blinking too much, however, because I can't for the life of me see it. Do you mean "these rights should no longer exist"?

I'm still not completely sure on your view on a 'last will and testement', but this above quote states that they have no validity at all ; thus i'll for the present go with this assumption (sorry if i've pegged you wrong).

No you have pegged me right however I find that such a view is not enforceable or at least not fairly so I am quite happy for wills to be respected depending on their content.

To state that the dead have no rights of distribution of their estate and property (i consider my body my property) is essentially the meat of this entire debate on enforced organ donation. I propose we focus on this before moving on.

I agree that your body is your property. However, I do not see how someone who has ceased to exist (going with an atheist view at the moment) can have the ability to own something. Additionally, I do not see a justification for why those related to him should have first dibs on his property. However, I definitely do not believe that the state should own it.

[Pussyfoot Mouse]

My Mother was always afraid to be a donor for fear that if we are reincarnated, she may need them.
But in all seriousness, we had her organs donated, at My Father's request. He too asked that his organs be donated if they could be. He died of Cancer two years after his Wife.

[Unedited]

I am strongly against having any of my organs taken and given to someone else, or having anyone else’s organs in my own body.

Originally Posted by Fluffy

Does anyone believe organ donation should be mandatory? The reasoning being that a body cannot have rights once dead since the person is no longer in possession of their body.

If that were the case, I would actually seriously consider jumping off a building so that none of my organs were useable. I wouldn’t, but I’d seriously consider it.

Anyway, that's how strongly I'm against it.

[Jaymes]

I don't mean to sound patronizing, but I think it's a little different to say that now and to say that when your life is on the line. Would you really rather die than have someone else's heart/liver/lung/etc? The idea of me have ground up bones from someone around my spine's kind of creepy, but nothing worth refusing surgery and letting myself die over.

[michel]

Originally Posted by Jensa

I don't mean to sound patronizing, but I think it's a little different to say that now and to say that when your life is on the line. Would you really rather die than have someone else's heart/liver/lung/etc? The idea of me have ground up bones from someone around my spine's kind of creepy, but nothing worth refusing surgery and letting myself die over.

I think you make a good point; no one knows just how they will react under pressure, or need.

As a young man I was terrified of the idea of any operation; hospitals gave me the creeps, and the idea of playing about witth eyes made my stomach heave.
Yet I have had to accept having a new hip, and having the natural lenses taken out of my eyes, and replaced with artificial plastic lenses - I also needed three litres of Blood during the hip op - another thing that used to bother me.

Man, when you are in agony, you 'go with the flow'.....................

[Unedited]

Originally Posted by Jensa

I don't mean to sound patronizing, but I think it's a little different to say that now and to say that when your life is on the line. Would you really rather die than have someone else's heart/liver/lung/etc? The idea of me have ground up bones from someone around my spine's kind of creepy, but nothing worth refusing surgery and letting myself die over.

You're right. I don't know exactly how I'll act if the situation comes. In all honesty, I know, when faced with the decision, I would be tempted to take an organ to save myself. But I also know that if I took another's organ, I would be in hell afterwards knowing my decision.

My stand may, and probably will, change with time. There was a time I was strongly against medication that would alter my brain, but now I survive by it. For now though, I still stand strongly against organ donation.

[michel]

Originally Posted by Unedited

You're right. I don't know exactly how I'll act if the situation comes. In all honesty, I know, when faced with the decision, I would be tempted to take an organ to save myself. But I also know that if I took another's organ, I would be in hell afterwards knowing my decision.

My stand may, and probably will, change with time. There was a time I was strongly against medication that would alter my brain, but now I survive by it. For now though, I still stand strongly against organ donation.

"But I also know that if I took another's organ, I would be in hell afterwards knowing my decision." - may I ask why you would feel that way?