Religious and Cultural view on body donation

PCL – Religious and cultural views on Organ donation
Amish:
The Amish consent to donation if they know it is for the health and welfare of the transplant recipient. They may be reluctant to consent if the transplant outcome is known to be questionable.

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

Buddhism:
Buddhists believe that organ/tissue donation is a matter of individual conscience and place high value on acts of compassion.

Catholicism:
Roman Catholics view donation as an act of charity, fraternal love and self-sacrifice. Transplants are ethically and morally acceptable to the Vatican.

Greek Orthodox:
According to Reverend Dr. Milton Efthimiou, Director of the Department of Church and Society for the Greek Orthodox Church of North and South America, “The Greek Orthodox Church is not opposed to organ donation as long as the organs and tissue in question are used to better human life, i.e., for transplantation or for research that will lead to improvements in the treatment and prevention of disease.”

Hinduism:
According to the Hindu Temple Society of North America religious law does not prohibit Hindus from donating their organs; this act is an individual’s decision.

Independent Conservative Evangelical:
Generally, Evangelicals have no opposition to organ and tissue donation. Each church is autonomous and leaves the decision to donate up to the individual.

Islam:
In 1983, the Moslem Religious Council initially rejected organ donation by followers of Islam, but it has revised its position, provided donors consent in writing before their death.

Jehovah’s Witnesses:
According to their National Headquarters, the Watch Tower Society, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe donation is a matter of individual decision. Jehovah’s Witnesses are often assumed to be opposed to donation because of their belief against blood transfusion. However, this merely means that all blood must be removed from the organs and tissues before being transplanted.

Judaism:
All four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist) support and encourage donation.

Lutheran:
In 1984, the Lutheran Church in America (Missouri-Synod) 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.”

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.

Seventh-Day Adventist:
Donation and transplantation are strongly encouraged by Seventh-Day Adventists.

Cultural Views
I could not find a specific source on different cultural views on body donation, however I found and read many chat rooms discussing the issue. The two main views held seemed to be that for many people the idea of being cut-up after death was uncomfortable and so did not wish to donate. However there were also a significant proportion of people who believed that the body was a left over husk and should be used in a way to benefit other people.

References
http://www.ctorganandtissuedonation.org/religious_views.html