Do pagan religions have an ethical position on the morality of organ transplants?

-- Aimless (aimless@national_raffle_association.org), November 26, 2001

Answers

The general rule of thumb when dealing with Pagan and other humanistic-based and earth-based beliefs is that "if it harms none, then there is no problem." This, I believe, is the most important and fundamental rule, if not the only rule, of a Pagan religion. Thus, organ transplants would be completely OK.

-- Agnostical Wes (kinsler1@hotmail.com), November 27, 2001.

Unless the organs come from executed prisoners :-§

-- spider (spider@web.com), November 27, 2001.

Ethic? What's an ethic? Sorry, I'm pretty much an amoral creature.

-- J. MacKenzie M. Horton (mac_xavier@yahoo.com), November 27, 2001.

I'm pagan--and an organ donor. Well, not a donor until I die, but you know.

-- LetItSnow (snow@lotso'snow.com), November 29, 2001.

LetItSnow, I am curious: did your pagan beliefs inspire your choice to become an organ donor?

Did you examine your choice in light of your pagan beliefs - did they provide you with positive guidance on this matter?

If they did provide guidance, what sort of moral precept was embodied in your belief and where did it come from?

Just in case you suspect I am a disapproving Christian trying to nail you for some imaginary offense, I'm not a Christian at all. But I am very puzzled by the process by which one identifies oneself as a pagan and what purpose that identification serves in how you conduct your life.

All I have been able to make of the matter is that a self-identified pagan is simply a self-identified non-Christian. Since I have just identified myself as a non-Christian does that make me an automatic pagan - or is there anything more to it than that?

-- Aimless (aimless@national_raffle_association.org), November 29, 2001.

I like to think that if I'm not using them, some one else might as well. It's not like I'm going to tell one of my sisters 'no' if they need a kidney or something. Comes to that, only two of my sisters could use my organs anyway. Our f*cked up biochemistry and all that would pretty much kill anyone else.

-- Ephiney (ephiney@yahoo.com), November 29, 2001.

Aimless-- Yes, my beliefs as a pagan have alot to do with the decision. I believe that we are all connected, all life is connected. Part of the Taoist/Chi kind of thing, where energy runs through everything and everyone, we're all hooked up. If my body should die, but the organs can help someone else, that is the best thing. Sure they might go to a real creep, but as long as I made the right thing. What that person does is their thing to deal with. As you can see, I don't belong to any organized group. I know what I believe and that's good enough for me. I identified myself as a pagan only in the last few years. For a long time I was lost. I couldn't believe in the Biblical God, or the Quran, or the Koran, or anything where one set of people were placed above another. I don't believe that there is nothing out there either. I identify mostly with the Native American beliefs, where we are part of nature and have a serious commitment to our environment. Do I sound like a tree-hugger? How does this all serve in how I conduct my life? I love my family, even when they are being jerks. I recycle. I try to live a very frugal lifestyle. I try every day to get in touch with nature in some way, or with myself. I cherish all living creatures. Now, just because I was not a christian for so many years (as long as I can remember), I wasn't automatically a pagan. There are alot of aetheists. By the way, this fake email addy is the result of getting a virus last week.

-- LetItSnow (snow@lotso'snow.com), November 29, 2001.