IS ORGAN DONATION AN ACT OF LOVE?
Many people—including Christians—have asked this question. We would like to answer it using the Word of God. As this topic involves many details, we will address them point by point to ensure clarity. We hope this helps to resolve any confusion or uncertainty you may have.
First, let us examine the origins of the current discourse surrounding organ donation. Its roots go back to ancient times. Throughout human history, the wealthy and the powerful have sought ways to extend their lives on earth. In the past, monarchs dispatched soldiers to the mountains and the seas in search of elixirs of immortality—Qin Shi Huang being one such example. Even the traditional salutations used in royal courts—such as the cry of “long live”—reflect this ambition for longevity. Although these efforts consistently failed, the powerful and the wealthy never abandoned their pursuit. Generation after generation, they have continued to harbor this same ambition—driven by a desire to live long enough to keep enjoying their power and their wealth. Fear of death is a common human trait—even among ordinary people (Ecclesiastes 9:4)—let alone among those who possess great power and riches.
Such is the natural human mindset. History shows that some individuals, even after death, have left behind wills and directives for their subordinates to bury real gold, silver, and even servants alongside them—all in the hope that they might continue to enjoy the same luxuries in the afterlife as they did while alive on earth. This mindset has persisted throughout history, becoming even more intense as science has advanced—particularly with the high success rates of organ transplantation seen today. If, in the past, people clung to such desires even when the quest for an elixir of immortality proved futile, how could the wealthy and powerful possibly abandon such ambitions now, when science and technology make organ transplantation increasingly successful? Thus, the primary driver behind the current, widespread trend of organ transplantation is rooted in human greed.
Yet one might ask: what about those who are genuinely ill and in need of an organ transplant to sustain their lives? This question touches directly upon the concept of love—or, as those who do not believe in God might call it, acts of charity or benevolence. We will address this later, when we reach the core of our discussion: the relationship between love and organ transplantation. We ask for your patience as we continue.
Next, we shall examine the second aspect: human life itself. In reality, those who donate their organs are no longer able to lead a normal life as they once did. Although the media, the medical community, and scientific circles may claim that organ donors remain healthy and can still live long lives, such assertions are, in truth, nothing more than a lie, a deception. A person who has donated one lung cannot breathe in as much oxygen as he could when he possessed both lungs. This is an indisputable fact. The same applies to someone who has donated half of his liver. Throughout history, no one has ever described an individual with only one lung—or half a liver—as “normal.” The term “normal” implies a life in which one possesses all the physical components that God created for human beings. This touches on matters of faith, and we, as Christians, need to consider it.
The Bible states that God created all things—including humanity—in a state of goodness (Genesis 1:31). As the God of wisdom and justice (implying balance and equilibrium), He designed the human body in perfect goodness, according to His own image (Genesis 1:26). This means that nothing in the human body is superfluous, nor is anything lacking. In reality, excess or deficiency signifies imbalance, a lack of equilibrium, inaccuracy, or carelessness—none of which characterize God. Because He is absolutely perfect, His creation of humanity is likewise perfectly complete.
Even the appendix is not truly “superfluous”; if it were, every human being would necessarily need to have it removed. In fact, the opposite is true: many people live their entire lives without any complications from it—on the contrary, it serves a necessary purpose, a fact now recognized by science. The label “superfluous” comes from common parlance and mistaken thinking. Therefore, when Christians suggest that certain parts of the human body can be removed or donated—implying that a person can remain perfectly healthy and normal without them—they are, in effect, insulting God. Such a perspective suggests that His creation is redundant, careless, negligent, or even fundamentally flawed—as if it were designed without any deliberate intent or calculation.
Christians must be on guard, lest the devil lure us through his counterfeit version of love—a deception that ultimately leads to blasphemy and the dishonoring of God. Such actions and ways of thinking mean one has fallen into the devil’s trap. We will address love in the next section.
(to be continued)