Why do donors tick the opt-out box for eyes?

Of the hundreds of thousands of organ donors who may have had their wishes wrongly recorded, many chose not to donate their eyes. Why are some people so reluctant to give them up in death?

While many of Britain's 17 million registered body part donors give consent for all their organs and tissues to be used for transplant after their death, more than 10% have chosen to with-hold consent for certain parts - by far the most common being eyes.

Historically, they have held cultural and spiritual significance. Referred to as "windows to the soul" by Roman philosopher Cicero, the eye is also often regarded as symbolising knowledge. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the third eye is a symbol of enlightenment.

Of the eight body parts one can choose from - kidneys, heart, liver, small bowel, eyes, lungs, pancreas and tissue (skin, bone and heart valves) - eyes are the only explicitly external part. And it's been noted that people are often more squeamish about donating their eyes than other body parts.

But eye experts say eye donation does not affect the appearance of the donor. The cornea is the part that is used and this is just the thin, clear tissue covering the front of the eye.

Don't understand what is so sqeamish about giving the eyes up after you can't see anyway.

Any of you registered to give up any body parts after you die?

Not registered. Would be extra squeamish about eyes if I were.

and btw, we believe a departed soul CAN feel what happens to the body.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

I haven't registered and my excuse is that I know my parents would be upset with me if I did.

But I don't want to be a donor. And I'm not sure why. I think I am being selfish..because I'm not squeamish about being amputated or anything either. Or have my eyes taken out after death. But I would rather I was buried underground all intact. I would want an autopsy though, if I had this really interesting disease.

 

If couldn't feel the pain of being amputated/dissected etc then I wouldn't care but since I will be able to, I would never want to. Fool

You have to carry a card to say you do not want to be a donor, don't you? And if you don't they automatically assume that you're alright with it? right?

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

i thought being a donor wasnt allowed in islam????
and that the body should be in the state that Allah (swt) had given it to us?????

"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest"

nope. in the UK it is an opt in system. in some other countries it is an opt out system.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

bilan wrote:
i thought being a donor wasnt allowed in islam????
and that the body should be in the state that Allah (swt) had given it to us?????

There can be some exceptions although yes that is what is preferred.

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

so its just a preference and not rule???

cos how how does that work??? they chop you up some and when it comes to you being buried???? and what if they did remove ur eyes, in the grave you would be blind???

confused..... :?

"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest"

so....we cant donate? when dead?

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

How are you going to sign the form when you are dead?

As for being a donor - IMO it is fully allowed and the arguments against it are less than spectacular.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

You wrote:
How are you going to sign the form when you are dead?

As for being a donor - IMO it is fully allowed and the arguments against it are less than spectacular.


Are you saying that we having to 'go back with the body as it was given' is a lame excuse?

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

precisely.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

by the time those of us who lead full enough lives die, the issue of organ donation should be long solved/deprecated via cloning.

A cloned organ has many favourable attributes inclusind being of the same flesh and blood so theoretically the body should not reject the organ and so should not need to be under constant medication to defeat the immune system.

But until then, organ donation saves lives.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

Stop being a Jehovah's witness!

there is a hadith along the lines of "for every illness created (except death?) there is a cure" and I think it also mentions that we should seek these cures.

Saving lives is not playing God. Taking them may be, but even there there are the occasions where that has been allowed by God.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

from what I have been told, Jehovah's witnesses (the "witnesses" bit is important as Jehovah means God) are dead set against any forms of medical intervention as they see it all as going against God's will.

We don't see it like that as we have ahadith that say the opposite.

Not all diseases are deadly. that does not mean they should not be cured. not all cures are perfect as it is generally only prevention that totally removes the manifestations of an illness and not a cure, which does a best case stitching up job to try and rectify the problems.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

I didn't mean literally a Jehovah's witness, but I guess I should take more care with my words - loose words can cause a lot of damage and I know how Muslims comparing other Muslims to various christian factions has annoyed me before.

You're getting annoying again, that means your flu's nearly gone... :s

I don't think I am happy with having my organs scooped out after death either - hence me putting my hopes in cloning. Nothing to be ashamed of being uncomfortable with it, just the ideology that considers it wrong I think it is wrong.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE wrote:
You wrote:
How are you going to sign the form when you are dead?

As for being a donor - IMO it is fully allowed and the arguments against it are less than spectacular.


Are you saying that we having to 'go back with the body as it was given' is a lame excuse?

yeah man... what if you lost like an arm or leg earlier on in life and it had to be amputated. Now you aint going back to God the way you came... coz now you got a wooden leg innit.

Back in BLACK

When the kuffar at the time of the prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam (Peace and Blessings be upon him) were told about life after death, they had a similar question about how can God reanimate what is dead and decayed etc... the physical limitations of this world do not apply there and if He (swt) can create us from nothing, He (swt) can also bring us back to life however He (swt) wills

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

You wrote:
When the kuffar at the time of the prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam (Peace and Blessings be upon him) were told about life after death, they had a similar question about how can God reanimate what is dead and decayed etc... the physical limitations of this world do not apply there and if He (swt) can create us from nothing, He (swt) can also bring us back to life however He (swt) wills

Yes, luminous beings are we. Not this crude matter. Biggrin

Back in BLACK

Seraphim wrote:
ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE wrote:
You wrote:
How are you going to sign the form when you are dead?

As for being a donor - IMO it is fully allowed and the arguments against it are less than spectacular.


Are you saying that we having to 'go back with the body as it was given' is a lame excuse?

yeah man... what if you lost like an arm or leg earlier on in life and it had to be amputated. Now you aint going back to God the way you came... coz now you got a wooden leg innit.


Ok, yeah, it being put into perspective like that makes more sense than just You saying its better to find a cure etc etc. But then why is that said :/ - the whole 'a person's body should be brought back as it was" thing? :S

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

Good point.

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

Ocean wrote:
One is accident, and the other is intentional. there's a difference there too

Is there? In the end isnt it the same thing? You lose a piece of yourself. And as You pointed out, God brought us into this world how he willed and he can do the same when we are ressurected.

Sephy wrote:
God brought us into this world how he willed and he can do the same when we are ressurected.

ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE wrote:
But then why is that said :/ - the whole 'a person's body should be brought back as it was" thing? :S

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

because they try to use logic and apply it badly? It is not a strictly religious argument.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

You wrote:
How are you going to sign the form when you are dead?

As for being a donor - IMO it is fully allowed and the arguments against it are less than spectacular.

i added the last word so that people dont start having a go at me saying we can donate when alive.
i cant think of any other way, there's donating organs when you're alive.
and..oh..i guess... "consenting to donating organs when you die" urgh...loooonnngg...

@Ocean, why dont you want to take part in the "game of compassion"?
@Sully, why arent you into donating?

@the two above, are talking about donating when alive? or dead? or both?

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Not everything is donatable when alive (most organs yuo have are there for a reason
) - mostly its the idea that they take the parts after death.

I suspect that Sully if very pro-donation.

I like the idea even though I will probably stay clear of it - seems very icky.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.