Last year when I renewed my driver's license I was asked if I wanted to register to be an organ donor.
Of course, in the past, I never did. Joking with the driver's license employee, I asked if they wanted the arm and leg now... they had good humor and responded equally joking that it was ok, they would wait until I died. After that bit of jovialty, I agreed to being registered. The state I live in (Illinois) is very advanced in promoting organ donation registration. The Secretary of State seems to have made it his personal mission the whole time he has been in... yeah, Illinois actually has some decent people in office, despite the fools we have had as governor.
I thought that my DL does not have anything that says I am registered. So I was perusing online for info about a wallet card. Turns out, I just found as I was searching that there is a small red graphic on my new license in the shape of the state and says "DONOR" in small print... I think that is just plain cool....its official. Turns out if a person dies in any of the area hospitals, medical examiners, coroners, etc. all look for donor cards and that logo. They also check the national registry. And family consent is no longer required unless over 18. They do keep the family in the loop.
Here is the dub connection. I found a FAQ page about the views of various religions... and there was a paragraph about Jehovah's Witnesses...very interesting.. http://www.mts-stl.org/Understanding/TruthFiction/5.phtml
Jehovah's Witness Jehovah's Witnesses do not encourage organ donation but believe it is a matter for individual conscience according to the Watch Tower Society, the legal corporation for the religion. The group does not oppose donating or receiving organs; however, all organs and tissues must be completely drained of blood before transplantation.
Why the draining of blood? Odd. Even odder that the "legal corporation for the religion" is calling the shots on the official position.
Of all of the other groups, only gypsies actually oppose organ donations, because "they believe that the body must be intact after death because for one year the soul retraces its steps," though there is no formal restriction. Mormons have some wishy washy wording like the witnesses. This info is from the Mid-America Transplant Services web site. I thought it was interesting.
Snakes ()