Hello Everybody,

What is immoral about saving lives?

Pro-life Republicans claim to be pro-life.
Pro-life Democrats also claim to be pro-life.
Pro-life Independents even claim to be pro-life.

But everybody, regardless of party affiliation
or political ideology, says that selling body parts
is immoral, and that doing so should be illegal.

Christians, both Catholic and non-Catholic, say
it is immoral and should be illegal.
Muslims, regardless of sect, say it is immoral
and should be illegal.
Jews, of every persuasion, say it is immoral
and should be illegal.
Atheists and agnostics say it is immoral and
should be illegal.
Buddhists, Hindus, Jainists, and Taoists say
it is immoral and should be illegal.
Just about everybody in the whole wide world
says it is immoral and should be illegal.

But nobody seems to be able to figure out why.

I looked in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Nothing in there forbidding the selling of body parts.

I looked at every encyclical the pope has written
since Peter sat upon the chair.  Nothing in there
forbidding the selling of body parts.

I read the entire Bible from cover to cover,
including the Latin Vulgate.  Nothing in there
forbidding the selling of body parts.

Martin Luther got mad at the pope some centuries
ago.  Why?  He thought the church was selling
indulgences.  The pope denied it, of course,
saying it was a bunch of nonsense.  The church
would never do such a thing.  No profit in it.
But body parts, well, that was very much the
church's business.  Those relics do not come
cheap ...

Anyway, that is a bit off the subject.
Now back to reality -

I read a classified ad in the newspaper
the other day that literally blew my mind -

"Kidney, runs good, $30,000 or best offer."

This was a woman from St. Petersburg, Florida.
Said her name was Ruth.  Apparently, all she
wanted was some money, and selling a kidney
seemed to her an easy way to make some quick
cash.

I will not reveal her name (oops!) or telephone
number in this forum, although it can be found
in the classified ad.  I am not even going to
mention the name of the newspaper although it
would be easy enough for anybody to find out.

Not having anything else to do, and with no LSU
or Saints football game being played this weekend,
I decided to give her a call.  It was a short
conversation.  She told me she got a few serious
calls, but then the newspaper refused to run her
ad again, warning her that she might be arrested.

What gets me is why anybody would be willing to
sell a perfectly good kidney for a mere $30,000?
But then I remembered that people in Pakistan
and other parts of the world do this all the time,
selling a kidney for much less.

A few years ago a human kidney was offered on the
auction site eBay.  Bidding reached nearly six
million dollars (USD) before eBay pulled the plug
and put an end to that type of thing.

But what is so wrong about selling body parts?
Especially if those body parts are in perfectly
good working condition?  People are allowed to
donate body parts if they are dead.  Notice I
said donate, not sell.  As it is, people have
to wait until they are dead before they can
donate their own body parts.  Can't sell body
parts, even after you're dead.  Why?  Because
somebody else wants to make a profit on your
demise.

Why not sell body parts while still alive?
Whether it is your own body parts or somebody
else's, what difference does it make?  At least
people could get compensated for their own body
parts when sold to those who need them, or at
least to those who have the cash.

We have been taught to believe that selling
body parts is immoral, and should be illegal.
But what the heck is immoral about saving
lives?  Please somebody explain that to me.

Most Americans believe it is immoral to buy
and sell body parts of people.  I would venture
to say that most Americans believe it is truly
disgusting to buy and sell body parts of people.
But nobody has ever been able to give me a good
reason, or explanation, as to why they believe
what they do.

Americans *need* other people's body parts.
Americans know this, and accept this, as a given.
Transplants are common, and available, for even
those who are homeless.  Rich and poor alike
receive body parts, and millions have agreed to
become donors themselves.

Sixty thousand Americans pray for kidneys.
Even those who are avowed atheists.  Thousands
upon thousands of other Americans pray for other
body parts.  How much would those who could afford
to pay for body parts be willing to pay?  How much
should they pay?  Should only the indigent receive
body parts for free?  And what about waiting lists?
Why should there be waiting lists?  If somebody
has the money, and is willing to pay the price ...

--Lee

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