TV’s Sunrise seeks Christian perspective

Archbishop Peter Jensen appeared on Channel Seven’s Sunrise on February 15 to issue a plea for organ donation.

Sunrise host David Koch, who is a strong supporter of organ donation, said he’d received queries about whether major religions supported the practice.

Dr Jensen appeared on a panel which included a Rabbi and an Islamic leader.

All supported donation of organs, within proper guidelines.

When asked by Mr Koch about his position Dr Jensen said people may be concerned about organ donation in the way some are concerned about cremation.

“Some people think cremation is wrong and therefore the body ought to be intact or something like this. It has to do with ideas about the resurrection from the dead,” Dr Jensen said.

“What I would want to say to people concerned about that… no, just as we’ve come to accept cremation, so it is the case that you don’t have to worry about the resurrection. God will handle that aspect - we’ve got to obey the Bible.”

Dr Jensen reiterated the Bible’s command “to love our neighbour as ourselves” and said organ donation was a “really helpful way to love our neighbour”.

The Archbishop told Sunrise that Christians should “… do this good thing for other people and we can trust ourselves to God”.

“We ought to treat the bodies of our loved ones reverently but if we can help other people in the doing of it - do it.”

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