Subj : Selling Body Parts To : All From : Lee Lofaso Date : Sun Nov 02 2014 02:50:21 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 --- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2) .