Giving blood and donating organs should a Christian's duty says top bishop

Giving blood and donating organs should be seen as a Christian duty, a top Bishop has said

Christians will be urged to give blood and donate organs under a motion to go before the Church of England's general synod.

The move is backed by the James Newcome, the bishop of Carlisle, who wants blood and organ donation to be part of the 'sacrificial offering' which is a Christian duty.

His call comes after the number of organ donors fell for the first time in 11 years and the NHS says it needs more than 200,000 new donors to meet current demand.

A motion is to go before the general synod, the highest governing body of the Church of England, which started yesterday.

It is backed by fleshandblood, a group set up to encourage organ and blood donation among Christians.

In a message to the group, Bishop Newcome said the campaign is based on the Christian concept of a 'sacricial offering'.

'That 'sacrificial offering' is usually associated with time, money and gifts. But it applies just as much to the blood that flows in our veins and the organs that are such an intrinsic part of our bodies.

'Whether it's the regular donation of blood or registration to become an organ donor, being willing to give ourselves in this way is a significant aspect of our 'stewardship' of what we have received.

'And in both cases, the benefit to others is not only life-enhancing; it can mean the difference between life and death.'

Bishop Newcome is also attempting to reduce fears among a minority that giving blood or donating organs is somehow against Christian teachings.

James Newcome, the bishop of Carlisle, has lent his words to a motion to go before the general synod today

He said: 'There have been people in the past who, on religious grounds, have argued that you should not give blood or organs. The most obvious category is the Jehovah's Witnesses,.

'It has certainly never been part of Church of England teaching that you shouldn't, but there may be some who feel our body is given to us by God and we shouldn't fiddle around with it. We've been at pains to point out that this is a misguided approach.'

The NHS uses around 7,000 units of blood every day. Blood donor numbers have fallen by around 40 per cent over the past decade.

Last year, the number of living organ donors fell by 5% to 1,092, while the number of deceased donors fell by 3% to 1,282.

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