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Religious Beliefs and Anatomic Dissections

book-1281238_1920Conflict often rises when the ideas and beliefs of religions oppose autopsies and anatomic dissections.  Many doctrines do not explicitly outline the process of postmortem examination, but interpretations and individual circumstances have formed general religious beliefs regarding the topic.

Christianity does not have set guidelines on how a body is handled pertaining to an autopsy. Most followers of Christianity believe that once someone has passed away, their spirit has left the body. Recorded autopsies date back to as early as 1533, when the Catholic Church ordered for an examination on a conjoined set of twins who passed away shortly after birth. The church and family were curious as to if the children had a single soul or two souls. It was determined that since the children had two sets of all organs, that they indeed had individual souls. The father, on the other hand, was a bit distressed, as he then had to pay for two separate baptisms. There are numerous examples of Christianity supporting autopsies to advance medical findings.

The Quran does not specifically denote autopsies for the Islamic faith, however traditions around death do not allow for proper dissection. The deceased are not to be embalmed nor cremated, therefore it is necessary for proper burial to occur in the next 24-48 hours. Islam does often accept autopsies when deemed necessary such in the case of forensic investigation or education of medical examiners. The practice of dissection varies from country to country.

The Torah, the scripture of Judaism, states that one must not self-mutilate, referring to living beings. This message is often translated into handling the deceased also, so Judaism generally believes autopsies are prohibited for the body is incredibly sacred. Judaism does occasionally accept post mortem examination if the outcome could potentially save the life of another. There is often question if this pertains to a specific ill individual or the learning for those in the medical profession.

Traditions and beliefs surrounding the handling of death and autopsies vary greatly between religions and cultures. There is often debate of interpretation of the referencing doctrines. One thing is generally agreed upon across all views – it is essential to handle the remains with utmost respect.

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