From a medical perspective, brain death is on a level with the actual death of a person, even if circulation can still be artificially maintained. The New Apostolic Church shares this assessment. It does not raise any objections against organ harvesting for purposes of transplantation or conducting autopsies for diagnostic or research purposes in the case of brain dead individuals. If organs are removed for transplantation from brain dead patients on artificial respiration, the Church does not regard this as killing. Furthermore, the removal of organs has no effect upon the soul.