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Faith, whether true or false, has consequences. This is seen clearly in the death of a Jehovah's Witness teen who died after refusing a blood transfusion.
The belief and practice of Jehovah's Witnesses in refusing blood transfusions based on passages such as Acts 15:19-21 (where James refers to Gentiles abstaining "from blood"), (along with others such as Gen 9:4, etc.) fail to recognize (1) this passage's ultimate focus deals with the question and primacy of relationship between the Jews and Gentiles and the request of Gentiles to give up some liberties for the sake of the common fellowship; (2) this passage deals with the pagan practice of eating blood (or using blood as a food) not transfusing blood [i.e., to abstain from all blood would require giving up one's own blood]; and most importantly (3) the abstaining from eating blood was based on the principle of "LIFE" and of setting a HIGH VALUE on life since "life was in the blood" ... principles that current Jehovah's Witness teachings and practices do not reflect.
While the death of this young teen is to be mourned, perhaps other similar deaths can be avoided through better exegesis of the Scriptures. It's not always enough just to be sincere, for one can be sincerely wrong. (Even youths need to note this.) Truth has consequences, and sometimes those consequences can mean the difference between life and death.
I'm reminded of a coach recently who when blood was being kept from his Jehovah's Witness mother-in-law and the argument was made that Jehovah's Witness doctrine allowed for blood "substitutes" responded by saying: "I'm a coach, and on the basketball court I have both my starting five players along with my substitutes. I personally have a lot more confidence in my starters than I do in the substitutes. Give her the blood she needs." Fortunately, in her case, though blood was not given, she barely recovered, though she did. All may not come through as she did, and with options available, one's beliefs can make the difference.
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Faith and Consequences (Jehovah's Witness Doctrine and Practice concerning Blood Transfusions)
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1 comment:
Jehovah's Witnesses elders will investigate and disfellowship any Jehovah Witness who takes a blood transfusion,to say the issue is a 'personal conscience matter' is subterfuge to keep the Watchtower out of lawsuits.
Many Jehovah's Witnesses men,women and children die every year worldwide due to blood transfusion ban.Rank & file Jehovah's Witness are indoctrinated to be scared to death of blood.
FYI
1) JW's DO USE many parts aka 'fractions' aka components of blood,so if it's 'sacred' to God why the hypocritical contradiction flip-flop?
2) They USE blood collections that are donated by Red cross and others but don't donate back,more hypocrisy.
3) The Watchtower promotes and praises bloodless elective surgeries,this is a great advancement indeed.BUT it's no good to me if I am bleeding to death from a car crash and lose half my blood volume and need EMERGENCY blood transfusion.
Know this,the reason that JW refuse blood is because of their spin on the 3000 year old Biblical old testament,modern medicine will eventually make blood donations and transfusions a thing of the past.When this technology happens it won't vindicate the Jehovah's Witnesses and all the deaths that have occured so far.
The Watchtower's rules against blood transfusions will eventually be abolished (very gradually to reduce wrongful death lawsuit liability) even now most of the blood 'components' are allowed.
In 20 years there will be artificial blood and the Red Cross will go on with other noble deeds.
None of these changes will absolve the Watchtower leaders or vindicate their twisted doctrines
Are there dangers from blood?There are over 500 aspirin deaths in USA yearly.
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Danny Haszard born 1957 3rd generation Jehovah's Witness
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