Jehovah's Witnesses would rather die than have a blood transfusion. In a recent case, two children are left growing up with only one parent. Why?
Last month, Emma Gough, 22, of Shropshire, England, died following the birth of her children after she refused a blood transfusion.
Adhering to her beliefs as a Jehovah’s Witness, she had ticked the box on the medical form requesting that she not receive blood and instead chose to die naturally in hospital, leaving behind her 24-year-old partner to bring up their two children.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Beliefs
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that blood is very important and a unique organ in the body. Blood is the only organ that comes into contact with virtually every tissue in the body. It is also the only fluid organ, responsible to transport crucial things around out body, such as oxygen and nutrients. Blood forms a defensive barrier against infections and diseases. However it also carries away a lot of things which are harmful to us such as toxic carbon dioxide and damaged and dying cells.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that blood is very important for sustaining living creatures. Because the Bible prohibits the eating of blood, Jehovah’s Witnesses have interpreted this to mean that blood transfusions should be disallowed.
Teachings About Blood
Jehovah’s Witnesses base their beliefs on four passages about the use of blood:
· Genesis 9:4 "But flesh (meat) with...blood...ye shall not eat"
· Leviticus 17:12-14 "...No soul of you shall eat blood...whosoever eateth it shall be cut off"
· Acts 15:29 "That ye abstain...from blood..."
· Acts 21:25 "...Gentiles...keep themselves from things offered to idols and from blood..."
Although most Christians and Jews interpret these passages to mean that they shouldn’t eat meat containing blood, Jehovah’s Witnesses “feel that the Bible clearly indicates that blood is sacred and it is not to be used for human consumption."
Although not discussed in medical terms, Jehovah's Witnesses feel that would preclude the acceptance of a blood transfusion." [L.C. Cotton, associate director of Jehovah's Witnesses hospital information services, Carol Harrington, "Father shunned by family for defying faith to save child," Canadian Press. Published in the Toronto Star, Toronto ON, 2002-MAR-11, Page A7.]
Choosing Death
When God gives life, it also gives Him the right to take it away. Yet why God wouldn’t allow blood transfusions seems to be inexplicable. The Bible has various passages about the role of parents and the caring of children and Jesus taught to love thy neighbour. Jesus also healed those who were ill and showed compassion to those in need.
While forbidding the eating of meat containing blood appears plausible, rejecting blood transfusions and leaving a family behind is beyond reason.
The copyright of the article Dying for Religion in Religious Intolerance is owned by Ben Hughes. Permission to republish Dying for Religion must be granted by the author in writing.
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
--- Danny Haszard born 1957 3rd generation Jehovah's Witness http://www.freeminds.org
Dec 15, 2007 6:49 PM
Pink
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. I had a shirt tail relative that died because he wouldn't see a doctor. But, he had a Christian Science Reader treat him. He gradually deteriorated and died. His disease would have been easily treated.
Dec 17, 2007 9:30 AM
Ben Hughes
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I think that a lot of religion is filled with hypocrisy - but maybe that's the people rather than the religion itself.
I've heard that some JWs will take parts of blood and maybe the best way forward for them is the development of some sort of synthetic blood.
I've also heard about indoctrination by the JWs and how they can live by rules and regulations, but aren't all religions split by different interpretations?
I know that their view of blood transfusions isn't what I think as a Christian and I don't feel it's what God wants either. But maybe it's a matter of Biblical interpretations.
Do we have the right to tell someone else how to live, even if we think they live wrongly? I don't know even though I know there's no way I could live the way JWs do with blood transfusions.
