The Real Reason for the Blood Ban?

People who are informed about the history of the Watchtower movement are well-aware that "new light" doesn't come out of a vacuum. "Jehovah" always seems to spirit-direct His "new light" when the WTS has a problem they created for themselves. This is all Bible-Based(tm).

After the death of Chuck Russell in 1916, Joseph Rutherford illegally wrested control from Russell's hand-picked successors. As a result, a large majority of Bible Students at that time bolted from the religion. Amazingly enough, "Jehovah" provided Rutherford with the "new light" he needed to rebuild the religion he now controlled. "Jehovah" did this by revealing to Rutherford the "indisputable fact" that Armageddon would arrive in 1925. As a result of the "Millions" campaign, membership swelled. That scheme worked fine until the majority of membership again bolted when 1925 turned out to be yet another prophetic failure of the organization.

What would Rutherford next do? He did everything possible to draw attention to his religion, not just with world wide literature campaigns, but by issuing WTS statements and creating Watchtower doctrines that would piss off just about everyone. "Religion is a Snare and a Racket" and "Religion is a Harlot" are good examples. Those obnoxious sound cars which woke up sleeping people on Sundays is another. Rutherford cared not one whit about the welfare of his followers. They were just book peddlers to him. Banning his members from accepting small pox vaccinations and from entering into military service were other examples where the victims of these policies suffered while Rutherford's religion got a lot of publicity.

There was a lot of persection of Jehovah's Witnesses during World War II and alot of publicity surrounding it. Doubtless it elicited sympathy or at least curiousity among members of the public: good chance to recruit more members.

Another example of expediency was the society noticed in the mid/late 1960's that growth was stagnant. This is not good. Was it then also a coincidence that FW Franz concocted his 1975 "prophecy" in 1969, then?

Nathan Knorr and Fred Franz were familiar enough with Watchtower history to know that when World War II would end, persecution of membership over their refusal to fight for their country (and thus free publicity) would decline. This is not good. Was it then also a coincidence that FW Franz concocted his ban on blood transfusions in 1945, the year WWII ended?

Not according to a man who was a third generation witness and a forty year member, a man who served at in the administrative offices in the WTS's world headquarters and was personally acquainted with many WT leaders. Although this man wishes to remain anonymous due to the fact that he still has many family members in the WTS, his comments ring true (to me at least) based upon identical patterns used by the WTS in the past.

He claims that Hayden Covington told him that Fred Franz anticipated a drop in news-media publicity with the ending of the war. Franz thought a ban against blood transfusions would continue to publicize the WTS and also create an uproar in the community. This ban would also help convince dubbies that they would be "suffering [and dying, it should be noted] for righteousness' sake." Of course, such suffering and dying would convince them they MUST have the truth.

If this is true, as I believe it is, then Franz was willing to sacrifice the lives of (it is estimated) 10,000 men, women and children who would die by refusing blood in order to further the interests and "promote" the Watchtower Society. Some may call it "sacrifice." I call it "cold-blooded murder."

It's all Bible-Based(tm), though.

For reference: "The Four Presidents of the Watch Tower Society"

Farkel

Farkel, Thanks for that!  Your comments clearly suggest that "everything is by design". The leaders are cold and calculating. If they really cared about making sure "the good news of the kingdom" was given so that people would have a chance for salvation, they would have spent their billions long ago to get the message out....They are FRAUDS!

Good point to me they are cold blooded murdered. Teaching others this is a sacrifice. I wonder how calculated this all is. Sometimes i think they do now and it is all calculated, but it's hard to accept that because then they seem just evil.

 

Good post Farkel!  Thanks for keeping the murder doctrine on top. It's great to see you taking a top line. Hope to see more. GaryB

 

   

Farkel good to know!

        Remember,always do that, 'regression analysis'.Just where the heck did it all come from ?

........Well,'detox'   Joe Rutherford,got a 'burr' on his butt,back in the 1940's about blood.They knew it was bogus back then.It's an overextension of the old testament kosher law,which DOESN'T apply to new testament Christians..

They thought that the end of the world was a coming back then,(1940ish).Sooooooooo, there wouldn't be much of a body count causality.

Now with Blood on their hands,and the murder of thousands of innocent minor children,how can they account for the body count, if they repeal it outright now?

More importantly,the WT$ would be sued,for mega-bucks,for all the wrongful death lawsuits.

: Joe Rutherford,got a 'burr' on his butt,back in the 1940's about blood.

Rutherford died in 1941, but Clayton Woodworth was a fanatic in his wacky notions of being healthy and his hatred of medicine, surgery and doctors.  During Rutherford's tenure, the only blood ban for dubs was on eating animal blood, since that is what the Bible discusses.  I have no doubt, however, that had Rutherford lived until after WWII, he would have done the same thing.  That is, ban blood transfusions to keep the pot-stirred and to focus that publicity to the WTS

Farkel

Thanks, Farkel - good info.

Randy Watters gave a review of this book in his by-mail journal of Freeminds this month.  If ANYONE doesn't receive it..........they should.  Marvelous information.

It's odd how the mind warping decisions of the WT mirror the decisions of the Catholic Church in their cold blooded execution of bodies.

But the followers (including me for 30 yrs) just don't get it.  As one x-Scientologist said "Because I was in a CULT!"

waiting

Excellent thread, though I do find it hard to believe that they would start forbidding blood as a publicity stunt. But I guess thats what destructive cults do.

Brummie

 

Thanks again Farkel for another well written post, this particular point really put things in to perspective for me. Why not cause some controversy and curiosity. Brummie has a point too, all that for some publicity? Though one could understand why his comments regarding religion would fuel a "persecution". Of which they could turn around and claim it to be just more proof they were God's chosen people.

 

So in short, the ban on blood transfusions was their equivalent to a ?wardrobe malfunction??

 

it seems everytime  another prophecy of the wt fails... they come up with some crazy new policy to test the still loyal after the big fall out. lets start with 1914, and ww1 when that didn't pan out they started attacking other churches.  after 1925-29 they started with the no vaccanations, some no holidays and don't have children till the big A. just for a few. scary stuff. but some stayed. now they got total slaves.( just what they wanted all along) . in the 30's it was the same thing they didn't go to heaven , so now they come up with the new 144k and new great crowd, and hitler was choosen by jehovah blacks are servent  race   from early 1900and jews are vermom, and arains (germans ) were gods choosen blood line. and the new name jw's to get away from half of the bible students that left in the last 10 yrs. then was all their talk about how the war was going to be a mustard gas war. and only a few months left (1941) with all their talk about ww2 no big A. again i think many walked. lets really turn the remaining jw's into zombies. they have been flip flopping on the cross and the new life savior blood , 1874, 1914, 1799 jesus and other issues for years. and went with the blood bad totally dumped hitler as king of the north and went for the u.s.s.r. as king. and the idea if the generation of 1914 finishing in 1951 or 54 , 37 yrs after christ and jeresalem being destroyed . thentheypull the old 3 1/2 year stuff again and the flag etc.  straight till 2004 they keep printing these wacky idea like the year 2000 or the generation of 1935 . and even still print from time to time millions now living today will never die.  you have to give the wt credit they have a lot of BALLS...  john

Even dirty, stinky, disease ridden rats have balls too. I'm not sure though do snakes have balls?

 

lol

Another example of expediency was the society noticed in the mid/late 1960's that growth was stagnant. This is not good. Was it then also a coincidence that FW Franz concocted his 1975 "prophecy" in 1969, then?

Hey Farkel, good summary. However FW had 1975 brewing alot earlier than 1969. More likely the late 50's ,early 60's.

I've got a copy of a vintage audio tape Randall turned me on to. It's a talk at a convention that more than hints to 1975 being a significate year, possibly armageddon. And don't forget the 1966 article [transcribed from FW's talk, or was Knorr in Australia] that I'll try to find online and link to...

just my.02

gespro,

: Hey Farkel, good summary. However FW had 1975 brewing alot earlier than 1969. More likely the late 50's ,early 60's.

That is correct. I believe FW's 1975 chronology was printed in about 1963 or so. But it wasn't emphasized. Therefore, dubs didn't make a big deal about it. In the 1969 "Freedom Everlasting" book, FW DID make a big deal about it. The 1975 feeding frenzy didn't start in 1963. It started in 1969. You figure that part out.

And don't forget:  this thread is about feeding frenzies due to loss in WTS membership, NOT when FW published his first eschaetology about 1975.

Farkel

I thought the book came out in 1966, and they drove the 1975 thing into high drive by '68.....

 

W. Glen How, that Canadian JW lawyer was also (at least in part) responsible for the offical banning.  While orgainzing the legal archives I came across correspondence between him and the Governing Body wherein he denounced them as scared little boys afraid of making a stand.

He quoted many publishers who asked for legal assistance defending their understanding of the blood issue but since the Org hadn't made it yet a policy they were left to their own devices to fight for the right to chose treatment.  Glen bugged the GB for about 6 years before it actually became an offical policy of the WTBS to refuse blood. 

As with most changes in doctrine, the blood issue came about by a few men pushing it from behind the scenes.  They always say wait on Jehovah but ultimately it takes one person properly placed to make it a pet issue and amazingly new light springs forth.  I know I personally brought about a couple of policy changes and new light myself.  So either Jehovah was using me or it is a man based organization.  Take a quick guess as to what I believe.

I just wish they would get their nose out of medical decisions all together.  I am an advocate of INFORMED personal choice but not if that choice is mandated by a flip-flopping organization of geriatrics claiming to speak for God.

Uzzah

And don't forget:  this thread is about feeding frenzies due to loss in WTS membership, NOT when FW published his first eschaetology about 1975.

Now slow down there young man! Just thought I'd add my .02 besides you wrote it:

Another example of expediency was the society noticed in the mid/late 1960's that growth was stagnant. This is not good. Was it then also a coincidence that FW Franz concocted his 1975 "prophecy" in 1969, then?

It's an old wt habit of trying to be accurate I guess. LOL!

Uzzah, very interesting, I just have two questions....are you at liberty to mention the kind of "new light" you brought forth? And most importantly, have you been touching any arks lately?