BLOOD -- WTS Questions and Sound Answers 5

by Marvin Shilmer 6 Replies latest watchtower medical

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  Marvin Shilmer

  BLOOD -- WTS Questions and Sound Answers 5

  Does the WTS teach JWs that blood removed from the body must be disposed of?

  In 1982 the WTS addressed every variation of blood removal when it wrote:

  *** w82 6/15 p. 31 Questions from Readers ***

  Christians should strive to manifest that they appreciate the sacredness of blood. (Acts 15:28, 29) Accordingly, if blood is removed from the body, it should be disposed of, comparable to the Israelites? pouring blood out on the ground.

  So, as of 1982 the WTS was categorical. Blood removed from the body should be disposed of -- no ifs, no ands, and no buts.

  As follows, this policy was emphasized in the 1989 Watchtower when it addressed blood removal:

  *** w89 3/1 p. 30 Questions From Readers ***

  It has been completely removed from him, so it should be disposed of in line with God?s Law: ?You should pour it out upon the ground as water.?

  However, as of October of 2000 the WTS changed this policy when it suddenly taught JWs to respect fellow JWs who accept back blood that had been completely removed from their bodies. As follows:

  *** w00 10/15 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***

  r the goal may be to isolate some of a blood component and apply that elsewhere on the body. There are also tests in which a quantity of blood is withdrawn in order to tag it or to mix it with medicine, whereupon it is put back into the patient.

  The details may vary, and new procedures, treatments, and tests will certainly be developed. It is not our place to analyze each variation and render a decision. A Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be handled in the course of a surgical procedure, medical test, or current therapy. Ahead of time, he should obtain from the doctor or technician the facts about what might be done with his blood during the procedure. Then he must decide according to what his conscience permits.

  In some of these procedures a patient's blood is not only removed from their body, it is removed from the room they are in and taken somewhere else in the building for processing! Sometimes this blood is not returned to the patient's body for several hours! There is no doubt; this blood is completely removed from the body and then infused back.

  So, Does the WTS teach JWs that blood removed from the body must be disposed of? Prior to October of 200o the answer was, yes. As of October 2000 the answer is, no. A 180-degree turn of policy.

  Today the WTS does not teach that blood removed from the body should be disposed of.

  Marvin Shilmer
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  jst2laws

  Marvin, You may correct me if I'm wrong, but the Society seems to make a great deal of their literal interpretation of the following scripture demanded "pour the blood out":.

  13"?As for any man of the sons of Israel or some alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst who in hunting catches a wild beast or a fowl that may be eaten, he must in that case pour its blood out and cover it with dust. 14 For the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood by the soul in it. Consequently I said to the sons of Israel: "YOU must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh, because the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it will be cut off. Lev 17:13-14

  Somewhere in the rheteric this principle got confused with "storing blood" being wrong, as if storing is equivalent to FAILING to "pour the blood out".

  Yet the situation you site seems to be a more direct violation of scripture than a theoretical "storing' of blood. Is it wrong to fail to 'pour it out' or is it wrong to store it? They seem to say it is OK to NOT POUR IT OUT which violates their 'literal' interpretation of the scriptures.

  Of course any discussion of the above scripture in the context of blood extractions must ignore that the context of the scriptural discussion was of KILLING and animal and EATING it's blood.

  What are your thoughts on blood fractions? These are approved by the Watchtower yet where do they come from, blood properly "poured out"???

  Thanks for bring this up.

  Jst2laws
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  Marvin Shilmer

  Hello, Jst2laws

  You write:

  What are your thoughts on blood fractions? These are approved by the Watchtower yet where do they come from, blood properly "poured out"???

  Every part used by JWs from blood -- use respected by the WTS -- comes from blood that has been generously donated and stored for use. I dare say not one drop of this donated and stored blood -- that has saved the life of so many JWs -- came from donors who were themselves JWs. This is a shame that should be felt acutely by every JW who would defend the WTS policy on blood.

  Marvin Shilmer
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  jst2laws

  Marvin,

  I dare say not one drop of this donated and stored blood -- that has saved the life of so many JWs -- came from donors who were themselves JWs. This is a shame that should be felt acutely by every JW who would defend the WTS policy on blood.

  There you go again. Another argument with which I wouldn't dare differ.

  Jst2laws
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  heathen

  Shilmer--- How would you know who gives blood ? True I've never seen a blood drive at the KH but I couldn't say that there are absolutely no dubs that donate blood .
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  blondie

  Heathen, it would be like saying there are no JWs who celebrate Christmas. There might be some who do but they keep it secret and underwraps. A JW caught donating blood (seen going into a blood drive location, turned in by a non-JW relative of a JW, seen on the list of donors by a JW employee in a clinic that sponsors them in other areas, etc., would be called before a JC and possibly DF'd. Or they might say that by doing that they had DA'd themselves.

  Blondie
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  heathen

  blondie--- Have you ever seen that happen ? I was just thinking that since they changed the blood doctrine that maybe they now give blood . Just looking for evidence before I conclude anything here . I do know when I studied they were still handing out blood cards but that was at least 10 yrs. ago .