I first noticed that no scriptural discussion of the choice is made, so it all appears to be solely the decision of the signatory.
When choosing alternatives of treatment, the Witless merely initials his choice under clauses 3 and 4. Since this simply indicates choice, full signature and witness are not required.
Now clause 6:
"I consent to my medical records ands the details of my condition being shared with the Emergency Contact below (cong secretary recommended) and/or with member(s) of the Hospital Liaison Committee for Jehovah's Witnesses.
This does require a full signature and date, so it is legally valid. It is also suggested in the MS talk that if the doctors have your records on computer, all the details of the new card should be be transferred to disk also. (So they can spy without breaching computer data privacy laws.)
WHY??
The HLC is not there to read about my medical history, but to offer comfort to relatives and reason with the doctors. The implications are soul-chilling:
A baptized13 year old girl is treated for injuries after a rape. She is so traumatized that out of the parents' pity the elders are never told.
Any average Joe elder on the HLC can now read this, as she is now 18 and signed the form of her own free will. It also turns out the poor kid got pregnant as a result, and had an abortion.
Next thing the men in black want her in the back room. Was she wearing a thong? Did/didn't she scream? Deos she repent of her act of murder?
A brother goes through an episode of heavy drinking - I did because of the way this cult messes with your mind.
The HLC tells his local body, he is in the back room.
A baptized teenage boy gets infected tendinitis from compulsive self- abuse with porn. Was it with greed? Although he put his life on the line by signing the blood card, it is no compensation. He is DF (Remember the Statute of Limitation on Serious Sins only applies to Elders and MS, so they won't feel compelled to be merciful in this case.)
Also - suppose the accident happens thousands of miles away in Japan, where the HLC cannot read english? Given the emergency number, they will let the local KHell know. And they can now demand if the victim gave in and had a transfusion because he was far from home and maybe thought no one would know.
Is this more to control the masses? Why do they want to read my general medical records?
Will we now see men in black striding into hospitals, demanding the right to computer access to records? They already intrude and try to read the hard copy left by the bed. There was a case of this on the board.
Maybe my cases are too far out, but peoples lives and families have been wrecked over far less than this in the Borg.
HB