how JW deals with this "contradiction"? As they teach that Acts 15:20 MEANS that blood is life, so you have not to give your life to somebody else to save him!
Acts 15:20 vs John 15:13
by Shazard 5 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
skyman
Are you now or ever been a JW? Answer then I will respond
-
Shazard
Well I would not ask question "how does JW do that or that" if I would be JW. No I haven't been them. And I guess my appartments are marked as "apostate" as they do not come to me but I want... so to have chances to evangelise them... I am fully Lutheran (conservative wing)
-
greendawn
That is their extremist interpretation, common sense dictates that there is nothing wrong with saving a life without losing a life or causing health problems to anyone.
-
AlmostAtheist
Welcome to the forum, Shazard!
I doubt they'd see this as a contradiction. In John, Jesus says that giving up your life for your brothers is the greatest act of love. In Acts, the JW's believe they are told that eating blood (which they assume is the same as a transfusion) is a sin on par with fornication. Would YOU commit fornication to prevent the death of another person?
Perhaps you would. I sure would! But when I was Christian, I probably wouldn't have. I would view keeping God's laws as more important than my or anyone else's life.
So from the JW's point of view, it wouldn't be a contradiction.
Dave
-
skyman
Good to have you here. To understand the Witness thinking you must remember they think you are dirt that will soon be swept away. If You ask them questions about blood the average Witness will stop and think, does he really want know or is he trying to find fualt. If he feels you are trying to find fault he will leave.
To be truthfull John 15:13 will get you no where. Because the Witness see's dying by not taking blood as giving his life for another. They see the death as an exsample for other Witnesses follow thus fullfilling the scripture. So I would not use this scripture. First you must make it apear that you need to know the reason for their stand on blood is because it stops you from understanding them then they well talk with you. After you have touched up on the bible and blood call the nearest Kindom Hall of JW's usually it is in your phone book. I happen to have every good scriptures you can use.
JW's think any missuse of blood is the same as taking a transfusion. For exsample they are not to eat any food product that contains blood, blood fertilizers are out; paint that uses blood out, they cannot donate blood, or work for the blood bank. They use the scriptures like Lev. 17: 13-14 Here it says anyone eating an un-bled animals "will be cut off " BUT they do not read on too include Lev 17 As for any soul that eats a body [already] dead or something torn by a wild beast, whether a native or a alien resident, he must in that case wash his garments and bathe in water and be unclean until evening; and he must be clean.” They like Deut 14: 21 “You must not eat any body [already] dead” BUT never read Leviticus 11:39-40 read “Now in case any beast that is YOURS for food should die, he who touches its dead body will be unclean until the evening. And he who eats any of its dead body will wash his garments, and he must be unclean until the evening; and he who carries off its dead body will wash his garments, and he must be unclean until the evening”. These are the scriptures that I would use. The average Witness is stunned when they read these scriptures. The Watchtower never uses these scriptures becuase they know the scriptures will make the average Witness stop and think. Believe me even when a Witness can see you might be right on something will never let you know unless he is penned down with no way to weasle out of it.
I will send you a PM in your in box with information I researched that does work with Witnesses. It is very long but after you read it you will see the bible does not agree with the blood policy and you can actually stumble the Witnesses with the information. I have shown this to Five Elders all agreed after going over the information for a while with me that I am correct. One Elders has quit and has not went back to the meetings for over four years now, One Elder put his head between his legs and cried. One Elder has almost quit going to the meetings and his wife called and told me to never talk to her husband again. Since this information has hit my area so hard two Circuit Overseer's (BIG BOY"S FROM BETHEL) came to my house and before they left both agreed the bible does not teach the no blood policy. They would love to DF me but I only used the bible and the Society's publications to make my point. Beside to DF me because of blood after proving so faithful would have huge implications in the local area so they leave me alone.