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The Real Reason Jehovah's Witnesses Refuse Blood Transfusions
by Cameron 22 Replies latest jw friends
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Chalam
The Real Reason Jehovah's Witnesses Refuse Blood Transfusions
I have long held an opinion about this. IMHO, the WT focus on the "abstain from blood", principally because they want JWs to abstain from the redeeming blood of Jesus. The WT teach JWs are redeemed by association with the "144, 000" and the "FDS" but the bible says the opposite.
John 6:53-58 (New International Version)
53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
1 Timothy 2:5 (New International Version)
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
I think this subversive teaching happens in similar style with regards to other issues. Take birthdays for example. Why don't the WT want one to celebrate life on the anniversary of one's birth? They do not want JWs celebrating the birth of Jesus. Anything that draws attention to Him or exalts Him is twisted. 1 Peter 2:4-10 , 2 Peter 3:16
Blessings,
Stephen
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Terry
Compare the so-called Noahide Laws (Given to Adam and Eve+ Noah and family) with their restatement in Acts 15.
The Seven Laws of Noah (Hebrew: ??? ????? ??? ?? Sheva mitzvot B'nei Noach), often referred to as the Noahide Laws or Noachide Code, are a set of seven moral imperatives that, according to the Talmud, were given by God to Noah as a binding set of laws for all mankind. [ 1 ] According to Judaism any non-Jew who lives according to these laws is regarded as a Righteous Gentile and is assured of a place in the world to come (Olam Haba), the Jewish concept of heaven. [ 2 ] Adherents are often called "B'nei Noach" (Children of Noah) or "Noahides" and may often network in Jewish synagogues.
The seven laws listed by the Tosefta and the Talmud are [ 3 ]
- Prohibition of Idolatry: You shall not have any idols before God.
- Prohibition of Murder: You shall not murder. ( Genesis 9:6 )
- Prohibition of Theft: You shall not steal.
- Prohibition of Sexual Promiscuity: You shall not commit any of a series of sexual prohibitions, which include adultery, incest, bestiality and homosexual acts.
- Prohibition of Blasphemy: You shall not blaspheme God's name.
- Dietary Law: Do not eat flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. ( Genesis 9:4 )
- Requirement to have just Laws: Set up a governing body of law (eg Courts)
Gentiles were always (before Jesus, during and afterward) judged righteous by these instructions.
The Noahide Laws preceded Israel and the Covenant. Only the Jews were under the law (because it was a Covenant).
The issue in Acts concerned Gentile converts.
The restatement of policy was automatically given by Jerusalem; in effec: the Noahide Laws.
Now, what specifically was this BLOOD issue?
It meant BLOODSHED or murder, not transfusion. Bloodfeuds tore communities apart. It split families, tribes and whole nations. Revenge is one of the strongest emotions precipitating chaos in civilizations.
Get it?
Abstain from Blood means to not become involved in a blood feud caused by murdering somebody. (It destroyed the harmony in tribes, villages and nations to have a feud. The Cities of Refuge were established as a result of this rampant problem.)
What about the "eating of blood"? What did that refer to?
It refered to eating a LIVING animal.
Read this periscope from the Wikipedia article on the Nohide Laws:
According to the Biblical narrative, the Deluge covered the whole world killing every surface-dwelling creature except Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives, sea creatures, and the animals taken by Noah on Noah's Ark. After the flood, God sealed a covenant with Noah Genesis 9 ): with the following admonitions (
- Food: "However, flesh with its life-blood [in it] you shall not eat." (9:4)
- Murder: "Furthermore, I will demand your blood, for [the taking of] your lives, I shall demand it [even] from any wild animal. From man too, I will demand of each person's brother the blood of man. He who spills the blood of man, by man his blood shall be spilt; for in the image of God He made man." (9:5-6)
The Talmud states that the instruction not to eat "flesh with the life" was given to Noah, and that Adam and Eve had already received six other commandments. Adam and Eve were not enjoined from eating from a living animal since they were forbidden to eat any animal. The remaining six are exegetically derived from a seemingly superfluous sentence in Gen 2:16 . [8]
Historically, some rabbinic opinion holds that not only are non-Jews not obligated to adhere to all the laws of the Torah, but they are actually forbidden to observe them.The Jehovah's Witness position is merely a Contrarian argument stemming from the Pharisee-like preoccupation with moral burdens heaped on the members by the Watchtower to control the consciences of all.
It is a non-issue historically.