by AnnOMaly 55 Replies latest watchtower medical
Actually, baptized JWs who accept blood products not approved by the WTS will be considered as DAing themselves. I think that has been an unwritten policy, but verbally given by the CO to the BOEs, for about 6 years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/790967.stm
(just some WTS legal CYAing)
As a dub it would be nice to be able to use this new treatment option and have the Awake to cya.
I think there are a lot of dubs that would take blood if it was allowed by the WTS. Hopefully many will use their conscience and decide to use these products.
If a member has a transfusion, they will, by their actions disassociate themselves from the religion. The ruling emphasises personal choice, he said.He added that if they repented afterwards, they would be offered spiritual comfort and the possibility of redemption.
This is an excerpt from the article Blondie was directing us to.
In my opinion, their "changes in wording" is to make JWs feel and the public feel that they are not unbending, but will flex w/these other treatments. But having come out of the JW religion we KNOW FOR A FACT that the warm, fuzzy offer has strings attached.
And as the quote says, " the possibility of redemption". See? You are still at their mercy as they are God's org. on earth and are spirit directed to make these decisions. Yeah right.
They are only covering their butts legally (by saying that you have personal choice in matters) while still maintaining the control over their followers (any JW would know that they are risking DA by excercising their legal right.)
Classic example of the WTS using guilt and manipulation to keep the R+F in line, while simultaneously trying to cover their asses legally. This gives them the escape clause of saying that they left it up to the individual to decide, when we all know this really isnt true. Depending on the hall, if it was ever found out that a dub took such a product willingly, the result may not be flat out DFing, but likely the elders would use other forms of psychological harassment: removing duties, subtle shunning, making them step down from positions, anything to make it clear that jehoobie disapproves of their actions. Just more "mind games" from the WTS. However, if the R+F continues to swallow this garbage, perhaps they are getting what they deserve. The real victims will continue to be the children.
They must carefully and prayerfully meditate on Bible principles concerning the sacredness of blood.
Seriously, what's to meditate on? What a silly statement.
With a keen desire to maintain a good relationship with Jehovah, each must be guided by his Bible-trained conscience. - Galatians 6:5.
Correct me if I'm wrong in this thought process...
According to the Almighty Watchtower Organization, that is supposedly gods mouthpiece for the Jehovah's Witnesses religion here on earth, blood is sacred.
Accordingly, in order to maintain a keen desire to have a good relationship with the Maker of blood, that sustains us, I must meditate on whether to accept it, if ever the time came i would need a transfusion, in order to live and maintain that keen desire and relationship?
sKally
Ok I may be in the minority(not for the first time), but I think once again the Society is doing a double-speak dance, but not in the direction most of you seem to be taking it. Here's what I mean.
I think for years they have been secretly waiting for the invention of some kind artificial blood or substitute blood, something that would get them out of the corner they painted themselves into with their silly blood policy. For them the best thing that could happen would be a blood substitute that would make their "Scripturally based" prohibition on blood moot. I think they thought that by now either there would be a blood substitute or the end would be here.
Of course, this has not happened yet. And in the meantime, they also have realized the potential legal liability they would face if they were to simply drop the ban on blood. Gary mentioned how they dropped the ban on organ donations without much fuss, those were simpler times, with fewer lawyers. So we see how in recent years while they relax some of the blood rules, they continue to defend the doctrine on grounds of religious freedom.
I think that with this new Awake article, its a cover, they don't want to appear to eager to accept this, thus the rumblings about meditating, conscience, blah blah. In the real world, HLCs will be saying YES!!! take it!!! its ok!!! As one HLC member told a family member of mine: "Its a conscience matter, that means its ok to take it!"
Of course, I assume the guys at the top are rational. Sneaky, but rational. If they are really seriously off their rockers, then yes, it could be that peope will be DFd/DAd for accepting these products.
No Apologies
Note to mods and others: I apologize for my vulgarity and take responsibility for the consequences, if any.
HBOC presents more challenges to conscientious Christians who seek to obey God's law
on blood.
You know what? Fuck that, and fuck them.
Fucking Pharisees. Sometimes I wish I believed in Hell. Nothing gets me more angry than the blood policy.
You know what this does? For some Witnesses, it loosens the leash a bit, but for real, honest-to-God, faithful JWs... they don't read "it's a matter of conscience." They read this as "if you want to get into the New World, you will avoid this medical procedure." I know this. I have friends who have stated that VERY OPINION to me.
This isn't a "big change." This isn't a "step in the right direction." It's just the same old fucking bullshit. I'm shaking right now because I'm so angry at reading this.
However, compared with other blood fractions, the HBOC presents more challenges to conscientious Christians, who seek to obey God's law on blood. Why?
That's what I'd like to know. I fail to see why this is more of a challenge to consciencious Christians, compared to other blood fractions. After all, the other fractions are likewise "derived from blood".
One, the HBOC carries out the key function of a primary component of blood, the red cells.
Of course. That is what makes it useful as a medical therapy. Is this the old "Alternative Service" rejection theory back to haunt the WTS adherents?
Two, hemoglobin from which the HBOC is derived, makes up a significant portion of that component.
Where would one find scriptural evidence that the Biblical prohibition against EATING blood need somehow be dissected by such terms as significant/minor, whole/component, etc.? Or even that it applies to TRANSFUSIONS?
These Pharisees make me nauseous.
You know what this does? For some Witnesses, it loosens the leash a bit, but for real, honest-to-God, faithful JWs... they don't read "it's a matter of conscience." They read this as "if you want to get into the New World, you will avoid this medical procedure." I know this. I have friends who have stated that VERY OPINION to me.This isn't a "big change." This isn't a "step in the right direction." It's just the same old fucking bullshit. I'm shaking right now because I'm so angry at reading this.
I agree. Way back a few years ago when this all came out the first time, they wanted everyone to fill out a form to show which specific procedures their consciences would allow them to have, and my family did this all together. I was the only one who said my conscience would allow everything I could have. I got all these disapproving looks. they said I picked the same thing the weak people they knew were picking. I told them I would do whatever they said I could do, they said we could do it, right? There was really nothing they could say, and they knew it. The pink elephant really could not be mentioned, you know? It was all pressure and nothing to back it up. Useless. All of them.
Where would one find scriptural evidence that the Biblical prohibition against EATING blood need somehow be dissected by such terms as significant/minor, whole/component, etc.? Or even that it applies to TRANSFUSIONS?
bennyk,
Beginning on the same page as the box in the main text, there's this interesting paragraph:
"Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for taking these Bible commands to heart. They reject all transfusions involving whole blood or the four primary components - red cells, plasma, white cells, and platelets, As for the various fractions derived from those components - and products that contain such fractions - the Bible does not comment on these. Therefore, each Witness makes his own personal decision on such matters."
My thought was, 'True, the Bible doesn't comment on fractions derived from the four primary components, but where does the Bible comment on blood's primary components?'
