Why did the WT change their stance on taking blood fractions? (page 2)

TD

Complex conditions which make similar components/procedures acceptable or unacceptable

Witness May Not Accept...

Witnesses May Accept......

Whole blood [2]

IF taken as "blood transfusion"

IF taken together with bone marrow transplants [3]

Plasma proteins [2]

IF taken together as "plasma"

IF taken separately as an individual blood component (albumin, globulin, clotting factors)

White blood cells [2]

IF taken as "white blood cells"

IF taken as "peripheral stem cells" [4] [5]

Autologous blood [2]

IF tube connection to the patient's body is interrupted

OR

IF it is stored

IF tube connection to the patient's body is maintained (hemodilution, cell saver)

IF taken as "peripheral stem cells" (even if it is stored) [3]

Stem cells [6]

IF taken from umbilical cord blood [7]

IF taken from peripheral blood or bone marrow [3]

Heart-lung machine [2]

IF blood is used to prime the machine

IF blood is circulated in the machine

Blood patch [8]

IF blood is removed from vein and reinjected

IF injecting syringe is connected to vein via tube

Blood donation [9]

IF donated by JWs for use of JWs and others

IF donated by non-JWs for use of JWs and others

References

1. You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth. Brooklyn: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 1989, p216.

2. Dixon JL, Smalley MG. Jehovah's Witnesses. The surgical/ethical challenge. Journal of American Medical Association 1981;246:2471-2.

3. Questions from readers. The Watchtower; 1984 May 15:31.

4. Kerridge I, Lowe M, Seldon M, Enno A, Deveridge S. Clinical and ethical issues in the treatment of a Jehovah's Witness with acute myeloblastic leukemia. Archives of Internal Medicine 1998;157:1753-7.

5. Muramoto O. Medical ethics in the treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses. Archives of Internal Medicine 1998;158:

6. Malak J. Jehovah's Witnesses and medicine: An overview of beliefs and issues in their care. J Med Assoc Georg 1998;87:322-327

7. Questions from readers. The Watchtower; 1997 Feb 1:29

8. Kanumilli V, Kaza R, Johnson C, Nowacki. Epidural blood patch for Jehovah's Witness patient. Anesthesia Analgesia 1993;77:872-873

9. Questions from readers. The Watchtower; 1961 Jan 15:64

Bonnie_Clyde

My original post:

Not long before the WT changed their doctrine, a good friend of mine told me that her brother-in-law who was in Bethel told her that the Governing Body had a problem with the blood issue. When they travelled to foreign countries, they were required by the government to take shots to protect them against malaria and unfortunately these contained blood fractions. It was developing into a real problem.

Thanks everyone for your comments, especially TD. I didn't realize they the WT was becoming wishy washy about the blood doctrine even in the 60's. I don't suppose anyone knows why they changed, and maybe we won't know unless we get another Ray Franz off the Governing Body.

choosing life

(Balsam)

I noted you said that packed red blood cells are allowed in Nov KM. Do you have a scan or quote of the text? Or can you point me to another link that does? This would be a major change because most transfusions are of packed red blood cells.

Rabbit

TD...Thank you for that great expose' using the WT's own words about all the changes to the blood policy over the years ! I knew there were a lot of flip-flops, but, have never seen them presented so clearly and in one place.

I will be seeing several of my out-of-town JW relatives soon and if it goes like last time they will try to 'save' me from my inactive status -- and try again to convert my non-dub wife. I plan on using this subject to explain my 'questioning & doubts' they are so worried about. After all, my Mom died when she thought hemoglobin was still "bad"...now it's OK. So, she died a very useless death...the very reason the WT used to say it was wrong -- is now gone.

Hopefully, I'll be planting a big ole' seed of doubt, while they think they are 'saving' me.

Rabbit

catbert

Should not JW's be consuming kosher killed animals? I eat beef. Its loaded with blood when I rinse it off after taking it out of its wrapping from the supermarket. Let it sit on a plate, that red juice on the plate is blood.

blondie

As far as I know red blood cells (still considered a component) are still on the forbidden list for JWs. Hemoglobin though is now allowed as a fraction of "red blood cells."

Blondie

hamsterbait

The relaxation of the rule concerning vaccination happened in 1952, because nathan Homo Knorr wanted to do a world tour, culminating in the 1953 A$$embly at Yankee stadium.

He realised that if he vsited Africa, and other underdevaloped countries without vaccines, he would probably give the convention address "You may survive Armageddy" from a coffin.

Same as when he decided to get married, suddenly tthe rules relaxed.

Two-faced con men.

HB

blondie

Vaccinations were okay by the time I was born but did anyone hear of this?

At one time the WatchTower denounced vaccinations and Jehovah's Witnesses were known to fake a vaccination mark on their child's arm with a drop of acid.

or this?

For instance, in the 1940s, Jehovah's Witnesses were taught that vaccinations were against God's law. There were even instances where JWs paid a doctor to "fake" a vaccination mark on their child, when vaccinations were required to enter school. Then, after a time, the teaching was reversed.

http://experts.about.com/q/Jehovah-s-Witness-1617/blood-transfusion-5.htm

Blondie

garybuss

Blondie, you wrote: "fake a vaccination mark on their child's arm with a drop of acid."

Yes I know of this. I started school in 1950 and my parents refused to allow me to be vaccinated. They moved from the city to the country where they didn't check for vaccinations and we went to a one room school without running water. I never had polio or small pox vaccines.

Polio was a huge deal then. Lots of people getting it. My parents were idiots for risking my health like that for a book printer they never met.

Hells Fairey

Blood donation [9]

IF donated by JWs for use of JWs and others

So they can have a transfusion, if the bloods from another Jw?

Why did the WT change their stance on taking blood fractions?

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