Why die over the Blood issue?

by PopeOfEruke 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • PopeOfEruke
    PopeOfEruke

    Why is the blood doctrine worth dying for to most JW's?

    When faced with a life-threatening choice of Blood or No Blood, why don't they take the blood transfusion, then face the music and get disfellowshipped, act repentful and get reinstated in 6 months or 1 year?

    If you commit fornication or adultery, the punishment is still the same. You get disfellowshipped, act repentful, and get reinstated.

    That's all the elders can do! Their strongest punishment is disfellowshipping. It's the same punishment whether you got caught smoking, had an illegal nookie, or take blood.

    Why waste your life or your child's life??

    Pope

  • TD
    TD

    If the blood doctrine was purely a scriptural argument, probably many JW's would risk it.

    However most JW's are completely convinced that the administration of "blood" is medically unnecessary, won't save their life, and will probably give them hepatitus C, or HIV (Or both)

  • jwfacts
    jwfacts

    As TD says, JWs have been convinced (I know I was) that blood transfusions kill, that it is riskier to take blood. Blood is viewed with abhorrence. Look at the topics in the 86-03 index under blood and you will find a long list of antiblood propoganda, such as:

    AIDS- contaminated

    Big Business

    Blood banks - admit saftey can not be guaranteed/AIDS/blood from prisoners/danger of fungus contamination/deficiencies of disease screening/government blocks screening method for economic advantage/hepatitis B/large profits/Red Cross fails to report contaminated blood

    Blood Products: danger of infection from

    Donations: diseases found/family blood no safer/

  • Abandoned
    Abandoned
    Why waste your life or your child's life??

    Well, you gotta remember how vindictive the Jehovah's Witness God is. The "faithful" are constantly prodded to expect armageddon any minute and taught that God is just looking for reasons to destroy someone. So, it isn't a matter of messing up and getting reinstated -- eternal life is on the line.

  • crazyblondeb
    crazyblondeb

    ignorance!!!! Plus, they love to be martyrs!! Did i spell that right?

  • JWdaughter
    JWdaughter

    I bet more children die due to the blood issues than adults. And I think there is a bigger reason than the health threats. In the JW world, kids are ok, but they are (lets face it!) evidence that one has a sex life, they are proof that one finds other things at least as important as the WT, and that one is not giving their best effort to the Borg. LOSING a child due to the 'blood issue' makes one a hero in their congregation. They will always have a 'theocratic war story' to tell (whether the child survives or dies) and they get JW cred for it. They get extra credit with the Borg, elders, Jehovah, and their JW family. They get away with a LOT afterwards too-because of all the stress.

    I fully recognize how cynical this sounds, but how often do we hear stories about children and teenagers-and how often about adults? Kids make better press, sure, but that goes both ways, for the WT and the media at large. Children also have less blood to play around with.

    Those JWs with the four babies-well, there were six-obviously NOT putting kingdom interests first. LOSING their babies gets them off the hook, they get sympathy and less grudging help. If their babies all survived, they would be thought fortunate, but the sheer amount of kids would work against them in the WT org in spite of it-one cute baby is ok, but six is just--unseemly! Losing those babies is good for them societally (WT style).

    Those are factors I believe are part and parcel of the reason JW children are so expendable in spite of the fact that the worst 'JAH'/WT will do is shun THE PARENTS!!!

    I think many of the teenagers are pressured and/or misled. That is just my cynical way of looking at it, and I apologise for any offence or hurt given. I don't believe that is every case.

  • sass_my_frass
    sass_my_frass

    I'm now a 'regular blood donor', got the sticker and everything!

  • grissom6471
    grissom6471

    Why do you feel that it is a life or death issue as in refuse blood and die, take blood and live? Why not refuse blood and live?

  • grissom6471
    grissom6471

    Obeying Jehovah is never a waste of any life. You just do not appreciate the point that Jehovah is behind the law on blood.

  • sir82
    sir82

    The thing is, when it finally "clicks" that a JW might die over blood, their whole attitude usually changes.

    Case in point: A couple of months ago, there was a Service Meeting part covering a KM insert on which blood fractions a JW might decide to accept. It was a question and answer part.

    Comment in that meeting part from the PO of my congregation:

    "Well, at first I was bound and determined that I would accept no blood fractions whatsoever. Then I read this bit in the insert about [whatever fraction it was - can't remember] and how it is used in snakebite anti-venom. I thought, 'whoa, I could die from that! I don't want to die.' So I decide that I would accept [that fraction].

    And he is not the only one to express opinions like that.

    Somehow, the idea of "dying by snakebite" is more real, more threatening, than "dying during surgery". So, when confronted with the possibility of dying by snakebite, "well, Watchtower stance on blood be damned, I wanna live!"

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