JW spokesperson says no pressure to refuse blood

by muse 12 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  muse

  I noticed on Saturday a small report in the Mirror Newspaper. One of the members of Motorhead's (what a great band - I have seen them over six times!!) elderly Mother-in-law was a JW. Her daughter was quoted as saying she was brainwashed by the JWs into refusing a blood transfusion because she would not get resurrected if she had one. She refused the transfusion and consequently died. A JW spokesperson said 'We do not pressure anyone into refusing a blood transfusion'. Is it just me or could that be taken as a blatant lie? Surely the pressure of disfellowshipping, shunning, no resurrection etc etc is the 'pressure' this spokesperson claims is untrue.

  I spoke to my elder Dad yesterday, he had just been at the three day assembly. He whinged about sitting on an uncomfortable seat for three days and then moaned about the cost of the three days (him and Mum have no savings, usual story!). I didn't comment and mentioned the start of the Grand Prix had been good and he replied in a huffy voice, yeah, well I missed that too didn't I. Sometimes I think there is a glimmer of hope...
• 

  stevenyc

  Here's the article Muse is referring to: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_method=full%26objectid=19489489%26siteid=89520-name_page.html
  
  steve
• 

  Stealth453

  A JW spokesperson said 'We do not pressure anyone into refusing a blood transfusion'.

  BULL SHIT.

  Good luck with your family.
• 

  Scully

  Is it just me or could that be taken as a blatant lie?

  No, it cannot be "taken as a blatant lie". It IS a blatant lie.

  If you accept a blood transfusion, it is no longer a disfellowshipping offense. There was a newspaper article in The Guardian in 1996 to that effect. What they didn't tell the newspaper - what they left out - is that when a JW accepts a blood transfusion, the members of the Hospital Liaison Committee or some other PAIR OF JWs assigned to "keep vigil" on the patient will report this to the congregation elders and the patient will be deemed to have disassociated himself by his actions. What a neat little trick!! There's no need for a Judicial Committee, no opportunity to show repentance, to say you were experiencing a temporary lapse in faith, not even an opportunity to state your case that a so-called worldly court would offer. All they need is for two JWs to confirm that they observed the patient receiving what appears to them to be blood and you are considered to be "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses".
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Legally they mean " 'We do not pressure anyone into refusing a blood transfusion' at the moment they
  need it. At that moment, we pressure their loved ones to refuse the transfusion. Prior to the medical
  emergency, we apply the usual mind-control, but not pressure, to conform to our doctrines."

  My mother complains about sitting through the DC's, also. She virtually never goes to all 3 days at once,
  and her (worldly) husband always wants to know why she goes. She has not learned to avoid telling him
  how difficult it is to sit there, so maybe I have that same hope.
• 

  greendawn

  It's a bare faced lie, the JWs very obviously pressure their members into not accepting blood. The psychological pressure comes in the form of emotional terrorism if they take blood they will be eternally extinguished after their physical death with no hope of resurrection, a very coercive notion.

  And from the fear of getting cut off from the entire support network of family and friends by being declared disassociated which means a total and painful ostracism. The JWs have not stopped expelling members that take blood, at least whole blood.

  Someone should call the WTS to task for lying to the public in such a transparent way. How exactly do they define "putting pressure on someone"?
• 

  Fe2O3Girl

  There is a more detailed story in the South Wales Echo:

  http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/southwalesecho/news/tm_headline=jehovahs-accused-over-gran-s-death&method=full&objectid=19485972&siteid=50082-name_page.html

  And "Kim in Florida" has started a topic on the forum at the site.

  http://forums.icwales.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1239
• 

  Mary

  I just started a reply on there.....if anyone wants to add their two cents, here's the link:

  http://forums.mirror.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=113136#113136
• 

  AlphaOmega

  Mary "International Apostate" said...

  I just started a reply on there.....if anyone wants to add their two cents, here's the link:

  http://forums.mirror.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=113136#113136

  Excellent Mary !! AO
• 

  tijkmo

  Is it just me or could that be taken as a blatant lie?

  it's just you

  not

  paul gillies is the same beth rep who lied about the u.n. to the gaurdian