I'm not a JW, but am very curious about the religion. What are the rules of the religion to follow regarding staying in the hospital? You can't accept any blood transfusions whatsoever, even if it is your own blood you've previous set aside for your own transfusion? what is the belief behind this? I have a bunch more questions if anyone minds answering them. My e-mail address is quagliatta at yahoo dot com. thank you to anyone who is willing to chat!
As far as going to the doctor or hospital...
by Tigerlily3 10 Replies latest watchtower medical
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MissingLink
Doctors and hospitals are ok. Operations and even orgran transplants are OK (although orgran transplants were previously banned).
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momzcrazy
Vaccinations are OK, although previously banned. Some still refuse their kids' vaccinations on religious grounds, but they shouldn't.
Once blood leaves the body it should be disposed of. Heart lung machines are OK because the machine takes the place of the circulatory system.
momz
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Tigerlily3
So you can go to the hospital, get an organ donation, but if something goes wrong and you start bleeding out, you can't accept any blood?
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momzcrazy
Correct. Now fractions of the whole blood are considered a "conscience matter", or each person can decide on their own. I accepted the EPO shot, but it took 2 days to get it because no one thought it would help.
momz
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Gopher
Generally speaking, the JW's think the Bible principle "abstain from blood" applies to surgery. Their organization allows them to accept certain blood fractions (if their conscience permits it).
I've included some information from the Wikipedia entry on JW's below. To read more information, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_and_blood
The official teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses regards blood as sacred and rejects allogeneic and pre-operative autologous transfusions of whole blood, red cells, white cells, platelets or plasma. [133] This is based on an understanding of the Biblical admonition to " abstain from ... blood," based on Acts 15:28, 29, and also on Leviticus 17:11,12, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood ... No soul of you shall eat blood," and of Genesis 9:3, 4, which they understand to be the first instance of "the Bible’s clear prohibition against taking blood into the body." [134] Although accepted by a majority of Jehovah's Witnesses, evidence indicates a minority does not wholly endorse this doctrine. [135] [136] [137] [138]
Baptized Witnesses who violate the prohibition on blood are subject to organized communal shunning. [139] [140] [141] [142] However, it is a personal decision on how their "own blood will be handled in the course of a surgical procedure, medical test, or current therapy." [143] [144] This is qualified by their understanding that "collecting, storing, and transfusing of blood directly contradicts what is said in Leviticus and Deuteronomy," so their position is they do not "store for transfusion our blood that should be ‘poured out." [145] Of course, in current medical practice, whole blood transfusions are very rare, and individual blood components are used instead. [146] While Witnesses may not accept red cells, white cells, platelets or plasma, they may accept any fractions made from these components. [147] [148] However, if a fraction, "makes up a significant portion of that component" or "carries out the key function of a primary component" it may be objectionable to them but is permissible. [149]
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Tigerlily3
Thank you for all of the replies so far. The chart is very helpful in understanding. You mentioned JW are supposed to dispose of their blood once it leaves the body, is there a certain way in which it is to be disposed of?
Also, if a JW has a child say that needs a blood transfusion, then the parent is responsible for the decision of conscience... or does this reflect on the child's "conscience"?
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Gopher
Great questions, Tigerlily!
You mentioned JW are supposed to dispose of their blood once it leaves the body, is there a certain way in which it is to be disposed of?
Actually JW's would leave that up to the medical staff, to dispose of their blood. The main point is that JW's generally do not accept stored blood, but if there is a machine connected to the patient that circulates and purifies the blood prior to its reentry, then that is generally acceptable to a believing JW.
Also, if a JW has a child say that needs a blood transfusion, then the parent is responsible for the decision of conscience... or does this reflect on the child's "conscience"?
In most cases the physician or hospital will seek a court order to ensure that a child can receive a full range of medical treatment, including a whole-blood transfusion if necessary. Conscientious doctors will try to work with Witness parents to ensure other non-blood therapy or substitutes are used when possible, but of course in emergencies this isn't always possible. Judges have saved lives of children with JW parents by ordering transfusions.
The only time a child would have a say in the matter is if, in a non-emergency situation (such as a scheduled surgery) the court determines that the child is of sufficient maturity to make such a decision.
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Tigerlily3
I see. Thank you for the great explanation! This is very sad - maybe I see this wrong. But it seems like if you can't accept a transfusion there is a good chance you may and possibly will die, but then if you do accept the transfusion, you could possible be shunned from everyone around you just becasue you wanted to live?!?
Are there restrictions on anything in the field of mental health? Are you allowed to discuss problems with people outside of the JW like a non-JW psychologist or something?
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Gopher
if you can't accept a transfusion there is a good chance you may and possibly will die, but then if you do accept the transfusion, you could possible be shunned from everyone around you just becasue you wanted to live?!?
Yes. What a dilemma for a believing JW. There are a minority of JW's who secretly do take transfusions. There are also groups anonymously working from within the organization to try to bring about change, the major one being AJWRB. See the website: http://www.ajwrb.org/
Are there restrictions on anything in the field of mental health? Are you allowed to discuss problems with people outside of the JW like a non-JW psychologist or something?
I don't think you can be disfellowshipped from the organization for going to a psychologist (like you can for getting a whole-blood transfusion). However it is discouraged, as people are told to seek the elders for "spiritual help". It might be viewed as a sign of "spiritual weakness" to go to a mental-health professional. (Actually the WT Society's fear may be that such therapists might help the JW to see that being a JW is causing a lot of their problems!!) Maybe other posters with more personal experience can comment on this issue.
You might find this research about JW's and mental health problems to be interesting: http://www.seanet.com/~raines/mental.html