South Africa Court Saves Baby's Life

fjtoth

News 24
Cape Town, South Africa

Court saves baby's life
09/07/2008 09:37 - (SA)

By Norman Silke, Die Burger Newspaper

Port Elizabeth - Strict religious beliefs nearly claimed the life of a 14-day-old baby at the weekend.

The Legal Aid Board and Port Elizabeth High Court had to intervene on Friday night to save the life of a baby boy.

Dave McGlew of the Legal Aid Board in Port Elizabeth said the baby was born 10 weeks premature on June 23.

He had to have an urgent blood transfusion, but the religious beliefs of his parents, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, did not allow it.

Jehovah's Witnesses keep strictly to the Bible's decree that no form of blood may be eaten. They believe this is applicable also to the storage and transfusion of blood.

McGlew said Netcare Greenacres Hospital, where the baby was being treated, asked for legal aid and the case eventually ended up at the Legal Aid Board.

Court ordered transfusion

According to a statement, advocate Lilla Crouse of the Legal Aid Board had to act quickly to ensure that a judge, a registrar and a stenographer reported to the court at 18:00 to hear an urgent application and a paediatrician was asked to testify.

The court ordered at 19:00 that a blood transfusion should be done.

Parents are required to give permission for a blood transfusion for a minor. McGlew said the High Court, as supreme guardian of all minors, could give consent for a blood transfusion.

He emphasised that the parents did not oppose the application, but could not give consent themselves.

Crouse said: "My heart went out to the child's parents. The couple must've known that, with their decision, they were signing their child's death certificate."

Crouse's statement said that the paediatrician had explained that, without a blood transfusion, the child would have died on Friday night or Saturday morning.

The judge apparently went to a lot of trouble to explain to the parents, whose names were not allowed be publicised, why he ordered the blood transfusion.

'Some people die because of this belief'

Juvenal Coelho, an elder at the Jehovah's Witnesses church in South End, Port Elizabeth, quoted various passages from the Bible that forbade the eating of blood in any form.

According to him, this included the intake of blood through a person's veins.

He said: "Some people die because of this belief, but we believe in a resurrection in God's new paradise.

"What happened will not be held against the parents or the child; it wasn't their decision."

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2354217,00.html

Witness 007

Good news save them from themselves....that Elder is an idiot!

Princess Daisy Boo

I hadn't heard about this... thanks for posting. Thank goodness our courts ordered the Blood Transfusion.

You have to wonder whether the parents would be secretly relieved at the court order - it takes the decision out of their hands and their "conscience" would be clear.

Rabbit

Good ! Another one does not bite the dust !

I'll bet the parents are relieved this descision was taken out of their hands.

mouthy

Glad to read that ......

10p

He emphasised that the parents did not oppose the application, but could not give consent themselves.

Who wants to see their child die over a stupid religuous rule? These parents thanked god that night that the court forced this on their child and saved his life. They prayed to Jehovah to thank him that the worldly rulers overruled his stupid rule and saved their boy's life. They probably didn't word it like that - but they couldn't help themselves but pray and thank Jehovah that their boy lived - and that is exactly the meaning of their prayer, whether they realise it or not. The irony is sickening. Thank Science and Medicine that the child lives!!!

fjtoth

These parents thanked god that night that the court forced this on their child and saved his life.

That may be true. But it will also be true that for the rest of their lives as JWs they will be begging God to forgive them for not doing more to prevent the transfusion, so ingrained is the nagging feeling of guilt that the WT Society instills in the rank and file where its man-made rules are violated. Also, for years to come they will continue to be held under suspicion and be viewed as bad examples by the elders, and they will no doubt be prohibited from participation in circuit assembly interviews, demonstrations and such, possibly being restricted in their own congregation from some so-called "privileges."

Frank

BluesBrother

He emphasised that the parents did not oppose the application, but could not give consent themselves.

We are seeing more and more statements like this in respect of younger Witnesses. They are saying to the authorities "Please do it, but we cannot sign to give agreement " so the Courts have no problem giving consent.

The older dubs attitude was, and still is in my experience, "Over my Dead body!"...They would recite the line about it being a violation like rape, they would even steal children away from hospitals at night to prevent it.

..The 'times they are a changin'"

kurtbethel

Remember, those who contrived this doctrine that has fooled so many people into murder and suicide have eternal BLOODGUILT. It will never go away.

justhuman

May God bless those Judges that saved the life of an infant to be sacrificed to WT's Blood Altar

South Africa Court Saves Baby's Life

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