Actually, my mom just said something like that to me, because I missed last week's meeting. In my own account of our conversation, here's what happened:
"I had an interesting discussion with Mom about the blood issue. I mentioned to her that plasma, one of the forbidden primary components of blood, is 90% water. "But the rest is blood," Mom said, after being very quiet for a few moments. "The rest is blood." This statement is a sad reflection of how ignorant the average Witness is about blood. And it's troubling because her life is involved here--7,000,000 lives are involved. But we don't even understand the decisions we are making. I'd like to research this matter. Mom's clearly absurd response begs the obvious question, how could plasam, one of the four primary components of blood, be 90% water and 10% blood? Our own literature says it makes up 55% of blood. That being said, we could safely say that most of our blood is actually water. And as we break that down further, we start to realize that the other components aren't really blood, either--they're just parts of what blood is made of. Of course, without proper, independent research, we cannot verify this. Given the seriousness of this matter, it would be poor judgment to leave this subject in the hands of the Governing Body--they can't even explain the Scriptures correctly, so how dare they venture into the realm of medicine? Knowledge is power, and we need to be "presumptuous" and acquire more knowledge than the "slave class" will give us."
Of course, my candor about my mother's statement being "absurd" is in no way meant as an attack on her person. She just isn't informed. And in fact, neither am I, for that matter. My reasoning here is based purely on statements made in Keep Yourselves in God's Love, in the appendix. Now that I can think for myself, I understand a lot more clearly why our stand on blood is illogical. To receive an IV with water is to receive 90% of plasma--90% of what is forbidden! So how can the other 10% of plasma be classed as a serious sin against God warranting expulsion, just because you happen to take the water + the proteins and etc.? It sounds more like a case of Pharisaic reasoning.
It reminds me of a Watchtower study article from sometime ago, where the Society speaks ill of the Pharisees' concocting rules on exactly what constituted 'work' on the Sabbath. Remember that violating the Sabbath carried the death penalty under the Law. So the Society, exercising DOUBLETHINK once again, can simultaneously condemn the Pharisees for building a fence around the Law while deciding for millions of people what is 'still blood' or 'life-sustaining' and what is not. Water is surely life-sustaining, so why not just forbid the IV, too? It's 90% of plasma! Oh, right, people might think we were nuts or in some kind of a cult if we did something like that...
So then, I suppose were Jesus in a local Kingdom Hall, or at the Hospital Liaison Committee, standing over a dying patient, he would be asked, "Teacher, is it lawful to use blood components to save a life?" I wonder what he would place greater value on. As the one who created life, who understands the science of blood and its medical uses, what would he say? I'm inclined to believe he would allow some leniency in this regard and be grieved that people would prefer to send even children to their deaths rather than violate their own personal interpretation of scripture.
I may be wrong. But one thing I found, in little echoes in my mind, years before I started questioning everything, was that the Jesus in the New Testament--and in fact Christianity itself--seemed quite different from the way Jehovah's Witnesses operate. I always ignored those little thoughts. Now I don't have to anymore.
This is my second topic so far, and I know it probably isn't saying anything new. I just thought I might share my thoughts with you all. I have been pleased with the kindness and welcome I have thus far received on the message boards. Thank you. I will do my best to respect the thoughts and feelings of others here. Take care.
Small Along the Watchtower,
SD-7