by jamiebowers 11 Replies latest watchtower medical
Julia is a Jehovah's Witness and cannot donate or receive blood. She says this has led to misconceptions that Witnesses cannot donate organs. But she said the kidney was drained of blood for
transplant, so that it was clean for the recipient.
Now, I wonder where that "misconception" came from!
http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/Wife-saves-husband-with-kidney.5966842.jp
Julia is apparently a new JW, has a poor memory, or poor ability to research her own directives from the Watchtower.
*** w67 11/15 p. 703 Questions From Readers ***
Our bodies are the creation of Jehovah God. (Ps. 100:3; 95:6; Job 10:8) Christians might allow apparently necessary surgery to be performed, such as to remove a diseased limb, but they do not needlessly mutilate their bodies created by Jehovah. Would allowing a body to be mutilated after death be showing respect for and appreciation of God’s creation? True, in some instances there may be legal requirements that Christians abide by, such as when the law requires a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death. (Rom. 13:1, 7; Mark 12:17) In such cases the next of kin can usually request that the organs not be removed for transplant or reuse. In this way, even though an autopsy might be required, the Christian can prevent misuse of the body of a loved one. But when such laws do not apply, the Christian can decide in such a way as to avoid unnecessary mutilation and any possible misuse of the body. Thus he will be able to have a clear conscience before God.--1 Pet. 3:16.
It should be evident from this discussion that Christians who have been enlightened by God’s Word do not need to make these decisions simply on the basis of personal whim or emotion. They can consider the divine principles recorded in the Scriptures and use these in making personal decisions as they look to God for direction, trusting him and putting their confidence in the future that he has in store for those who love him.
*** w69 11/15 p. 701 Appreciating Jehovah’s Protection ***
The day before surgery was due the chairman of the kidney transplant team came in and asked if I would agree to making the kidney I was relinquishing available to a young patient whose kidneys had failed. It appears that though the artery leading to my kidney was not functioning, the kidney itself was in good shape. The doctor was keen to have my kidney, but I explained to him that as one of Jehovah’s witnesses I must abide by what God’s law indicates in such a matter. I told him he would get a frank and thorough answer to his inquiry after we had had a family discussion of God’s Word on the issue.
Later that day we informed him of our Biblical position with respect to human flesh and its use and quoted the relevant passages of God’s Word. He asked if I could retain a good conscience after denying my kidney to his young patient. In reply I pointed out that my kidney was not mine to give, and must be used in harmony with the will of the One who created it. And he was compelled to admit that even with the kidney he could not guarantee the survival of his patient. I pointed out that future life through the promised resurrection for myself and his young patient depended upon our obedience to God’s principles as set out in the Holy Scriptures.
Len
Hilarious. 30 years ago they'd have both been disfellowshipped for that.
Anyone recall the exact year the idiotic, man-made rule was changed?
It was reversed in 1980.
Donny
Isn't it funny how easy it is to say you are basing your decisons on "Gods Law" when in reality you are basing it on the Governing Body's law. There was nothing remotely based on Gods Law that prohibited a transplant.
Donny
Thanks for that year. Big help in tracking it down. It was specifically the 3/15/1980 WT, Questions From Readers:
"Should congregation action be taken if a baptized Christian accepts a human organ transplant, such as of a cornea or a kidney?
Regarding the transplantation of human tissue or bone from one human to another, this is a matter for conscientious decision by each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some Christians might feel that taking into their bodies any tissue or body part from another human is cannibalistic. They might hold that the transplanted human material is intended to become part of the recipient’s body to keep him alive and functioning. They might not see it as fundamentally different from consuming flesh through the mouth. Such feelings may arise from considering that God did not make specific provision for man to eat the flesh of his fellowman when he made provision for humans to eat the flesh of animals that had been drained of their life-sustaining blood. They may give consideration also to the way people in Bible times viewed sustaining themselves by taking in human flesh. For example, see the account at 2 Kings 6:24-30; Deuteronomy 28:53-57; Lamentations 2:20 and 4:10. At John 6:48-66, Jesus spoke figuratively of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. On hearing this discussion and not perceiving the spiritual significance of his words, some of his Jewish disciples were shocked and turned from following him. These accounts illustrate how some humans felt about eating human flesh.
Other sincere Christians today may feel that the Bible does not definitely rule out medical transplants of human organs. They may reason that in some cases the human material is not expected to become a permanent part of the recipient’s body. Body cells are said to be replaced about every seven years, and this would be true of any human body parts that would be transplanted. It may be argued, too, that organ transplants are different from cannibalism since the “donor” is not killed to supply food. In some cases persons nearing death actually have willed body parts to be used for transplants. Of course, if a transplant should require taking in another person’s blood, undeniably that would be contrary to God’s command.—Acts 15:19, 20.
Clearly, personal views and conscientious feelings vary on this issue of transplantation. It is well known that the use of human materials for human consumption varies all the way from minor items, such as hormones and corneas, to major organs, such as kidneys and hearts. While the Bible specifically forbids consuming blood, there is no Biblical command pointedly forbidding the taking in of other human tissue. For this reason, each individual faced with making a decision on this matter should carefully and prayerfully weigh matters and then decide conscientiously what he or she could or could not do before God. It is a matter for personal decision. (Gal. 6:5) The congregation judicial committee would not take disciplinary action if someone accepted an organ transplant."
WT 04 10/1 p5
"Through his prophet Malachi, God declared: “I am Jehovah; I have not changed.” (Malachi 3:6) "
If Jehovah does not change, why do those who claim to be his witnesses keep changing??
Indeed!
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
The warning in the very next verse is clear, shame the JWs never heed it and follow all constantly changing WT teachings.
9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings
Blessings,
Stephen
Nothing like watching as your loved one gives his/her life for a outdated "Law" .
Oh yeah, we forgot to tell you, it's OK to (insert their law here).....now. Sorry we didn't tell you before your husband/wife/child/parent refused that treatment..
.
After reading this post I did some research and found this article..It talks about the way the WTBTS used to teach about Transplants and how they view it now.
http://governingbodyletters.blogspot.com/2008/04/organ-transplants-were-once-forbidden.html
In reading the article I started wondering about Cremation..it talks about letting mediclal people butcher the body after death and wondered if possibly Cremation after death would fall under this catagory? What do you think?
I know a few JW's that were cremated..
Snoozy..
