A few weeks ago, J.R. Brown, director of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah’s Witnesses was interviewed on KTAR, a Phoenix area radio station. After listening to an audio tape of the interview given to me by a friend in the area, I thought some of you might find the following example of Brown’s forthrightness interesting.
McMahon: We’re looking at the Jehovah’s Witnesses, uh with the help of its national spokesperson J. R. Brown, ah, the Jehovah’s Witness office, the director of offices--- the Office of Public Information in Brooklyn, New York and there’s so many things to talk about particularly clearing up some areas of confusion, uh curiosity. For example, the Jehovah’s Witness position on transfusion, I never did understand that.
Brown: Well, that’s something that many may not understand, but it’s a personal conviction that we have and it has biblical support in that the Bible makes very clear that, uh God’s law regarding blood, uh, that blood removed from, uh the body is to be poured out or disposed of. Now that’s something that goes all the way back to where Noah and his family came out of the Ark. Genesis chapter seven there God allows them to eat uh the vegetation and he says they could then eat the animals, but He specified right then, only do not eat its soul, its blood it was restricted. Later when He developed the relation with the nation of Israel, He repeated this that they could eat the, ah animals but animals had to be drained of ah their blood. Later in Christian time in the book of Acts when it came up whether this was something uh Christians would continue to follow, there in chapter fifteen it says do not eat the blood.
McMahon: But what about my baby who has, uh a serious medical problem and the doctor says the only way that we can save him is with a transfusion?
Brown: Well, that does not hold up under uhhhh examination. All the doctors may say that, but you see we have found doctors willing to do surgery using alternatives to blood transfusion. Uhh that’s confirmed here and in other parts of, ah the world, we’ve published information on it, we have a current series of three videos that ah, wuh, has a number of doctors they go on record that they do bloodless surgery. So we can be accommodated. So we do not feel well here you’ re giving up your life or that of your child if you do not take blood transfusions. There are alternatives and there are many doctors during these surgical procedures without blood. We have a number of bloodless centers right in this country though Jehovah’s Witnesses know where their religious wishes will be respected. And Pat, I want to emphasize that. Our objection is not medical and all the other areas. Our objection to blood is scriptural, it’s a religious conviction, we follow what those scriptures say on not eating blood.
The non-medical audience at this point has been very much misled.
Can anyone spot how it was done?