Watchtower November 2014: Witnesses can't donate blood

by opusdei1972 25 Replies latest watchtower medical

  • opusdei1972
    opusdei1972

    Let us read a recent Watchtower publication:

    Many medical professionals and other advocates of blood transfusion appeal to people to donate blood in hopes of saving lives. However, Jehovah’s holy people acknowledge that the Creator has the right to say how blood is to be treated. To him, “any sort of blood” is sacred. We must be determined to obey his law on blood. By our holy conduct, we prove to him that we deeply appreciate the lifesaving power of Jesus’ blood —the only blood that makes possible the forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.—John 3:16. (The Watchtower November 2014, Study Edition, article: "Why We Must Be Holy", paragraph 15)

    So, it is clear that the Governing Body is taking a firm position on the blood ban again. However, if "any sort of blood" is sacred, how can the governing body let Witnesses to accept blood fractions of "the four primary components" coming from donors who are not Witnesses?. But by the above words the governing body is suggesting that it is better to reject all blood. Now note the contradiction by reading a past publication:

    Jehovah’s Witnesses hold that accepting whole blood or any of those four primary components violates God’s law....... However, since blood can be processed beyond those primary components, questions arise about fractions derived from the primary blood components......when it comes to fractions of any of the primary components, each Christian, after careful and prayerful meditation, must conscientiously decide for himself. (Question From Readers , w04 6/15 pp. 29-31 )

  • opusdei1972
    opusdei1972

    The GB says that "any sort of blood" is sacred, but how can they prove that a red cell is still blood and albumin is not?. We know that Witnesses are permitted to use albumin, which is in Plasma.

  • alanv
    alanv

    So they can accept parts of blood, but cannot donate so that witnesses can benifit from those parts. Mad!

  • sir82
    sir82

    So they've decided to fully own their hypocrisy by expressing it in print? Awesome.

    For example: Factor VIII is approved for use by JWs. Where does Factor VIII come from?

    it takes about 9000 kilograms of whole blood to make one 0.1 gram dose of Factor VIII. A person suffering from severe hemophilia typically requires several doses a year.

    More than 250,000 blood donations are required annually to produce the factor VIII, and factor IX that is consumed by the Jehovah’s Witness community. Huge vats could be filled with all of the human blood that is stored and processed to meet the needs of Witness Hemophiliacs.

    Source: http://ajwrb.org/watchtower-approved-blood-transfusions

  • Londo111
    Londo111

    I was surprised…I thought they were trying to quietly pocket this teaching.

    For any JWs researching this life and death matter:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWNlyyM32ts&list=UUnXY0-N67N4a5a8eKbar-iw

  • AndDontCallMeShirley
    AndDontCallMeShirley

    how can the governing body let Witnesses to accept blood fractions of "the four primary components" coming from donors who are not Witnesses?

    Because WT is the epitome of hypocrisy, and it has no problem teaching JWs to take from this world without ever giving back.

  • moomanchu
    moomanchu

    Acts 20:35

    35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

    What does Jesus know?

    Just take the blood fractions, they are all going to be destroyed anyway.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    Shirley - "Because WT is the epitome of hypocrisy, and it has no problem teaching JWs to take from this world without ever giving back."

    Sounds about right.

  • respectful_observer
    respectful_observer

    I was surprised…I thought they were trying to quietly pocket this teaching.

    So did I. As I read it, I was thinking it seemed even more strongly worded than usual, and that perhaps they might start backtracking on some of the (currently) "optional" blood derivitives in the future.

  • TD
    TD

    I'm not sure if, "Any sort of blood" would rule out apheresis donation, because they don't consider those fractions to actually be blood. (Despite what they've said in the past - LOL)

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