Just a quick point - it may already have been covered. If so, sorry - I am new here.
If JWs can now take blood components, where do they think the components come from? Don't they realise that someone has had to lie on a hospital bed for an hour or so whilst a pint of blood is taken from them? ("A pint! That's nearly a armful!" Tony Hancock) Even if they take one tiny, weeny blood fraction, someone has had to donate a pint of blood in order for them to have this fraction. If they are not willing to give blood, and in fact think it is wrong to do so, they should not benefit from the fact that someone else has donated blood. Either you take blood (in which case, you MUST donate it, no matter how small a fraction you take) or you refuse to take it. You can't have it both ways.
The irony with regard to blood fractions is that the amount needed to produce a single dose of a blood fraction requires a huge number of donors.
I have administered clotting factors to patients with vonWillebrand's disease and hemophilia, and the package insert states specifically that the factors are derived from large pools of donor blood.
Think about it: if the WTS compares the forced transfusion of a single unit of blood to RAPE, and the willing acceptance of a blood transfusion to FORNICATION or ADULTERY, then you have to follow through with the "logic" when you're talking about blood fractions, right?? If blood fractions are derived from large pools of donor blood, then it's like participating in an ORGY. Yet, the WTS says this is OK.
Does this make sense?? Of course not. But then again, since when did "Watchtower logic" ever make sense??
Exactly!! But that's the spirit of JW's toward this world -- all TAKING no GIVING. What a bunch of leeches. (The same principle applies for police protection and defense of the nation, they're plenty willing to receive these benefits but would not ever participate in providing them.... They are either blind or disgustingly hypocritical.)
Very interesting point. The Tony Hancock "armful" was funny :) I expect that you must be from the UK also?
We had a meeting with a couple of elders seven weeks ago, and this blood fraction issue was discussed. Our son said to them "what part of blood isn't sacred then ?"
They couldn't give a reply to that, after all the bible does not distinguish between the fractions making up the blood, does it.
Your comment was read with great interest. I am rhesus negative blood group, and when my youngest son was born, he was affected by the antibodies in my blood, although he thankfully, came through it all (they used the blue lamp treatment for him) . I was asked by the Hospital, if I would be willing to give some of my blood, in order for them to make a serum for other mothers in the same predicament. I felt that I couldn't give my blood, and wondered if any witnesses had at some time or other had accepted the serum for this treatment, not realising that some-one, some-where has to donate blood to enable this treatment to happen.
Please, please twink, give your blood so that your antibodies can be harvested and prepared as RhoGam.
There was a RhoGam shortage in the U.S.A. in the mid 90's because of the success of RhoGam. ; There are very few women who have antibodies to the Rh factor. ; Rhogam is made from women who are "sensitized" or has developed the antibodies to Rh+ blood. Since Rhogam was developed in the late 50-early 60's the amount of babies who were effected by their mother's blood attacking their red blood cells (hydrops) has dropped significantly. ; But the down side is that there are very few women, less than 1% of the pregnant population, that develop those antibodies now.
I'm glad your baby pulled through the early days of its life, while the doctors watched the billiruben level rise, but your blood would help so many other babies if you donate it.
j2bf
(this public service announcement was brought to you by the medical community concerned for the future babies of Rh- moms)
Thank you for your comments, I realise the potential good that could come from this action, but I still am not sure about the whole blood thing (scripturally) even though the JWs have totally changed their thinking on the matter.
By the way, my baby is 20 years old now, so I don't know if I still have the antibodies ?
