An anointed received blood and was not df'ed.......1958

by BLISSISIGNORANCE 3 Replies latest watchtower medical

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  BLISSISIGNORANCE

  *** w58 8/1 p. 478 Questions from Readers ***

  Questions from Readers

  • One of Jehovah’s witnesses who claims to be of the anointed remnant recently went to the hospital and took a blood transfusion, voluntarily. Should she be allowed to partake of the emblems of bread and wine at Memorial time?—R. J., United States.

  We, of course, regret with you that this sister who professes to be one of the anointed remnant took a blood transfusion voluntarily during her stay in the hospital. We believe that she did the wrong thing contrary to the will of God. However, congregations have never been instructed to disfellowship those who voluntarily take blood transfusions or approve them. We let the judgment of such violators of God’s law concerning the sacredness of blood remain with Jehovah, the Supreme Judge. The only thing that can be done in the cases of individuals like this is to view them as immature and therefore not capable of taking on certain responsibilities, hence refusing to make certain assignments of service to such ones.

  Since an individual is not disfellowshiped because of having voluntarily taken a blood transfusion or having approved of a dear one’s accepting a blood transfusion, you have no right to bar this sister from the celebration of the Lord’s Evening Meal. As an anointed member of Christ’s body she is under orders and command by Christ Jesus to partake. Whether she is unfaithful as to what she professes to be by virtue of taking the emblems of the Lord’s Evening Meal is something for Jehovah God to determine himself. His judgment begins at the house of God. It is not for you or anyone serving the Memorial emblems to act as the judge, but to allow the emblems to go to anyone in the audience as these are passed along in the normal manner of letting each one have the opportunity to partake.

  They did change this policy in 1961 and started DFing ones who had voluntarily received blood.

  Shotgun provided this little gem in relation to my last thread about 'who really abstains from blood in the WTS'

  Very interesting don't you think.

  I believe sharing this kind of information with as many people as possible is very important. It has helped me feel resolved in my decision and it might do the same for others.

  Cheers, Bliss
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  sxybrwneyes

  Very interesting!
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  mizpah

  We should not be surprised by the changes in the Watchtower Society over the years. It takes time to build a policy in any organization. As the problems increase, rules are promoted and adopted to "solve" them. Eventually, the organization becomes far more rigid in its make up and far less pliable to allow individual choices.

  Sometimes it works in reverse. Years ago the Watchtower proscribed vaccinations. Many of the same arguments used by the Watchtower today to prohibit blood transfusions were used to justify its position on vacinations. I remember hearing of one sister who "sucked" out the vaccination of her child to prevent the "poisons" from entering his body. The truth of the matter was that some of the old timers who were in important positions in the Watchtower like Clayton Woodworth did not believe in the theory of germs. Probably their reasoning was the sickness and death were a result of sin not germs. This prohibition was dropped in the administration of Nathan Knorr.

  Even the position on disfellowshipping vascillated over the years. There was a period of time when a disfellowshipped person could have normal association with his JW relatives provided they did not discuss "spiritual things." But when the Governing Body became paranoid over the alleged defection of high ranking people at the headquarters, the Society clamped down and tightened up its rules. And this situation continues to this day.
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  ignorance is strength

  Didn't the WT publish new light (perhaps not officially, maybe only to the elders) saying that the "annointed class" could be replaced? Maybe they didn't have it back then.