Why does the Society "go beyond what is written" re blood?

by Waymores Ghost 22 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  Gordy

  Jehovah told Israel to not EAT blood. Blood transfusion was not an issue back then but respect for life was which was represented by the blood.

  Millions of people also live because they have had a blood transfusion.

  No medical procedure is 100% safe. Even just going into hospital is a risk, what with MRSA virus around.

  Most surgery does not use whole blood but components of blood many of which are allowed for JW's.

  JW's always bring the Pope into the argument what has he got to do with it, was he the only person that year to have a blood transfusion.

  Yes a little research and common sense would show that the JW doctrine on blood is totally unscriptural.

  I was a JW for 30 years I saw the teaching change from a complete ban on anything blood to, now you can have this fraction or that component.

  Also its laughable that one of the "alternatives" a JW is allowed is made from cows blood.

  Watchtower policy now permits the use of all these blood components.

  What is forbidden?

  This is a complex question. As you may know the WTS still prohibits whole blood and certain blood components namely, red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma. But here is the key: they allow everything inside of these components to be used.

  If you discount the membranes of the red cells, white cells and platelets, they are allowing somewhere between 97 and 98% of the blood. However, the membrane is stroma (protein/enzyme) and as a fraction it too would be permitted. So technically the WTS permits 100% of the blood in fractionated form.

  Here is an analogy: It's like saying, "see that truck over there, it's stolen and you can't buy it but if someone dismantles it, it's not a truck anymore, it's truck parts and you can buy what you want. However, the engine, the transmission, the radio and the disc brakes are special. They are the 'primary' components of the truck (i.e. the red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma). You can't have these 'primary' components unless you first completely dismantle them. If you do that you can buy them too."

  Just how accurate is this analogy? Consider this: Red blood cells are prohibited by the Watchtower Society. What is a red blood cell? Nothing more than a donut shaped miniature bag of hemoglobin. Broken down by dry weight, the red cell is 97% hemoglobin and 3% bag (membrane). To permit hemoglobin and ban red cells is the equivalent of saying to someone, "see those bags of groceries over there? You can take the food from the bags, but I will report you to the police if you actually take the groceries with the bags."

  The Watchtower Society's blood policy has swiftly mutated into a deadly shell game. The policy aims to permit artificial blood (hemoglobin solutions like HemoPure and PolyHeme). While the leadership waits for the new blood products to hit the market, members continue to reject medically necessary transfusions of red cells and discontinue their chemotherapy treatments when platelet transfusions are needed even though platelets comprise less than 1/5 of 1% of blood volume. The average Jehovah's Witness has no realization of what is taking place.

  www.ajwrb.org
• 

  tabarugonzo

  Satans little helper,

  I think that your username says a lot about you and your opinions and where they originate. And yes it was widely transmitted by transfusions. Probably not the most but it was and still is transmitted that way. Yes even to this day it is still not %100 safe because our technology cannot keep up the mystery of our blood. Even though God said do not EAT the blood, he also said to ABSTAIN from it. Now when you abstain from something that does not mean that you try to find another way to put it into your body. If you ABSTAIN from drinking alcohol does that mean that you can inject it into your veins? I don't think so. Why is it that when you drink alcohol, you can also find the alcohol in your blood? Does it not also work in the opposite way? Does the blood not feed your stomach? What happens when you have an ulcer? Does not the blood enter your stomach? When you talk about ignorance I think it is best that you start with your own because you really have no knowledge about the bible or of your own body. God warned us to ABSTAIN from blood, not to find another way to put it into your body.
• 

  Leolaia

  Are you a vegetarian? Or do you prepare your red meat kosher-style, leeching it with salt or whatever? If you just grill steak from the store without taking kosher-type precautions, you are guilty of eating blood -- especially if it is not broiled to well-done. There's blood in ground beef, liver is loaded with blood (so watch those hot dogs), and stew, chili, and pasta sauce with meat are definitely non-kosher if the drippings form part of the sauce/stew. I grew up in the Witnesses eating blood all the time, not realizing it -- how many of those refusing transfusions enjoy a nice juicy steak?
• 

  TD

  tabarugonzo,

  Even though God said do not EAT the blood, he also said to ABSTAIN from it.

  Surely you are aware that grammatically there is no such thing as negation of an object. Only action can be negated. Ergo, we don?t abstain from objects in and of themselves, we abstain from acts done in connection with these objects. In the case of the blood abstention, the act in question is eating.

  Your attempt to present the blood abstention as an enlargement on the prohibiton against eating blood is misguided.

  Now when you abstain from something that does not mean that you try to find another way to put it into your body.

  You are equivocating here. Equivalency is not established by referring to two acts in terms generic enough to include both. Are drinking and drowning equivalents because they both fall into the general category of taking in water? Are marital sex and adultery equivalents because they both fall into the general category of sex?

  Why then would you imply that consumption and transfusion are equivalent in the absence of anything resembling proof and on no other bases than that you can describe them both "as put[ting] it into your body?"

  If you ABSTAIN from drinking alcohol does that mean that you can inject it into your veins? I don't think so.

  Your analogy fails because blood is not a simple compound like alcohol, blood is living tissue.

  A closer parallel would be to ask if you were to ABSTAIN from eating meat does that mean that you can accept an organ transplant. Do you really believe the two are analogous?

  Why is it that when you drink alcohol, you can also find the alcohol in your blood?

  Because simple compounds like alcohol don?t need to be broken down by the digestive system before they may enter the circulatory system . They can pass directly through the stomach wall.

  Does it not also work in the opposite way?

  Does the blood not feed your stomach? What happens when you have an ulcer? Does not the blood enter your stomach?

  Yes, a peptic ulcer can bleed into the stomach or duodenum where the blood will be lost through digestion. What does this have to do with transfusion?

  When you talk about ignorance I think it is best that you start with your own because you really have no knowledge about the bible or of your own body. God warned us to ABSTAIN from blood, not to find another way to put it into your body.

  I think a little self examination may be in order
• 

  Sam Beli

  Well said TD.

  However, in this instance:

  They can pass directly through the stomach wall

  Technically, I think it would be better to say "intestinal wall."

  Sam
• 

  TD

  Hi Sam,

  You're right, about 20% of alchohol absorbtion is through the stomach and the majority, about 80% is through the small intestine.

  My point was that alcohol can pass through the stomach wall. Because of its complete miscibility with water, ethyl alcohol will cross any biological membrane, including the skin. Even inhalation of alcohol vapor will result in absorption across the pulmonary epithelium. Inhalation chambers are actually the preferred method of administering alcohol to test animals.

  Tom
• 

  fearnotruth22

  They are stuck
• 

  jwsons

  Actually, Jehovah did allow Blood Transfusion between two persons, identical-twin babies. Read HEREt

  And Jehovah's Witnesses also allow baby sucking a lot of white cells (one of 4 "main factors" are still prohibited by WTS) in "colostrum, a yellowish fluid" from breast-feeding mother. Read the Watchtower Society's book "Making Your Family Life Happy," page 81), quote below:

  21

  Will you breast-feed your baby? There are many advantages to both you and your baby. Mother?s milk is the perfect food for infants. It is easy to digest, and it protects against infection, intestinal disorders and respiratory problems. For the first few days the breasts secrete colostrum, a yellowish fluid especially good for infants because (1) it is low in fats and carbohydrates and hence easier to digest, (2) it is richer in immunity factors than the mother?s milk that will come in a few days, and (3) it has a slightly laxative effect that helps clear out the cells, mucus and bile that collected in the infant?s bowels before birth.

  22

  Breast-feeding benefits the mother. It reduces bleeding in the mother because the baby?s sucking stimulates the uterus to contract. The sucking also stimulates the breasts to produce more milk, and mothers who feared they could not produce enough milk discover that there is no shortage. Regular breast-feeding in some cases postpones the resumption of ovulation and the menstrual cycle, and to that extent tends to be a natural contraceptive. The American Cancer Society says that "mothers who breast feed show less cases of cancer of the breast." Breast-feeding also benefits the family budget!CHILD DEVELOPMENT?HOW WILL YOU AIM THE ARROW?

  23

  "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one?s youth. How happy is the man

  I just wonder if tabarugonzo drinks fresh milk from cow or not, for fresh milk selling at supermarket full of white cells too, FDA allow 1,000 units per bottle I think (?) . If he /or she drink milk and hasn't know about it yet, better go to Confession Room (small room at the back of Kingdom Hall) to confess with "Judicial Committe" straight away, otherwise he/ or she can loose "The Gift of Everlasting Life"

  jwsons
• 

  tabarugonzo

  This is one of stupidest things that I have ever heard. You people really have no concept of the bible and it really shows because you would sit here and spend all day on this site and curse it. You people hate us so much that you would even take the time and build a website against us. What does that say about you people? This reminds me of what the apostle Paul wrote in Acts 20:28-30 Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to sheperd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own son. I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from AMONG YOU YOURSELVES MEN WILL RISE AND SPEAK TWISTED THINGS TO DRAW AWAY THE DISCIPLES AFTER THEMSELVES.

  Most of the people on this site are ex-witnesses and therefore they represent the part FROM AMONG YOU YOURSELVES. Gods own people turn against his word. Why? Only YOU YOURSELVES know the answer to that.

  Also in Hebrews 6:4-8 For it is impossible as regards those who have once all been enlightened, and who have tasted the heavenly free gift, and who have become partakers of holy spirit, and who have tasted the fine word of God and powers of the coming system of things, but who have fallen away, to revive them again to repentance, because they impale the Son of God afresh for themselves and expose him to public shame. For example, the ground that drinks in the rain which often comes upon it, and that then brings forth vegetation suitable to those for whom it is also cultivated, receives in return a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns an thistles, it is rejected and is near to being cursed; and it ends up with being burned.

  Your negativety only gives me strength and more faith.

  As far as breast feeding. Have you ever read the bible? Jesus himself approved of breastfeeding frequently. You have no concept of what you are talking about and it is pretty sad to see you try. It is like saying everytime you eat a protein bar that you are eating blood because protein is also found in the blood. I will pray for you and hope that you can be saved from your own insanity.
• 

  Satans little helper

  Tab, I will pray that the voices in your head will one day talk some sense

  "ears that cannot hear, and eyes that cannot see"