dozy

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Posts by dozy

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  26

  Blood - current JW thinking...

  by dozy in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  a few observations from (indirectly) talking to a couple of hlc members who have recently attended meetings with his in brooklyn:.

  (1) any hope that the wts will further reform the blood policy is wide of the mark.

  the wts is very happy & settled with the current situation (whole blood + 4 components = nono everything else ok).

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  dozy

  Thanks for your replies. There is certainly a difference in culture between the UK & USA , probably because the USA health professionals are more “customer focused” and keen to meet the needs and requirements of patients whereas Britain has a centrally organised , publicly owned and funded NHS system which is more intent on protecting the vested interests of healthcare workers.

  The Canadian situation wouldn’t happen in Britain. In the UK , the protection of children was strengthened following the Victoria Climbie case (where a child was abused and eventually killed by her parents without intervention from social services or other agencies) - enshrined in the Childrens Act (2004). This provides an absolute right for surgeons to intervene and transfuse without requiring a court order (which can delay the process for several hours) - though this must be applied for following the procedure and the presumption under the Act is that the court will retrospectively uphold the decision without sanctions , providing at least 2 consultants agree.

  http://www.transfusionguidelines.org.uk/index.asp?Publication=BBT&Section=22&pageid=510

  (In practice , HLCs tell the parents not to insist on non-blood management , so I am not aware of any recent case where this has been required.)

  As some posters have noted , there is a dynamic within the WTS that feels that the WTS have gone too far in allowing Haemoglobin (which is 97% of RBC and not a fraction by any definition - the recent Awake reference clearly reflected unease at this admission) but not far enough in allowing storage of blood. HIS tend to be much more liberal in their attitudes (as they are on the front line) that GB / WTS leaders who are mainly elderly , childless and institutionalised.

  I understand that this was almost allowed among the Witnesses with a blood card that was revoked, by a last minute dissenting Governing Body vote that tipped the balance under the two-thirds majority vote required to approve the change.

  My sources confirm this and indicate intense disquiet amongst HIS that the GB , on what was by all indications a knife edge vote , vetoed a change allowing Jws to store their blood - allowing a continuation of the undefendable and illogical position that Jws can use fractions made from other peoples stored blood but not their own and can store blood during an operation but not before or afterward. Notably the WTS rarely makes any reference nowadays to the idea that “blood must be poured out” and HIS expects a revision to the storage policy when new younger members of the GB are appointed shortly.
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  26

  Blood - current JW thinking...

  by dozy in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  a few observations from (indirectly) talking to a couple of hlc members who have recently attended meetings with his in brooklyn:.

  (1) any hope that the wts will further reform the blood policy is wide of the mark.

  the wts is very happy & settled with the current situation (whole blood + 4 components = nono everything else ok).

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  dozy

  Hi Clam - I think it depends on the relationship the HLC has with individual hospitals. In the UK , there are 35 HLCs & I know that some are invited with open arms (and even phoned up by the hospitals & asked for printouts etc) whereas others are treated with suspicion. Some elders are quite obnoxious & demanding (I think you knew that already!) whereas some are actually very proficient , diligent & have build up a dialogue and even friendship with the surgeons & hospital authorities.

  I presume that the anti-D immunoglobulin for antenatal prophylaxis is regarded as a fraction (& hence allowable). Essentially , HIS are not bothered about the individual details - they happily dismiss anything that isn't whole blood or one of the "primary components" as acceptable. There is an element of the "don't make investigations of the food in a meat market" (I'm clumsily paraphrasing here) when it comes to what they regard as blood fractions , regardless of the source. They are concerned about the type of JW who blankly refuses everything & anything , but not to the extent of preventing individuals from initially taking this decision on their blood cards , hoping that interventions either prior to surgery or even on admission in the hospitals can usually change the patients mind.
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  26

  Blood - current JW thinking...

  by dozy in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  a few observations from (indirectly) talking to a couple of hlc members who have recently attended meetings with his in brooklyn:.

  (1) any hope that the wts will further reform the blood policy is wide of the mark.

  the wts is very happy & settled with the current situation (whole blood + 4 components = nono everything else ok).

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  dozy

  A few observations from (indirectly) talking to a couple of HLC members who have recently attended meetings with HIS in Brooklyn:

  (1) Any hope that the WTS will further reform the blood policy is wide of the mark. The WTS is very happy & settled with the current situation (whole blood + 4 “components” = NoNo everything else OK). All the GB & Don Adams & the other leaders are comfortable & signed up to the policy ( if anything , some feel that Jws have gone too far in allowing haemoglobin ).

  (2) HIS feel that Jws have “been vindicated” by the stand on blood - HIV , CJD , hepatitis etc. They feel that the HLC / HIS / PVG program has been an outstanding success in “informing & educating” the healthcare profession. They feel the trend towards “No Blood” medicine is unstoppable and that blood transfusions as we know will be rapidly phased out over the next decade.

  (3) Legally , HIS are confident that Jws have covered their asses. They have a non-spoken policy in place to allow minors to be transfused (the days of kidnapping kids from hospitals are long over).Any other liability is satisfied by the policy of Jws being told constantly that it is a conscience matter & the absolute right of a competent adult in most countries to decide his / her medical treatment. Virtually all lawsuits have been won or settled - there are very few “in the pipeline“ (the legal dept is focusing much more on child abuse cases , which are “a nightmare“.).

  (4) Rather than regarding the “stand on blood” as an “achilles heel” , the WTS figure that the policy is extremely positive. It differentiates Jws from all other religions as a unique doctrine - a USP , if you like. Any difficulties contribute towards a sense of martyrdom and persecution.

  My observations - there is no pressure on the WTS to reform - the medical profession has bailed them out. Ironically , they have become the perfect guinea pigs to develop a whole raft of alternatives. The R & F (other than the occasional family who has first hand experience of a family member who has died or suffered ) are completely compliant. I often hear many say that “this proves that we have the truth”. The attitude can be summed up by a brother who told me “I wish the WTS would simply tell us what we can take & what we can’t take. That would make it so much easier.”

  Dozy ZZZ zzz
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  4

  Guy raised JW gets blood and lives

  by Dogpatch in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  community blood center says supplies are low.

  by angie hutschreider.

  [email protected].

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  dozy

  I thought you couldn't donate blood once you had received blood?

  This is the case in the UK , because of CJD. In other countries , they will pretty much allow anyone to donate.
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  55

  Will Lack of Leadership Sink the JW Ship?

  by Seeker4 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i see serious problems with the leadership of the witnesses on two important levels: locally, in smaller bodies of elders with marginally qualified men carrying heavier workloads, and internationally in a lackluster and unimaginative governing body.

  there are no nathan knorrs, or fred or ray franz's in this pathetic group!

  first, the local elders: .

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  dozy

  A few random thoughts...

  At the "top" , I agree with other posters that the WTS lacks a charismatic , enthusiastic leader. At least Russell & Rutherford were business or legal people and had experience in running large organisations. All the current GB are placemen , chosen from a tiny pool of "anointed" individuals who have received their position by keeping their heads down & showing no initiative or enterprise whatsoever.The lack of any serious scholar in the upper echelons makes it very difficult to make any theological progress , or any dramatic change in WTS policy or doctrine. I suspect any project like the Insight book (itself virtually a cut and paste job from Franz's Aid book) would almost be impossible for the WTS now - all that they can produce is an increasingly number of dumbed down books and brochures. In the corporate world the Org would be sitting ducks for a takeover to change the sleepy management.

  I did hear at a KM school a few years ago that the number of elders in the UK had fallen back to the same level as it was in the mid 70's , so I guess that the "35% drop" figure is accurate here as well. Most elders are getting on a bit. More noticably , I attended a MS KM school day and was surprised to see so few young ones there - mainly it was the classic middle aged or elderly MS who has reached his natural level , as it were. Bear in mind that most new elders normally come from families of existing or former elders and they see the hassle & lifestyle firsthand and most decide that it isn't for them.
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  2

  KN Campaign - results

  by dozy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the uk feb km unusually contains the results of the kingdom news 37 & convention invitation campaigns (they don't normally make the information public).

  convention invitation - 515 slips returned , "over 60%" requesting bible studies.. kn37 (to end of nov , so somewhat incomplete) - 311 slips returned , 185 studies requested.. the report is spun so that "you will be delighted to learn the results" and "jehovah has clearly blessed your hard work".

  i can't help feeling that these results are very poor , though doubtless a devout jw would say that if only one study resulted , then that would be a fine result.

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  dozy

  The UK Feb KM unusually contains the results of the Kingdom News 37 & Convention invitation campaigns (they don't normally make the information public).

  Convention invitation - 515 slips returned , "over 60%" requesting bible studies.

  KN37 (to end of Nov , so somewhat incomplete) - 311 slips returned , 185 studies requested.

  The report is spun so that "You will be delighted to learn the results" and "Jehovah has clearly blessed your hard work".

  I can't help feeling that these results are very poor , though doubtless a devout JW would say that if only one study resulted , then that would be a fine result. A typical direct mail campaign would hope to elicit a 1% return at worst - presumably a leaflet drop where the leaflet was personally delivered to the householder would be higher. Assuming 10 million tracts were issued , this represents a 0.005% response rate. Put another way , if we assume that each tract cost 5p to produce & distribute (most of the expense falling on the publisher) , to generate each response cost £5000. No commercial company could afford this kind of feedback rate -the campiagn would be stopped immediately and the marketing staff would be sacked.

  In my experience , even the quoted response rate should be taken with a pinch of salt. I travelled 30 miles once to "follow up" a slip that had been posted to the WTS , only to find that it was done for a laugh by someone who had put his work colleagues name & address on a slip.

  Is it worth it? Clearly the WTS thinks so , having started a Memorial tract campaign. Perhaps also , they tacitly acknowledge that the prime purpose of the preaching work is to "keep the brothers together". In the same KM , there is a push to get 12,500 auxiliary pioneers in the spring , and the usual 90 year old sister is quoted as an example. I paraphrase - "I wanted to work in my garden , but I was encouraged to pioneer" , she declares. The result? "I felt so closer to my brothers or sisters". Not "I started loads of studies."
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  202

  CO/DO's in the UK?

  by pobthespazz in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  can anyone compile a list of as many as possible past and present co/do's from the uk?

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  dozy

  Couldn't resist joining in - though I'm not one for gossip , myself...

  Roddy Holy***ke is famous for his posh background - uni , middle class ways , gloves cos his hands are too soft etc - so he has struggled in the rather poor circuits that Bethel have (naughtily) assigned him - they are rough up north , you know...

  For one cong he checked out of his accommodation claiming that it was too untidy & checked into a local hotel & billed the cong at the end of the week (needless to say it didn't get paid & Bethel had to pick up the tab.) He also insisted on his letter to the congregation that any house must have a bath - one cong took the micky & gave him accom where the householder kept the coal there (like they do in those parts)! RH wasn't too impressed and didn't really see the funny side.
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  100

  2006 SERVICE REPORT - Feb 1, 2007 WT

  by Mary in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure if anyone's posted this yet, but here are the figures for the 2006 service report.

  i highlighted the countries that have either a "0" or negative growth in yellow and i highlighted key countries where the you would expect more growth......i tried looking for england's stats, but i couldn't see it.

  i looked under "england" and "united kingdom" but i can't see it.

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  dozy

  The UK is listed under Britain for the same reason as Eire is listed under Ireland - London Bethel is responsible for the island of Britain (England , Scotland & Wales) & the Dublin branch is responsible for the island of Ireland (ie including Northern Ireland). The WTS doesn't seemed to have recognised the 1922 partition.
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  14

  Supplement letter to Witchtower Babble study next Sunday 17th

  by hamsterbait in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at the end of today's witchtower, the elder taking it said that next weeks meeting was about appreciating and showing respect for the meetings, and that a letter with "guidelines" - no don't laugh - from the society about this would be read out.. is this why this week was all about being obedient drones and not questioning anything (except for the question "what does the wtbts currently teach on this for me to parrot robotically while maintaining a rictus smile of fake joy?").

  anybody see this letter yet?.

  hb.

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  dozy

  Anybody see this letter yet?

  Letter posted here - actually came in a couple of months ago. UK version - may differ from USA. Unusual to have a "supplementary" letter to a WT. edit - sorry it is so small - still haven't got the hang of converting images to JPEGs and then downloading them!
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  59

  2006 WorldWide Service Report

  by Midget-Sasquatch in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here it is scanned straight from the feb 1 2007 wt:.

  http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5103/rep01dc4.jpg.

  http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/3761/rep02xh5.jpg.

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  dozy

  As to why the number of reported "anointed" ones will never decrease - see the following post: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/123704/2187319/post.ashx#2187319 ( I did forecast an increase this year , by the way .) By definition , if the new anointed are to be explained away as replacements , then the figure can never increase (just as the number of players in a football team can never exceed 11 - any new players are merely substitutes for exisiting ones).

  The GB (privately) regard the new anointed as frauds (notice that they call them partakers , rather than anointed) , but cannot publicly declare this , or even bring out "new light" to stop any new anointed ones declaring themselves , as this would accelerate their own demise (as they need a new member or two every year anyway). To stem the flow , they will have to give an even stronger talk at this years memorial but it will have little effect.

  And yes - the memorial attendance is volatile - there tends to be a much greater attendance when it falls on a weekend rather than on a weekday.