Organ and tissue transplants are acceptible:
"The Witnesses do not feel that the Bible comments direction on organ transplants; hence, decisions regarding cornea, kidney, or other tissue transplants must be made by the individual Witness." 鈥擧ow Can Blood Save Your Life?, 1999, p. 28
Blood is an organ of the body and a blood transfusion is nothing less than an organ transplant:
"When doctors transplant a heart, a liver, or another organ, the recipient's immune system may sense the foreign tissue and reject it. Yet, a transfusion is a tissue transplant. Even blood that has been 'properly' cross matched can suppress the immune system." 鈥擧ow Can Blood Save Your Life?, 1999, p. 8
If blood is an 鈥渙rgan鈥?of the body and 鈥渘othing less鈥?than a 鈥渢issue transplant鈥? which Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses accept, why do you still reject blood transfusions?
鈥淲itnesses refuse transfusions of whole blood or of any of its four primary components.鈥?鈥擳he Watchtower, June 15, 2004, p. 22 BUT...DID YOU KNOW:
"Today, most transfusions are not of whole blood but of one of its primary components: (1) red cells; (2) white cells; (3) platelets; (4) plasma (serum), the fluid part....Jehovah's Witnesses hold that accepting whole blood or any of those four primary components violates God's law."鈥擳he Watchtower, June 15, 2000, p. 29
Why then are Jehovah's Witnesses told that all of the components that make up blood plasma are acceptable to take 鈥攅ven though whole plasma transfusions are not?
"The Main Components of Blood - Plasma: about 55 percent of the blood. It is 92 percent water; the rest is made up of complex proteins, such as globulins, fibrinogens, and albumin."鈥擜wake!, October 22, 1990, p. 1
"Witnesses' religious understanding does not absolutely prohibit the use of components such as albumin, immune globulins, and hemophiliac preparations."鈥擧ow Can Blood Save Your Life?, 1999, p. 27 Jehovah's Witnesses are primarily interested in what God's Word says about respect for blood. The bible teaches respect for blood which is more elevated than that required for any other bodily tissue.
It is sad when those who have theological differences with the Witnesses actively work to spread misinformation about their beliefs. The fact is that Jehovah's Witnesses have hundreds of hospital liaison committees around the globe to help advance nonblood medical management technologies and awareness in the medical community.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the scriptures demonstrate a clear pattern indicating the sacredness with which Jehovah God (and thus god-fearing humankind) views all creature blood.
Predates Mosaic Law.
For example, over a thousand years before the birth of Moses, the pre-Israel, pre-Jewish, pre-Hebrew man Noah received what the scriptures record as only the second restrictive command on humans (after Garden of Eden's tree):
"Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it [that is, lifeblood] and of man" (Genesis 9:3-5)
Jewish Law.
Later, God's feeling regarding blood was codified into the Mosaic Law. This part of the Law dealing with blood was unique in that it applied, not just to Israel, but also to non-Jewish foreigners among them. It's also interesting that besides forbidding the consumption of blood, the Law also mandated that it be 'poured out on the ground', not used for any purpose.
"No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. Any man also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust." (Lev 17:12,13)
By comparison, it's significant that the Law also forbid the consumption of ceremonial animal fat, but that didn't apply to non-Jewish foreigners and it DID allow the fat to be used for other purposes.
"The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, You shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. The fat of an animal that dies of itself, and the fat of one that is torn by beasts, may be put to any other use" (Lev 7:22-24)
Early Christian era.
The Christian era ended the validity of the Mosaic Law, but remember that the restriction on eating blood preceded the Mosaic Law by over a thousand years. Still, does the New Testament indicate that Jehovah God changed his view of blood's sacredness?
"[God] freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses" (Eph 1:6,7)
"[God's] beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins... and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood" (Colossians 1:13-20)
"we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood." (Acts 15:19,20)
"For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity." Acts 15:28,29
Modern times
Some will claim that the bible's command to "abstain" from blood only applies to eating it, and does not apply to the use of blood for other purpose. If that form of respect for blood were common among Christendom, one might wonder then why so many (who ostensibly follow the book of Acts) so happily eat their blood sausage and blood pudding if they truly respect blood according to some limited understanding of Acts 15:20,29. In fact, respect for blood and for Acts and for the Scriptures themselves is too rare among even supposedly god-fearing persons.
An honest review of the Scriptural pattern over the millenia from Noah to the Apostle Paul teaches humans that blood is to be used for a single purpose: acknowledging the Almighty. Otherwise, for centuries the instruction was to simply dispose of it; 'poor it upon the ground'. When Jehovah's Witnesses pursue non-blood medical management, they are working to honor and obey their Creator.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/hb/
Short Videos
http://watchtower.org/e/vcnb/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcnb_e.ht...
http://watchtower.org/e/vcnr/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcnr_e.ht...
http://watchtower.org/e/vcae/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcae_e.ht...
http://jw-media.org/vnr/2253636331/73435... You , in an edit, said we take components, but not whole blood. That is not true.
We do not accept whole blood OR any component of blood.
Each individual JW must make a decision as to whether or not they will accept a fraction of a component (fractions make up the components).
EDIT:
This is from you...
Why then are Jehovah's Witnesses told that all of the components that make up blood plasma are acceptable to take 鈥攅ven though whole plasma transfusions are not?
You yourself said we feel it's OK, that components are OK to take. You need to get back to the drawing board.
Stop pasting and copying from apostate sites, ask the Witnesses for the literature in question and read it for yourself. Almighty God gave us our body filled with life. He breathed the breath of life into Adam and Adam came alive. We should sustain life as God gave Adam and Eve life. God did the first operation. God took Adam's rib bone and created Eve to give her LIFE. Do you know in the bone there's marrow. In the marrow there is many red blood cells and many white blood cells. When God took Adam's bone, and made Eve, he took some life out of Adam and gave it to Eve. In that we should COPY as what God did for another human being. By that first operation, God showed that we should "sustain life and not take away life."
UPDATE: Someone on this page is *guilty* of total *BLASPHEME*. short answer, YES we do understand what is in the magazines.
the BIG question, though, jeremy, is do YOU understand what is in your BIBLE?
you really need to get a study going. i wrote you privately, so feel free to send me the wonderful list and i will respond with the same list for you.
following someone makes you their disciple, and the people whom you are imitating are lost causes. i dont think you want to be lost as well, right?
write me again when you have time. lets have a real, mans discussion.
gramps Well Ive seen them take blood before.
They change doctrines and beliefs like the Mormons. Whenever someone has a revelation everything changes. They are considered a cult because of the fear tactics they use in controlling there organization. Very sad. First, I am not a Jehovah's Witness, but perhaps can shed some light on this subject from an unbiased position.
1) "blood is an organ"
This may be true from a medical viewpoint or definition, but the average English-speaking person does not view blood as an organ. Blood is commonly perceived as a substance or a liquid, not as an organ. Normally when someone speaks of an "organ", the common perception is one of connected cells, which blood is not.
2) "Why then are Jehovah's Witnesses told that all of the components that make up blood plasma are acceptable to take 鈥攅ven though whole plasma transfusions are not?"
Because these "components" are not *cellular* in nature. They do not contain DNA, but rather are simpler components. (all those you mentioned are proteins)
I would like to add that the belief in this matter by Jehovah's Witnesses is essentially *faith* based, not *medically* based. In other words, someone or some persons in charge of their organization have to "make a call" as to what is acceptable and what is not. The Jehovah's Witnesses *have* been known to change their doctrine when *definitive* evidence contradicting their doctrine has been provided, although it may take several decades. I'm still waiting for them to recognize the true year of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. Currently, they accept only a date used historically that was discovered to be inaccurate decades ago. The point is, apparently they have made the call that proteins, because they are non-cellular in nature, can no more be considered "blood" than any other protein.
3) "If the penalty for violating God's Law on blood requires the death of the person, why did Jehovah let the Israelite people who violated His Blood Law live at 1 Samuel 14:31-34?"
Death was not the penalty for eating of blood, even for eating the blood of animals sacrificed in the temple
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?boo...
4) "If God intended His command to "abstain...from blood" in Acts 15:28-29 to apply to human blood transfusions (rather than just prohibiting the eating of blood from sacrificial animals), why is there no mention of blood transfusions anywhere in the Bible?"
Because blood *transfusions* (by needle, or from blood vessel to blood vessel) were unknown at that time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_trans...
"Blood transferred", judging by the wording, does not involve such a process. I *strongly* suspect the process to which you refer was achieved by *ingestion*. Thus, this could be considered an argument *in favor* of the position held by Jehovah's Witnesses.
Conclusion: given the established Jehovah's Witness position of no blood transfusion, it *does* seem *logical* that the "components" you mention cannot be considered blood by any stretch of the imagination. In any case, they have made this call, and (given the prohibition against blood, specifically) it seems a reasonable one.
Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/ God commands to abstain from blood. That is all I need to know.
What you want to do, it is up to you, but as one of Jehovah's Witnesses myself I shall do what God directs. EDITED:
The instructions in Acts 15:28-29 are not only for Gentiles.
This same instruction is repeated in part in Rev 2,3.
Have you ever wondered why in Rev 2:14, , Jesus has something AGAINST Pergamum, i.e., to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication, which REFLECTS the original instructions in Acts 15:29?. Also, Jesus has something AGAINST some in Thyatira because Jezebel misleads Jesus鈥?slaves to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols (From the original instruction in Acts 15:20, 29)? Many years have passed when the Apostle John wrote Revelation but the instruction from Acts 15:20,29 is still in effect. So you think, the instructions in Acts 15:29 are only temporary? And notice that the instructions given in Rev 2 are not only for Gentiles but to all Christians, even Jewish Christians.
JWs still consider the major components of blood as blood. For example in an egg, an egg white and egg yolk are still an egg. But if we subdivide that major component , for example, an egg white , some people will still consider that as an egg, for some it is not an egg anymore.
Subcomponents for example of plasma, are water, and proteins.
For some JWs, since water and proteins can be considered not blood anymore that鈥檚 why they allow it according to their conscience. For some, because of the large quantity or even because it came from blood, that鈥檚 why they decide not to take the subcomponents as well.
So that鈥檚 a personal decision which everybody should respect and should be answered to God individually.
God told his followers to 鈥渁bstain from blood鈥? Even if NOT 100 % of the blood, was removed from the meat, God鈥檚 followers are still considered 鈥渁bstaining from blood鈥? So in the case of the white blood cells found in the milk, the question is HOW MUCH?
Acts 15:20 - but to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.
Acts 15:29 - to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication
When did the practice of blood transfusion started? According to wikipedia.org that it started "The first historical attempt at blood transfusion was described by the 15th-century chronicler Stefano Infessura". So do you expect the Bible to explicitly speak against medical transfusion of blood during the 1st century when during that time it wasn鈥檛 practiced? Or have you ever thought that just quoting a GENERAL instruction, i.e., to 鈥淎BSTAIN from Blood鈥?will suffice. How come in the Hebrew Scriptures it always state a SPECIFIC instruction to 鈥渄o not EAT blood鈥?but when it comes to the Greek Scriptures, it becomes a GENERAL instruction 鈥渁bstain from blood鈥?and NOT 鈥渁bstain from eating/drinking blood鈥?
The question then is, when Acts 15 states 鈥渁bstain from blood鈥?is it only for eating and drinking blood? At that time, early Christians, understood that 鈥渁bstaining from blood鈥?means not eating and drinking it because blood transfusion is not being practiced. If it was being practiced at that time, the instruction in Acts 15 did not EXCLUDE "blood transfusion". The early Christians also understood that they won鈥檛 use blood for medical reasons, that鈥檚 why they didn鈥檛 use blood to cure epilepsy.
The point there is 鈥渆ating and drinking blood鈥?means the blood goes IN to your body. So what the Bible says is that we abstain from blood going IN our body. This means that you can use blood for testing, clean it, etc.
If you are allergic to nuts, the doctor will only say, 鈥渁bstain from nuts鈥? that covers everything, that is, nothing to be taken orally and to be transfused. If you have allergies to nuts, you鈥檒l understand. You don鈥檛 force your allergic kid to accept nuts , do you?
Here are some excerpt from a news.
鈥淔or the past 30 years, Dr. Estioko, currently medical director at St. John's Transfusion-Free Medicine and Surgery Center in Santa Monica, California, has performed surgeries on high-risk heart patients from all over the world, specializing in repeat operations and multiple valve surgeries.
This is a higher level of surgical technique," Dr. Estioko stresses. "Not everybody can do this type of operation. In fact, many surgeons who are not so good, they don't even attempt it because it is more exacting, more demanding. It really attracts those who have more expertise in the field."
Estioko spent 11 years in New York, where he was also professor at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. In 1990, he moved to California to be part of the Kay Medical Group in Los Angeles in 1990, a cardiac surgery group where he stayed for 14 years before moving on to St. John's Health Center.鈥?br>
Notice he said 鈥淣OT EVERYBODY can do this type of operation. In fact, many surgeons who are NOT SO GOOD, they don't even attempt it because it is more exacting, more demanding. It really attracts those who have more expertise in the field鈥?
Have you asked that doctor about 鈥渘itric oxide鈥?considering that the donated blood lost much of it? Have you read this news?
http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/st...
It states in part:
For years, physicians noticed that patients who received transfusions of banked blood were MORE LIKELY TO DIE than those who got NO BLOOD.
Duke University researchers believe they know why 鈥?and how the problem might be solved.
Donated blood almost immediately begins to lose a gas that opens vessels so oxygen and nutrients get to tissues, the Duke researchers report. Without that gas 鈥?nitric oxide 鈥?the vessels stay closed, blood can鈥檛 deliver its precious cargo, and patients founder, the scientists suggest in two articles published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Other doctors supports bloodless medicine.
http://www.englewoodhospital.com/medserv...
If a certain doctor would like to commit fornication with your own child first, before curing him, are you as a parent will abide by that? Are you sacrificing your own child鈥檚 life if you, as a parent, do not permit the fornication or are you protecting your own child as a person that you love?
You normally won鈥檛 allow that bad thing to happen because you believe that fornication is a sin, and is disrespecting and abusing your own kid and you love your kid. JWs believe that having a blood transfusion into our bodies, is a sin and a disrespect and abuse for our own bodies and our own kids.
Just like fornication, the use of blood in the body is one of things we have to abstain from according to Acts 15.
The abstention in Acts 15:29 is not only limited for the use of blood to be in the body but also fornication.We have to abstain from fornication and the use of blood inside our human body.
JWs believe in the Bible as the word of God and it is for everyone's lasting benefit to follow it. We follow the Bible's command to abstain from blood as stated in Acts 15:29. Eventhough we do not accept transfusion of blood, we accept other ALTERNATIVES to blood transfusion so that we can live. We believe that putting any sort of blood in our body is a serious sin that we can loose our chance of the life promised by God and Jesus.
The Israelites, who ate blood, was cut off from God's people. See Lev 17:10.
Soldiers, left and died, for a principle that they believe are right. They left their own kids and love ones. Does someone here scream at them?
Have you ever wondered why in Rev 2:14, , Jesus has something AGAINST Pergamum, i.e., to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication, which reflects the original instructions in Acts 15:29?. Also, Jesus has something AGAINST some in Thyatira because Jezebel misleads Jesus鈥?slaves to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols (From the original instruction in Acts 15:20, 29)? Many years have passed when the Apostle John wrote Revelation but the instruction from Acts 15:20,29 is still in effect. So you think, the instructions in Acts 15:29 are only temporary? And notice that the instructions given in Rev 2 are not only for Gentiles but to all Christians, even Jewish Christians.
Lev 17:10 states 鈥溾€楢s for any man of the house of Israel or some alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst who eats any sort of blood鈥?br>
Notice ANY SORT OF BLOOD, so no faithful follower of God, eats blood of any sorts, animal or human. That鈥檚 why humans cannot drink or eat animal or human blood.
The prohibition for blood is repeated in Acts 15:28-29 but instead of just saying do not EAT blood, Acts 15 changed it to ABSTAIN FROM BLOOD, which is a general term to encompass not only eating, drinking of any sort of blood but the future use of blood in the body, which includes transfusion.
Is a subcomponent/fraction of the main components of blood, considered blood? In the case of an egg, is an egg white, egg yolk, still an egg? I think it is, an egg white is still an egg. Is the subcomponent of an egg white, still an egg? Is oxygen, a subcomponent of water, water still? The same with blood, is one of the subcomponents of a main component still considered blood? Some will say yes, some will say no. This a personal decision we have to answer to God.
If YOU carefully keep yourselves from these things, YOU will prosper. Good health to YOU!. Acts 15:29 Please notice YOU WILL PROSPER, GOOD HEALTH TO YOU. (The word health here is all encompassing, not only limited to spiritual or physical health, otherwise it should have said Good spiritual or physical health to you.) Have you not wondered why Acts 15:29 EXPLICITLY stated those two reasons as why the Gentiles should abstain from blood and NOT the reason of maintaining peaceful relations with the Jews or other reasons?
For example, a few weeks back, a news reported:
鈥淚t doesn't matter how much oxygen is being carried by red blood cells, it cannot get to the tissues that need it without nitric oxide," said Dr. Jonathan Stamler of Duke University, leader of one of the research groups.
Blood vessels relax and constrict to regulate blood flow and nitric oxide opens up blood vessels, allowing red blood cells to deliver oxygen, he explained.
"If the blood vessels cannot open, the red blood cells back up in the vessel and tissues go without oxygen. The result can be a heart attack or even death," he said.鈥?br>
So without nitric oxide, blood cannot help supply back oxygen to the body. So to say that blood transfusion will save the woman鈥檚 life is not totally true.
There are some alternatives to blood, that each individual JWs can use depending upon their conscience.
So basically, if a JW lost a lot of blood, we would like to have the volume expanders and other nonblood products or practices that help replace the lost oxygen. Please see www.noblood.org
Other doctors though are recognizing the alternatives to blood transfusion. Please see this website.
http://www.englewoodhospital.com/medserv...
The instruction in Acts 15:29 is not only limited for eating animal blood. Why? Do you know of any faithful follower of God who drank and ate HUMAN blood? Do you know of any God鈥檚 faithful followers who DRANK or ATE blood from LIVE animals or humans? So it is wrong to say that you can use blood to be in your body if the there is NO LOSS in life.
People also die,i.e. loses LIFE, because of blood transfusion (AIDS, wrong blood types, etc).
Some misapplied Mark 5:25-34. 鈥?might on occasion have needs that would justify the breaking of these laws 鈥?br>
Answer : Making an implication that it is okay to disobey Gods law when life is involved or if you are in serious health is wrong. Question for you, is it okay to worship Satan if you know that someone will kill you if you don鈥檛? Notice that the woman showed great faith in Jesus. Aside from that, the Mosaic Law is going to end very soon so Jesus has showed compassion, and notice the woman trembled and got frightened, showing repentance and told Jesus the WHOLE truth. Definitely Jesus forgave her because the woman got healed. Today, most people who had blood transfusions do not show any signs of trembling and repentance eventhough the Bible clearly stated to abstain from blood. So remember obedience is better than sacrifice.
If someone died because of wrong blood type transfused OR got AIDS and died because of blood transfusion, who will be accounted for the cause of death? The one who transfused the blood, the who one gave his blood or the one who accepted it? WHA WHA WHA. STOP YOUR CRYING AND YOUR LYING.
WHAT YOU MUST DO IS REMEMBER THIS
ZEPH.1:14 "THE GREAT DAY OF JEHOVAH IS NEAR I guess the answer to your question "...do you understand what The Watchtower says about blood transfusions" is "no".
Obviously. Quran Sura 16 An Nahl
115
He has only forbidden you to eat carrion (meat of dead a body), blood, pork, and that over which any name other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, intending neither to break the Divine Law nor to transgress limits, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
116
You shall not falsely declare with your tongues: "This is lawful, and that is forbidden," in order to ascribe false things to Allah, for those who forge lies against Allah will never prosper.
Quran Sura 2. Al Baqara
173
He has forbidden you to eat dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which any name other than Allah has been invoked; but if someone is compelled by absolute necessity, intending neither to sin nor to transgress, he shall incur no sin. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
174
Surely those who conceal any part of the Book which Allah has revealed and sell His revelations for petty price (material gain), shall swallow nothing but fire into their bellies. On the Day of Resurrection Allah will neither speak to them nor purify them and they shall have painful punishment.
Blood transfusion for medical purposes is permissible in Islam. It is permissible to take blood from a non-Muslim and it is permissible to give blood to non-Muslims. These matters are related to human life.
It stands to reason that Islam teaches us to feed the hungry, to take care of the sick and to save the life of people. In these matters it does not make any difference between the life of a Muslim and non-Muslim.
Donating blood is an act of charity. It might save the life of a person who is in desperate need of it. Referring to this, Allah, the Almighty says: "鈥nd if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind." (Surah al-Maida, Ch.5, Verse.32). That is why there is no reason to be found that stops one from donating blood as a charitable act.
However, the permissibility of blood donation or blood transfusion is determined by the following conditions:
a) The donor should donate his blood willingly. If he is compelled to do so, then it is not permissible;
b) There is no danger to his (the donor's) life or health;
c) It must be clarified by the doctor that blood transfusion is necessary otherwise the life of the patient will be at stake; i.e. the recovery can not be possible without blood transfusion.
d) It is not permissible to sell one's blood or to pay the blood donor. However, if one is desperate for blood (to save his life) and the only means to obtain it is to purchase it, then it is permissible to pay for the blood. [In this case, it is only the one who asks for the money that will incur the sin].
And Allah knows the best. You'll get conflict answers.
Jafar...
I don't need to hear anything from your unholy book of hatred! allah is anther term for satan.
Get with the program!
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