Even if it means a threat to life and limb? Acts 15:19-21,28 is the Scripture Jehovah's Witnesses typically point to as the reason they refuse to accept blood donations. Acts 15:20 says, "Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood." It is clear from the context that the instructions were against eating / drinking blood, not blood transfusions. Blood transfusions were not even possible in Bible times, so there is no possibility that this Scripture could be referring to blood transfusions. There were many pagan religious practices that involved eating and drinking blood and/or strangling an animal to keep more of its blood in its meat. This is what the Bible speaks against, not blood transfusions. Why don't you also post this to the other 90% of people who refuse blood now, but who are not JWs? You must be invested into one of the companies that make the big bucks off the storage and transport of blood, such as to England where they no longer trust donations by their own people.
My daughter and her husband sells plasma every few weeks as a means to make extra money.
You seem to be of the assumption that blood is the only possible treatment with severe injury. Because of the witnesses, and other cultures who also don't use blood, medical technology has come a long way. I've been in two severe semi truck wrecks. Several broken bones in 1982 and internal injuries, with a leg nearly severed in 1988. In 1982, I had a compound fracture of my leg. Bleeding, we were two hours from the nearest hospital at a time before life flight. It was an hour for help to arrive. We were taken to a 7th Day Adventist hospital in San Bernadino. Though I had blood loss, they found a way to save my life. Now if they would have served meat with the meals, things would have been perfect.
In 1988, I hung by the same leg with wires cutting it to the bone, for 90-minutes. St. Joseph's Medical in Joliet was less accomendating and I had to fight to keep from being given blood. Their Bible was written by people with little or no knowledge of the older languages.
The WBS knows that this is flawed theology and have little by little relaxed their edicts on the use of blood.....not soon enough...hundreds of Witnesses die every year due to this false doctrine.
so sad.
Many Jehovah's Witnesses sincerely believe that it is a gross sin to accept a blood transfusion, since the Bible states that we must "abstain from blood." (Acts 15:29) It is quite understandable that many are confused by the position taken by the Watchtower Society (WTS) with respect to the various blood components or blood products like albumin, (Erythropoietins), vaccines, immunoglobulins, and hemophiliac treatments. It does not seem possible to explain why it is a violation of God's law to accept plasma, platelets, red and white cells when all of the fractions of these are permitted by the WTS. These contradictions have caused a number of elders and Hospital Liaison Committee Members to quietly resign. ".....Read more .......>
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http://www.ajwrb.org/basics/abstain.shtm...
Jehovah's Witnesses do not abstain from blood in the biblical sense...Not any more. SINCE MY Witness associates have already given the scriptural reasons as well as those who think we are without reason to take a stand on blood transfusion, who know our Biblical stand but wish to water down what the Bible says!
--WHY DO the following medical sites give great credence to the stand we are taking JUST FOR medical reasons?
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/conten...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12466831/
http://www.time.com/time/reports/heroes/...
PARTIAL LISTING OF hospitals & medical facilities that use non-blood therapy and surgery, JUST in the USA:
http://www.noblood.org/
USA GA Atlanta Atlanta Medical Center (404) 265-6712
USA AZ Phoenix Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center (602) 239-6070
USA FL Jacksonville Baptist Health (866) 839-9161
USA CT Bridgeport Bridgeport Hospital (866) NO BLOOD
USA NE Omaha Creighton University Medical Center (800) 425-6638
USA NJ Hackensack Hackensack University Medical Center (201) 996-2963
USA PA Philadelphia Hahnemann University Hospital (800) 472-3277
USA OH Cleveland Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (216) 844-3492
USA CA San Ramon San Ramon Regional Medical Center (925) 275-8422
USA PA Philadelphia St. Christopher's Hospital for Children (800) 532-1101
USA TX Houston St. Joseph Medical Center 866-754-8029
USA MO Kansas City St. Luke's Hospital (816) 932-6183
USA PA Pittsburgh Allegheny General Hospital (877) 284-2100
USA CA Anaheim Anaheim Memorial Medical Center (714)308-4335 Cell
USA WA Auburn Auburn Regional Medical Center 253-833-7711 x1378
USA TX San Antonio Baptist Health System (210) 297-2800
USA NY Brooklyn Brookdale Hospital Medical Center (718) 240-5356
USA NY New York Cabrini Medical Center (212) 995-6768
USA CA Inglewood Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center (877) 884-CHMC [8627]
USA CA Orange Chapman Medical Center (800) 970-9470
USA CA Madera Children's Hospital Central California (559) 353-5343
USA LA Lake Charles Christus St. Patrick Hospital (888) 491-2888
Brasil Clinica Sao Lucas (5519) 468-1375
USA NY Hudson Columbia Memorial Hospital (518) 828-7601 Ext. 8130
USA NJ Camden Cooper University Hospital (856) 342-2476
USA CA Corona Corona Regional Medical Center (951) 737-6784
USA MI Rochester Crittenton Hospital Medical Center (248) 652-5133
USA AL Tuscaloosa DCH Health System (800) 266-4324
USA WA Spokane
IF YOU NOTE the listing is only partially presented upto the letter "C" For the official reason with Biblical citations follow the below link:
http://www.watchtower.org/e/medical_care...
Unofficially though this is a doctrine that is on it's way out. Many are expecting it to become full MOC when Gene Smalley dies or when we hit the magic 1985 date. So within the next couple of decades you will see this less and less addressed until it becomes a non-issue much like organ transplant (formerly viewed as cannibalism, but now full MOC)
What you know as a JW depends greatly on your positon, the type of KH you attend and who you know within the tower.
Whatif above is correct any JW in Bulgaria can receive blood products without any consequence including automatic DAing. In fact it is because of Bulgaria that prompted the change to MOC with auto DA. The WBTS had the option of nullifying the agreement made by the legal department allowing blood products but willfully chose to keep the legal agreement so as to keep legal status as a religion within Bulgaria. These actions spoke volumes to those who are aware of the hard feelings between the legal department and those loyal to Gene Smalley, who is the keeper of this last remaining doctrine of the late Clayton Woodworth.
PS as a licensed medical professional....if you have ever had an IV you have had a blood transfusion in violation of current WTS understanding.
Additionally I only advocate whole blood use in emergencies. The alternatives (esp using one's own blood) are safer and more cost effective. While many point their finger at us over the Blood issue saying foolish things especially concerning our children, I've yet to hear one of them say anything to Smokers who bombard those young bodies with second hand smoke on a daily basis. THOSE kids are in more danger than ours ever will be. There ARE alternatives to blood, what's going to pull that poison out of their children?
Now:Acts 15:28, 29: 鈥淭he holy spirit and we ourselves [the governing body of the Christian congregation] have favored adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled [or, killed without draining their blood] and from fornication. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!鈥?(There the eating of blood is equated with idolatry and fornication, things that we should not want to engage in.)
Does the Bible鈥檚 prohibition include human blood?
Yes, and early Christians understood it that way. Acts 15:29 says to 鈥渒eep abstaining from . . . blood.鈥?It does not say merely to abstain from animal blood. (Compare Leviticus 17:10, which prohibited eating 鈥渁ny sort of blood.鈥? Tertullian (who wrote in defense of the beliefs of early Christians) stated: 鈥淭he interdict upon 鈥榖lood鈥?we shall understand to be (an interdict) much more upon human blood.鈥濃€擳he Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. IV, p. 86.
Is a transfusion really the same as eating blood?
In a hospital, when a patient cannot eat through his mouth, he is fed intravenously. Now, would a person who never put blood into his mouth but who accepted blood by transfusion really be obeying the command to 鈥渒eep abstaining from . . . blood鈥? (Acts 15:29) To use a comparison, consider a man who is told by the doctor that he must abstain from alcohol. Would he be obedient if he quit drinking alcohol but had it put directly into his veins? To illustrate: If your doctor told you to abstain from drinking alcohol, do you think it would be ok to inject it into your veins?
God gives us his laws for a reason, and we must follow them. They are all for our own good.
Ask yourself: Does your religion pick and choose as to which of God's laws to obey? If so, might not you also ask: am I associated with the right religion? Now is the the time to ask these difficult questions, as the final hours draw to a close. Blood transfusions can make you worse. The latest:
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?M...
We refuse blood strictly because Jehovah in his Word commands us to, but the funny thing is that Acts 15:29 says if we obey that injunction we will do well. The medical community is finally beginning to recognize that fact! They get a card
http://www.ajwrb.org/images/oldcardA.gif
and if they go againt the card, they get disfellowshipped which means they automatically go to Hell, no pass go, no collect $500 dollars. The Head Doctor at the biggest hospital in my home country is not a JW but he advocates non-blood treatments for EVERYONE, even JWs from neighbouring countries come to that hospital because they are assured the doctors would abide by their wishes. they are heavily into their religion so they can see a transfusion and dont believe in it and cant see god and believe in him god commanded to not drink blood and they equate transfusions as drinking blood. Because they organization forbids it. They follow the Watchtower organization They do allow it for those in Bulgaria. Jehovah's Witnesses believe in getting the best medical care available for themselves and their families. Many individuals among Jehovah's Witnesses are themselves physicians and other health care professionals.. ..
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.. .. Deuteronomy 30:19 "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose LIFE, so that you and your children may live."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
The guilty have chosen "death and curses" and banished Jesus out of their life. The seed of fear and curses has been planted in their soul and eats from within. What is within is without. No Jesus, No Peace.
I have not read anywhere in the New Testament where Jesus said "choose to die". Jesus died for us and so he told us "Choose Life!" I follow Jesus and not the imperfect man.
What??? Who is this people above me that are comparing Jesus blood to alcohol? What an insult to Jesus! As we should remember *follow Jesus not the imperfect man*. Because the O.T. say,s to eat no blood,
but the Bible say,s we all of one blood
and if my famile need,s blood they will get it.
it is not against the Bible,,,anyway you do not
eat the blood ,it,s put in the vein,s. they are trying to keep their blood lines pure for their salvation Because this is the body that will rise when the world ends or something (ie...no cremation etc...) |
