i've asked several of my friends and none of them know why. 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. like other sects of christianity, jehovah witnesses' like to cherry pick parts of the old testament to get their panties in a bunch over. Orthodox judaism is very adamant about avoiding consuming blood or even touching it. JW's regard a transfusion as consumption. oddly, they have no problem violating most of the other laws in leviticus. Well, yes, it's based on a verse in the bible that can be translated as a prohibition against "eating" or to extend the idea, consuming blood...
But most JWs also have a list of reasons which they believe support this prohibition. These include the possibility of deadly pathogens in the blood, and hence the idea that it is prohibited by God for our own good, to keep us from getting sick and dying.
There are websites about medical facilities that have specific protocols designed for treating Jehovah's Witnesses, and also people of other faiths, such as Muslims, etc. The protocols regarding JWs and transfusions indicate that there are certain things that can be used in place of transfusions, like blood expanders, as I have heard them called. I think these are infusions of saline, but I haven't found an exact definition. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place. But this is a significant enough belief to Jehovah's Witnesses that for them, literally, it is a question of choosing between saving their own lives and damning themselves to hell, or losing their lives and retaining God's favor, as a faithful follower of his law.
They're not retarded, they're not "gay" and they certainly aren't any more unusual in their beliefs than any other group, Christian, Jewish (Kosher law), Muslim (halal), or Hindu. We Catholics use strings of beads to say prayers in honor of Jesus' mother, Mary, who, truthfully, is little mentioned in the Bible. And to a lot of people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, that belief comes way out of left field, and is dangerous and damnable. We have our own reasons.
Who's right? I don't think there is a right in this case. Or wrong, for that matter. Im not a Witness but my mother is and I agree with her position. There are alternatives to the use of blood in operations and many doctors are now starting to use bloodless surgery. It's not only Jehovahs Witneses who object to the use of blood in surgery. Many people have a fear of tainted blood which can give you Hepatitus or Aids.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_W... It is based on Jehovah's view of the sanctity of blood. Genesis 9:4-6 shows this view. That is why the prohibition is in Leviticus.
Also, when the Christian congregation was admitting the Gentile nations, a decision had to be made concerning what they would be required to practice. So important it was mentioned twice in Acts 15:20, 28-29, it was called "necessary things" to abstain from blood.
We view it as Jehovah's higher laws. No one can say with absolute certainty whether one will live with or without a transfusion. We can say for certain that Jehovah can resurrect from the dead anyone who dies being faithful to Him. No doctor or lawyer can do that.
We are open to all alternatives to transfusion. Some JWs are doctors, even surgeons. My medical bills look like the national debt!
A secondary reason we refuse transfusions is the reason Jehovah made His laws for Israel. Many were made at a time when no one could truly understand why they existed. They never knew about germs or bacteria. Even after the US Civil War people did not understand them. Jehovah did.
Many sanitary laws involved proper handling of the dead and things that could pass on disease. Many diseases from the blood are passed on in transfusions that have cost many more lives than just the comparative few JWs there are. Many are not caught by any tests.
The latest trend in medicine today is to avoid transfusions for many reasons. Faster recovery, less prone to other diseases are only two of many benefits to not using transfused blood. Of course the surgeons must be on top of their game. Less margin for screw ups. I have a friend who is a JW and she told me it's because there is no way to clean blood. So for that reason they believe it's dirty and unclean to take the blood of another person. Even direct relatives and even if a doctor tells them it is a matter of life or death. I'm currently in the situation. I've had three bleeding operations in the last month. No transfusion.
The question you should ask is why would you want a transfusion? Less than 10% of those refusing blood are witnesses. They believe the blood is connected to the soul somehow. They don't want someone else's soul inside them.
JW's can however accept artificial blood transfusions. Just no human blood. They regard it as "eating blood", which is prohibited in the Old Testament. They cite an Old Testiment prohibition in Leviticus. Julia's dumb They believe that it is sin because your blood is yours. At least that's what I have heard. They take a verse in the bible too literally. Like others said, because of a verse in the bible. |
