Since Jehovah's Witnesses believe that blood transfusions....

are forbidden according to Acts 15:28, 29 stating that we must abstain from blood, how are blood fractions an exemption from this command?

If blood fractions (and organ transplants) are conscience matters, then shouldn't blood tranfusions also be a conscience matter? It doesn't seem right to have it both ways (one method being forbidden, the other being a personal decision.)

Further, blood transfusions were non-existent in the first century. The understanding at that time would be to abstain from ingesting blood. So, we can not come to any definitive answer from biblical texts, so shouldn't it be up to the individual to make the decision?

And what happens if the "governing body" is in disagreement over the issue?

At one time all blood products whether it was a vacine that was developed and used animal blood as a factor in production or any human blood was to be refused.

Since this time the Watchtower has backed off of this position because of possible lawsuits. Now the public statement is in effect; "This is up to each person" or "It is a "matter of conscious".
Really though I hear and read that the Members are taught; "No true lover of Jehovah will take blood".
This is called "loading the language": and is saying "if you love Jehovah you will not use blood".

The Watchtower has also approved the use of "Hemopure" which is made directly of animal blood and just about every miniscule part of human blood called "fractions".
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The last time that a governing body member disagreed with the majority vote he was sent packing. (see link)

Because as the JWs become a larger, organized religion, they need to appease a larger population of possible converts. Most people, when told that they must let their loved ones die instead of accepting blood, won't remain in that religion very long.

They have recently loosened their views on tattoos and piercings, leaving them to a conscience matter. What they are, in essence, trying to do is stay in business. More members means more money (sorry, donations).

Nothing is left to the individual who belongs to the organization - that is how they keep their tight reigns over members. It boils my blood to think of how many people died over this ridiculous issue in the past, only now to find out that the GB is leaving it to a conscience matter.

I once heard the district overseer say... Quote...'just because you don't like apple pie doesn't mean you'l never eat sugar again'....strange reasoning,but the locals listening loved this annalogy of blood fractions.

20 years ago the blood card said NO blood whatsoever..lets be thankfull that their governing body have seen the light on this subject.

http://www.ajwrb.org/watchtower/card.sht...

Troll To Troll is right, they have changed their position so many times. The term for this is 'New Light' - which is just a way of saying 'we realise we were wrong in the first place, but as the earthly channel between Jehovah and mankind we cannot be seen to admit that'.

This link has probably been posted before, but here it is for those who want to check out the fallacies in their teaching:

http://www.ajwrb.org/

i really appreciated Shabayou's comment.
everything she said was right on.
that last scripture she sighted
Deut. 8:22 about the false prophets not being of God...

JW's claim the WTBTS is God's official mouth peice of the present day ....until....thier doctrin changes and someone points it out.....THEN...all of a sudden they are NOT gods prophet. if youre a prophet...you speak TRUTH~ truth is unchanging. ~ get it?
that is the majority reason JW's leave the org because they refused to be dragged around with flip flopping doctrins

Exactly. Just as they once prohibited vaccinations only to turn around and allow them again. The bible doesn't change, their doctrine does. That tells me something.

They will rather let their loved ones die than fall from the grasp of this organization. Organization flip flops on the doctrines, and meantime many people suffer. I think they should let people to choose for themselves

JW are just weird full stop. There is no end to there weird delusional interpretations of the joke book (sorry bible)

Troll's information is accurate. I just wanted to add that the majority vote in the Governing Body sessions are not truly that- they are actually a two-thirds majority vote, so if nine are in favor of a change and five are not, then the "nots" win, even though the majority voted the other way. At the moment, there are nine GB members, so even if five are "for" and four are "against", then the four win. What I find absurd in all of this is their claim to be "God's spirit- directed organization". Where in the Bible did God's holy spirit need a two- thirds majority vote to carry out God's will? If it is spirit directed, how can there ever be a dispute in the Governing Body? Shouldn't they all be receiving the same direction from holy spirit? Shouldn't ANY GB member who dissents be immediately dismissed and possibly disfellowshipped for acting against holy spirit?

Bottom line is that the GB members are just men like the rest of us and have no more direction from holy spirit than any of us do...

I'm going to tell you about what "they told me at my house": Be sure, I'm not judging them. I'm only telling you what I was told and what I said in return...
*In the first place: Acts 15:28-29 are speaking of consuming blood. A blood transfusion is in no way a Food product.
*In the second place: they refuse to defend the very country that they are so blessed to live in...They need to read the story of "The Little Red Hen". Thank goodness they don't vote!
*In the third place: They are uneducated. The Watchtower discourages higher education because they don't want people smart enough to figure out they are wrong.

Furthermore, the women are just second class citizens. Can't pray outloud in front of a baptized male. Anyone of those ladies can open the Bible and read about all the Great Biblical Women.

The Whole Thing makes absolutly no sense except nonsense.
No Trinity?
Jesus is Michael the Arch Angel?
* Now, come on, how is this Christian? It's not. Plain and simple if you don't believe Jesus Christ is your Savior and God...Your not Christian.
Shunning???
No man has the right to judge...That is strictly forbidden, God is the Only Judge.
They hold communion and nobody partakes??? That's weird. And I'm not going to be 1/144,000???
They baptize in the name of their church, not as Jesus directed us to in the trinity???
They handed me a Bible that the words were changed in. What's that all about?
They have a record as long as your arm regarding false prophecies made over the past...Use of scare tactics???

Let's now take a look at Deut. 8:22 " If what a prophet claims in the name of the LORD does Not take place or come true, that is a Message the Lord has Not Spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do Not Be Afraid of Him". I'm not afraid of them, I'm afraid for them.