In the Bible, blood is offered as a sacrifice when an animal is slaughtered to atone for taking its life. That is why it is not eaten, it is to show respect for taking another creature's life. When your mouth bleeds or when a person gives blood, no life is lost. You don't see people being slaughtered at blood banks so that their blood may be taken. Your mom did not kill you to remove your tooth. Those are entirely different situations than those involving meat.
Blood - things the Society didn't ban?
by unique1 18 Replies latest jw friends
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38 Years
You know, I hadn't thought about this in a long time. When I was a kid, I used to ask myself that same question about swallowing your own blood. But being the good little Witness, I just dismissed it and thought that if it was important to know, the GB would have told us. I need to make a mental note of this. Another tidbit of how ridiculous Brooklyn is.
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unique1
yeah, I had forgotten it too until Crumpet said something about cutting her lip on another thread and being scared the blood would be swallowed. It is just weird, how that doesn't bother them yet, you can't store your own blood. It is completely unreasonable. You forget how illogical some of the stuff is until something triggers it. Always weirds me out a bit I was ever that ignorant.
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steve2
I do remember discussing this interesting and realistic type of situation with an older witness who told me in no uncertain way that it was the individual's intention that mattered to Jehovah. Presumably, if you start swallowing your blood after a tooth's pulled and you recoil in horror at the thought of eating the blood, you're okay. However, if you pull your tooth just so you can taste the blood, Jehovah will be very angry with you. If you know what's good for you, you'll repent, go to the elders, confess and they can give you wise counsel and you'll be fine. The things we used to worry about! It all sounds so stupid now.
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unique1
The intention?? Really?? So if I take blood during surgery without the INTENTION of hurting God, then as a good standing witness I can do so right?
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steve2
The intention?? Really?? So if I take blood during surgery without the INTENTION of hurting God, then as a good standing witness I can do so right?
Far be it from me to take the position of spokesperson for the Watchtower's silly No-Blood doctrine, but the JW and I were discussing ambiguous situations; that is, situations in which being exposed to your own blood was related to something else, such as swallowing blood as a consequence of having your tooth pulled out. I presume that all other situations - especially medical ones which involve premeditated choice - are clearcut. Remember, also, this was a private exchange/discussion and no Watchtower literature was cited in defense of it.
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davegod
That's why I can't wrap my head around not being able to store your own!??! If keep abstaining from blood was that literal, then we should all drain ourselve's right now. Anyone up for a blood letting party? LOL, yes that is some ignorant sh!t. Oh, Eclipse, that is sad. Sometimes we forget or don't realize just how much guilt that religion put's on you. A year or so after my mother died, I went to the wedding of someones kid who is the non witness son of my mom's best JW friend. After the reception and a few rum and cokes, she comes over and wispers that I need to get back to Jehovah. I fell the hell apart! My eyes just literally exploded with tears and I ran outside and down the street, just trying to get away from those feelings. It took them an half hour just to find me. My wife could not even begin to understand what was wrong with me. It took talking to the ladies son (who was raised JW but, had been out for some time) to help me get it together.
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steve2
Even when I was an active JW, I couldn't understand why the Watchtower forbade autologous transfusions (i.e., one's own blood stored for later use). Zero medical risks because it's your own blood. But I think the watchtower would view these sorts of transfusions as the thin end of the wedge: Allow them and it makes a mockery of their literal translation of abstaining from blood (i.e., as in eating it).
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unique1
Anyone up for a blood letting party
I had a sudden vision of that beginning scene in Blade where the night club is suddenly raining blood and all the dancers are vampires.
Honestly though, I am so sorry that happened to you, at a wedding none the less, supposed to be a happy occasion!!