It's just so weird to see something that was so important when I was a kid fading away so easily. I wonder how many will even bother to cling to it. One of the first scriptures I was required to memorize was about abstaining from blood. My mom said the judge would take me away from her and I would have to answer for myself.
Jehovah Witness confusing doctrine about abstaining from blood
by Blindbutnowisee 16 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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greendawn
I can only imagine how those that needlessly lost close relatives to the blood ban will react when it gets lifted. Will they say: "hey sorry we got it wrong for half a century but now at least with this new light we really know where we should stand. Your relative will be richly rewarded nonetheless by jehovah because s/he died believing that it was the right way"?
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Mariusuk.
It's just so weird to see something that was so important when I was a kid fading away so easily
I know what you mean, this was a real core belief and the sad thing is the way it will be slowly accepted by the r&f as if it is no big deal, bit like 1914
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LiveLife
Here's the convoluted explanation in a nutshell: Albumin, for instance, can be passed by nursing from mother to child and is present in cow's milk. Therefore, it can have a source other than blood. In theory.
Here's where the theory utterly breaks down under their doctrinal basis for refusing blood transfusions: If the source of the albumin used with your medical procedure is not from a cow's teat and, rather, is from donor blood (or even animal blood) in what way exactly is someone abstaining from blood if they choose to accept albumin? How can such a person be said to "pour the blood out upon the ground" if they use it for any purpose, even as wall paint, or perhaps as ink to sign their Mephistopholian contract with the bOrganization?
Either it is okay to use blood for the saving of lives or it is not. They want to have their blood and "eat" it in small bites, too.
Not that I believe intravenous tranfusion equates to eating. Any doctor can quickly confirm the immediacy of the deadly effects of injecting a Big Mac smoothie directly into your bloodstream, but I ate one last night with no ill effects save some minor bloating about the midriff; it will take at least a few months for the Big Mac to kill me by ingesting it.
When introduced into the bloodstream, blood functions as blood. It is no different than an organ transplant. The function does not change, the form does not change; only the host organism changes. It isn't showing disrespect for life to donate blood or to receive blood; it is showing incredibly high esteem for life.
The perverse views of Jehovah's Witnesses on this matter brings great reproach on the God they claim to serve, even though there never has been a true God named "Jehovah." If they called their God "Tiddlywinkumsnotrags" this policy would bring reproach on the good name of the Almighty Creator of all living things, Tiddlywinkumsnotrags.
Live Life (and try to do it smiling)
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blondie
My approach is to ask if we can store our own blood.
jw: No, that is against God's law (Law code that is) and was given to Noah so covers all humankind.
*** w00 10/15 p. 30 Questions From Readers ***Jehovah, to whom we owe our lives, decreed that blood should not be consumed. (Genesis 9:3, 4) In the Law for ancient Israel, God limited the use of blood because it represents life. He decreed: "The soul [or life] of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have put it upon the altar for you to make atonement for your souls." What if a man killed an animal for food? God said: "He must in that case pour its blood out and cover it with dust." (Leviticus 17:11, 13) Jehovah repeated this command again and again. (Deuteronomy 12:16, 24; 15:23) The Jewish SoncinoChumash notes: "The blood must not be stored but rendered unfit for consumption by pouring it on the ground." No Israelite was to appropriate, store, and use the blood of anothercreature, whose life belonged to God.
(Genesis 9:3,4) Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for YOU. As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to YOU. 4 Only flesh with its soul—its blood—YOU must not eat.
Blondie: So where in Genesis does it discuss not storing blood.
Blood is not to be stored; it is to be poured out—returned to God, as it were. Granted, the Mosaic Law is not in force now. Nevertheless, Jehovah’s Witnesses respect the principles God included in it, and they are determined to ‘abstain from blood.’ Hence, we do not donate blood, nor do we store for transfusion our blood that should be ‘poured out.’ That practice conflicts with God’s law.
jw: But we must "abstain from blood."
Blondie: So how can a person be abstaining from blood if he or she accepts products made from stored blood, such as hemoglobin-based products? These products are made from either stored human or animal blood (bovine, porcine)?
jw (stammering): But that is a conscience matter.
Blondie: But how can a Witness accept a product made from stored blood which we agreed above is not permitted by the Bible.
Hence, we do not donate blood, nor do we store for transfusion our blood that should be ‘poured out.’ That practice conflicts with God’s law.
Usually by then, the jw suddenly remembers an appointment or finds a way to cut short the conversation and go deal with the cognitive dissonance.
Blondie
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glenster
The blood rules are among the first things that bothered me about the JWs leaders' exclusive rules. What I have for that so far is on p.1 (the history of the rules) and 12-42 (the scriptural possibilities) of "Glenster's Guide to GTJ Brooklyn" at the next links. I called it that because I've written a couple of GTA walk-throughs, too.
If anyone has some more stuff about it to contribute, I'd sure appreciate it. (Blondie: I've credited you with where I learned of a thing or two already; one I remember is for "Archangel Michael" on p.8--thanks!) (PS--nice job in "Vice City").
http://gtw6437.tripod.com/
http://www.freewebs.com/glenster1/gtjbrooklynindex.htm -
justhuman
The blood issue it is one of the most hard ones,regarding WT's doctrine...In fact it is a result of the demonic influence that WT Society is under control, since their establishment.
I recall that a couple of new converted JW's, have left due to the blood doctrine. It was hard for them to understand how can they use fractions of blood, and not the whole blood. It couldn't make sense to them...
In a few years to come WT will change their doctrine into matter of conscious. They change most of their crap theology the past 15 years, so they will go for this one too.