OK last night while sobering up from a long day of drinking I started thinking; could doctor/patient confidentiality protect one from being dissfellowshipped? That is, could one tell a doctor he wants a B.T., but must keep it secret. The doctor would have a right to keep the procedure from the family or any other interested parties. The law around it seems pretty open ended (Click HERE for synopsis). So it would seem to me you could speak to your doctor and tell him your surgery MUST remain confidential. In my opinion he would have no other choice but to follow your wishes considering this could also dip into his Hippocratic Oath to do everything in his power to save you. Any thoughts?
Could you get a blood transfusion and not legally be DF'd?
by Burger Time 15 Replies latest watchtower medical
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AlmostAtheist
Absolutely the doc wouldn't tell. However the poor JW would probably feel bad about adding lying to his list of sins. The elders ask, "Did you accept a blood transfusion?" and what's he going to say?
Dave
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Grammy
That is, could one tell a doctor he wants a B.T., but must keep it secret.
I suppose that could be arranged between the patient and his/her doctor, however if any JW employee of the hospital had access to the person's medical files they would be sure to read it and report said JW patient to the elders. I know of a case where that exact thing happened to JW in my congregation a few years before I left.
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Burger Time
Yes I know in Franz's Christian Freedom, he speaks of a women being dimed out by a hospital employee to the Elders. Wouldn't this though be a your word against mine situation? Also I would think if your going to get a B.T. this way you would be more then willing to lie to your elders.
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sammielee24
Well - it boils down to this.
If you remain a JW you make a choice. Live or die according to their rules. If you want a blood transfusion because you don't believe their stance on it - then you have a right to make that decision - but if you make it against their rules because you don't agree with the rules, then why worry about your standing in the organization? Lets just say that you are really sick, the HLC pressures you to refuse a transfusion but the doctors tell you that with one you live with 99% certainty - without one the odds are you die within the week. You pick. Life or death according to the society.
That's like telling the guy with the snake bite not to take the antivenom. The doctor says take it and you'll be fine but the mans clergy tells him its against the laws of the religion. The man refuses the antivenom, his leg swells up and they have to amputate it. The infection spreads to the rest of his body and he endures a month of pain, rotting flesh and paralysis. He dies. The clergy goes on to save the laws of the other poor souls in the congregation without another thought to the one that passed. The guy thats dead is dead - his faith didn't save him but science and medicine could. ....
Yeah - you probably could have it remain a secret - but if you were a die hard JW, how long would your conscience allow you to keep the secret? sammieswife.
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Burger Time
Sammie there are plenty of people who want to remain a JW ONLY for family and friends. This would be for one of those whom are only staying for superficial reasons. I completely agree with what you say, however as I stated not everyone has resolve like me or you. I was just mentioning this as a loophole if nothing else to buy time.
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VoidEater
The elders ask, "Did you accept a blood transfusion?" and what's he going to say?
"Did someone say I did?" Always ask a snoopy question with a question.
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blondie
You could do it once under "pressure" and probably not be df'd, perhaps privately reproved.
*** w61 1/15 p. 64 Questions From Readers ***If the taking of a blood transfusion is the first offense of a dedicated, baptized Christian due to his immaturity or lack of Christian stability and he sees the error of his action and grieves and repents over it and begs divine forgiveness and forgiveness of God’s congregation on earth, then mercy should be extended to him and he need not be disfellowshiped. He needs to be put under surveillance and to be instructed thoroughly according to the Scriptures upon this subject, and thereby be helped to acquire strength to make decisions according to the Christian standard in any future cases.
If, however, he refuses to acknowledge his nonconformity to the required Christian standard and makes the matter an issue in the Christian congregation and endeavors to influence others therein to his support; or, if in the future he persists in accepting blood transfusions or in donating blood toward the carrying out of this medical practice upon others, he shows that he has really not repented, but is deliberately opposed to God’s requirements. As a rebellious opposer and unfaithful example to fellow members of the Christian congregation he must be cut off therefrom by disfellowshiping. Thereby the Christian congregation vindicates itself from any charge of connivance at the infraction of God’s law by a member of the congregation through blood transfusion, and it upholds the proper Christian standard before all the members of the Christian congregation, and keeps itself clean from the blood of all men, even as the apostle Paul did who promulgated to the various Gentile congregations the apostolic decree handed down at Jerusalem.—Acts 20:26.
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Sam Beli
Many JWs, not most, but many do accept BTs. The administration of blood can be done out of sight of prying eyes and can be a matter between a JWs physician and himself. It is ideal to go to a physician and hospital away from one's home where the JW is unknown to the local JW community. I know of cases where this has been done.
Regards, Sam
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Abandoned
You'd probably get away with the blood transfusion, but I think they're going to nail you for the drinking....