BIG NEWS - UK Gov't to Stop Watchtower Blood Teaching? (page 3)

Will Power

REGARDING...."Sorry, but I think this is irrelevant as it only applies to Jehovah's Witnesses themselves."

JWs directly and indirectly effect those around them with their blood policy. What of the JW mother who chooses to die and leaves her children motherless? That mother could be the sole provider for her children. Who's to say those children would grow up to be jw adults? - The statistics say they will not!
She could also be a sister, a daughter, a care-giver to others who may or may not be jws.

It seems like pure selfishness to me. In so many cases a needless death so that person can "secure" their own fate. Putting themselves above everyone else for their own safety.

wp

edmond dantes

As I understand it the Charity Commission is more concerned about whether a charity is exclusive or not, or whether it is open to the general public at large.For instance if a charity based school is operating an exclusion clause and not allowing a certain group of people the freedom of access for one reason or another they could lose their charity status.

This exclusiveness might apply to the disfellowshipped in the JWs instance but from what I can remember a kicked out person can still attend the Watchtower study.Their shunning poicy might fly in the face of what is acceptable to the C.Commission though.

There is ,I think, good grounds for removing the charity status from the Jah Jireh care homes which is run by a group of JWs because that is exclusive to Witnesses who are in good standing and its services are not available to the general public. Maybe someone would like to run with that objection, but bear in mind the Jdubs are not the only ones operating such places, the Christadelphians run care homes as well.

Rabbit

Skeeter, Thank you for posting this.

Well, I think the Charity Comm. is looking at a very big target in the WTB&TS. Their 'charity' whatever that consists of is 99.99999% "in-house". Even then, perhaps the Comm. will look at how ex-Bethelites and others are compensated after they are worn out, old and generally useless to the WT.

Other churches set up soup kitchens for the poor, employment training, health & dental clinics, drug rehab and they help the mentally ill. What about the social damage due to shunning ? Family break-ups, divorces and suicides ?

My JW mom was only one out of many thousands of fatal victims to WT public teachings on blood. Add to those, the people who died, back when JW's were taught organ transplants were cannibalism and vaccinations were forbidden, as being 'against God's Laws.

What do you get ?

Watchtower's Charity score = 0

I know JW's will jump for joy that they are finally being persecuted and that this means...yeah..."The End is Really, Really, Really near now! My Bible tells me so!"

Earnest

Sorry, but I think this is irrelevant as it only applies to Jehovah's Witnesses themselves."

In saying that the blood policy only applies to Jehovah's Witnesses I did not mean to suggest that others were not affected. I was speaking purely in terms of the wording, as reported, that "public benefit is more likely to be an issue where an organisation advancing religion seeks to actively discourage members of the public in general from seeking medical treatment."

I feel sure that if a member of the public were to ask Jehovah's Witnesses whether or not they should take a blood transfusion they would not be told that they should not. Even if they were pressed on God's view of the subject they would likely be shown the scriptures in Acts etc. and be told it is their decision. In fact, the distinction between disfellowshipping and disassociation is that it is an individual decision whether or not to take blood, as it is to go to church, join the army etc. Personally, I cannot see Peter or Jesus making such refinements in order to avoid government disapproval but I think that distinction would probably be upheld in the public arena.

Mary

OK, I wrote them this letter:

Dear Madam/Sir:

I am writing to you regarding the new guidelines for religious charities that could cause a huge 'problem' for Jehovah's Witnesses if it is deemed that their rule on no blood transfusions, is a detriment to the public or harmful in any way. I noticed that a Spokesperson for the Watchtower Society said “There is no evidence that our view on blood causes any damage.”

As I was a Witness for 35 years, let me tell you that this is a gross misrepresentation of the truth and an outright lie. Their refusal to allow blood transfusions when necessary has caused considerable harm and has resulted in the needless death of thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses.

My father nearly died several months ago from a bleeding ulcer. His haemoglobin was dropping fast and the only thing that saved his life is the fact that he did not have that "No Blood" card that Jehovah's Witnesses are supposed to carry with them at all times. The doctor looked horrified when he was told my father was a Jehovah's Witness and asked my mother and me if there was anything he would take.

There was "new light" (a term used within the religion when the leaders try to explain away why they've royally screwed something up) which allows a Witness to accept "fractions" of blood now, but it's so confusing that many Witnesses----in particular the older ones, simply say "no" to all these things, which can cost them their lives. Since we didn't have the list of "acceptable" treatments with us, I was unsure of what my father would and wouldn't take. When the doctor asked if he would accept plasma, I said "Yes, I think that's one that's on the list that he can take".

They administered it to him and it saved his life. Of course, we found out afterwards that this was actually on the list of "banned" treatments, but it saved my father's life. The doctor told me that if they had not administered it to him right then and there he would have bled to death internally.

The bottom line is: The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is a high control group/cult where individual thought and reasoning power are STRONGLY discouraged. The leadership (a group called The Governing Body) run the show and whatever they say is truth, must be accepted by all the Witnesses (what we call the Rank and File) without question. You are told that God works soley through these men and to question them is to question God. You are taught from birth that accepting a blood transfusion will cost you your eternal salvation in the long run and in the short run, it will cost you mentally, emotionally and spiritually as you will be disfellowshipped (an extreme form of shunning) where your family members who do not live under your roof, and life long friends are not allowed to speak to you or acknowledge you even if you're walking down the street.

Since there are many ex-Witnesses who have committed suicide over the complete loss of family and friends when they DO question doctrines of the religion, including that of taking blood transfusions, to say that this doctrine causes great harm to people, is probably the understatement of the year.

I have long felt that if the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society were denied "charitable status" due to their ban on blood transfusions and their horrific practice of shunning and splitting families up, they'd get "new light" on these matters pretty quick. I would like to STRONGLY encourage you to take a very close look at their religion and their horrible practices, because believe me, it's all about money with them. They couldn't care less about the rank and file Witness that dies due to their doctrines----their only concern is to maintain their power and rule over 6.5 million people.

Yep, I think the more people who write them letters giving their experiences showing that the WTS should NOT be granted charity status in the UK, the better. One of these days, they'll run out of countries with generous tax laws that they can hide behind while they continue to let their own members die.

triplestrength

As an EX Min Servant (Accounts) I seem to remember that EACH cong was a charity in it's own right with it's own charity no etc. This may have changed in the last few years I don't know.

But it seems to me the UK government is not happy with the number of organizations getting tax relief and would look for ways to eventually stop this relief.

Another issue they were looking at was the educational value of the org, as one of the ways to get relief was to claim that you offered educational benefits to the community, if that was challenged because people were dying as a result of the education, What then??

I really hope the UK goverment has the guts to carry this out as too many orgs like the witlesses get away without paying tax while offering no value to their communities.

DevonMcBride

A spokesman for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in the UK said: “There is no evidence that our view on blood causes any damage.”

Unnecesary death is plenty of evidence they are damaging. Wow!

BIG NEWS - UK Gov't to Stop Watchtower Blood Teaching?