Awaken in Gilead wrote on May 26th:
I like the point that Plasma is 90% water. This means that JWs should reject water since it is a component of blood. No more water for me, I don't want to become bloodguilty, lol.
That inspired me to write an article for my German magazine "Unser Kuerbisreichsdienst" (meaning "Our Pumpkin Ministry", sounds similar to "Our Kingdom Ministry" in German). I translated it into English for those who are interested
Respect God’s view of blood even more correctly
The Watchtower wrote “that the Bible command ‘abstain from blood’ rules out transfusions of whole blood or its primary components (plasma, red cells, white cells, and platelets)” (page 30). Yes, sincere Christians know that blood “is holy” (Deut. 26:13). Never would it come to their mind to use one of the primary components of blood for anything.
Now, it is time to examine this timeless principle in more detail. The Watchtower from June 15th 2004 said that blood plasma “is 90 percent water” (page 30). Since plasma makes approx. 55 percent of the whole blood, blood is made up of about 50 percent water - more then red cells, white cells, and platelets together! Thus, there can be no doubt that water must be considered as the fifth primary component of blood; strictly speaking, it is THE primary component.
For some, it may be challenging to abstain from water. But there are numerous substitutes, like beer or vodka. As sincere servants of God, we will conscientiously ask if those alternative drinks were made without addition of water, and better abstain from drinking in case of doubt.
Some may argue that drinking water was not obtained from blood. But that is not true, because through the great hydrologic cycle, all water on earth gets continuously cleaned and recycled (Eccl. 1:7). Thus, the water that is sold as drinking water today may have been a primary component of blood in former times. We should keep in mind the command: “Quit touching the unclean thing” (2. Cor. 6:17)!
Some people use water also for washing themselves. But Jesus stated clearly that washing is a pagan practice, a tradition of the scribes and Pharisees (Mark 7:3, 4). Those said to him: “Why is it your disciples overstep the tradition of the men of former times? For example, they do not wash” (Mat. 15:1, 2). As Christians, we want to follow their example by not abusing water for washing.
Without doubt, that will bring us God’s blessing. Shortly, we will make “the odor of the knowledge of him perceptible through us in every place” (2. Cor. 2:14). Yes, we will recognize each other by our smell, thus being “a sweet odor of Christ among those who are being saved”. “Among those who are perishing” - the worldlings - however, we will be like “an odor issuing from death to death” (2. Cor. 2:15,1 6). It will be easy to notice the difference “between one serving God and one who has not served him” (Mal. 3:18). Are we not happy about the privilege to fulfil these prophecies?
The “faithful and discreet slaves” commands us: “Abstain from blood! Abstain from water! Go preaching and diffuse the fragrance of the knowledge of God! Probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger” (compare Zeph. 2:3)!
Those who can read German can find more of those articles at http://svhelden.gmxhome.de