South Africa. Court saves JW girl's life

by jakes 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jakes

  It seems as if the courts in South Africa are taking a hard line stance on children of Jehovah’s Witnesses and blood transfusions.

  Court saves Jehovah's Witness girl's life

  20 February 2009, 06:13

  By Kanina Foss
  
  A 12-year-old Jehovah's Witness girl has received a life-saving blood transfusion that she did not want after a Johannesburg High Court order gave doctors the go-ahead.
  
  The girl, who suffers from leukaemia, was admitted to Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital on Tuesday. Despite being told that a blood transfusion was needed to save her life, the girl and her parents refused to consent to the procedure.
  
  Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it's against God's will to take other people's blood, or one's own blood that has been stored, into one's body.
  
  The official website of Watchtower, a Jehovah's Witness organisation to which The Star was referred by the Jehovah's Witnesses of South Africa, says: "True Christians will not accept a blood transfusion. They want to live, but they will not try to save their life by breaking God's laws."
  
  The Gauteng Department of Health said doctors consulted the girl's parents and church elders to explain the need for the transfusion. When their explanations were rejected, they brought an urgent application before the High Court on Wednesday.
  
  The court order was issued on the same day, and the girl was given a transfusion immediately.
  
  According to Department of Health spokesperson Phumelele Kaunda, the parents respected the court's decision.
  
  The girl is doing well.
  
  SA Human Rights Commission chairperson Jody Kollapen said that in such cases, the right to life took precedence over the right to religion.
  
  He said adults were regarded as fit to make informed decisions about their own bodies, but in the case of a child, state intervention was sometimes necessary.
  
  Jehovah's Witnesses argue that there are often alternatives to a blood transfusion, and they want to be allowed to consider other options.
  
  They base their beliefs on biblical text such as Acts 21, verse 25: "As for the believers from among the nations, we have sent out, rendering our decision that they should keep themselves from what is sacrificed to idols as well as from blood and what is strangled and from fornication."
  
  In November, the Pietermaritzburg High Court granted an urgent order authorising a blood transfusion for a four-day-old baby boy who was born 15 weeks premature. His Jehovah's Witness parents had refused to give their consent, despite a prognosis from the doctor involved.

  • This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on February 20, 2009

  http://www.thestar.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20090220054001117C891248

  jakes
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  dinah

  That's good news.

  The saddest part about children dying over the blood issue is the number of those kids who would likely abandon the religion when they get older. A child is just not mature enough to make that kind of decision, especially when they are indoctrinated to the extent Witness kids are.

  It seems the courts in America are still reluctant to step in.
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  jeeprube

  Thank God! Court trumps cult, I love it. Perhaps when this young girl grows up she will appreciate the legal system saving her life from the hands of an evil, twisted empire.
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  Mary

  The official website of Watchtower, a Jehovah's Witness organisation to which The Star was referred by the Jehovah's Witnesses of South Africa, says: "True Christians will not accept a blood transfusion. They want to live, but they will not try to save their life by breaking God's laws."

  Thus sayeth the Governing Body. Of course, they like to promote this sort of warped thinking that Jehovah would rather see someone dead than accept a medical procedure that can save their life. Isn't this what they're always bashing the Pharisees for? Going by the Letter of the Law rather than showing an act of mercy? By their own words, Jesus confirmed that acts of mercy and the value of human life outweighed The Law:

  "....it was perfectly legitimate to render a show of mercy to one who is in need even though it was the Sabbath and that there is in effect, no violation of the Sabbath by such course of action."----Watchtower 1952, p. 575 QFR

  Plus, Mark 3:1-6 shows what Jesus held in higher regard: the Law or human life when He said:

  "And he said to the man with the withered hand: "Get up [and come] to the center." Next he said to them: "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do a good deed or to do a bad deed, to save or to kill a soul?" But they kept silent. And after looking around upon them with indignation, being thoroughly grieved at the insensibility of their hearts, he said to the man: "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored."

  Matthew 12:10-12:

  "....So they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?" that they might get an accusation against him. He said to them: "Who will be the man among you that has one sheep and, if this falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not get hold of it and lift it out? All considered, of how much more worth is a man than a sheep!..."

  And by their own words, even the Pharisees had more heart than the WTS does because they also confirm that if it were a matter of life and death, even the Pharisees would 'bend the rules':

  ".....The Pharisees might come to the aid of a stranded or injured domestic animal (a financial investment) on the Sabbath but never to a man or a woman-not unless it was a matter of life and death."--Oct 15, 1997 Watchtower pg. 30

  More and more blood on their hands every day. I'm really glad this little girl made it, despite the best efforts of the Borg to murder her.
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  yadda yadda 2

  Did you see that at the end of the article? The JW parents of a 4 day old premature baby boy were willing to let him die. What an absolutely sick religion it is.

  Baby killers. BY THEIR FRUITS YOU WILL RECOGNISE THEM.
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  kurtbethel

  "True Christians will not accept a blood transfusion. They want to live, but they will not try to save their life by breaking God's laws."

  When did religion that accepts human sacrifice of children become associated with the Christian God instead of Moloch?
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  purplesofa

  Even Jehovah did not sacrifice his own son as an infant.

  He let Jesus come of age to be bapitised, and make that decision on his own.

  I hope that more and more courts will intervene with minors concerning blood transfusions.

  Even the government will not let someone enlist in the military potentially sacrficing their life to fight for their country, until they 17.

  http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_age_limit_for_military_enlistment

  Minimum age 17

  Maximum age 42

  DOD allows services to set lower recruitment maximum ages.

  Army 42
  Army Reserves 42
  Air Force 27
  Air Force Reserve 34
  Navy 34
  Naval Reserves 39
  Marines 28
  Marine Corps Reserve 29
  Coast Guard 27

  purps
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  mkr32208

  Someone needs to come up with a packet for dr's to take to court with them. Like that fact that only 30% of witness children will REMAIN witnesses later in life.

  I think thats important information for a judge to consider. How can they not order blood when 70% (or more) of these kids will stop being witnesses in their late teens?
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  LouBelle

  I saw this reported on TV - I was so happy that it was on TV as it's usually just in print media - better coverage of live news - pretty cool. Perhaps it will just tweak something in dubs brain when they hear a different spin on it.

  jakes - I was wondering if 3rd Degree would be interested in a follow up & see if they can actually get the elders to comment. Perhaps I should send an email to them.
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  jakes

  Loubelle

  I was thinking the very same thing. If they get enough e-mails maybe they will consider it. An ex JW friend of mine actually edited that story for the SABC news. I can speak to him as well.

  Let's lift the lid a bit more here in South Africa.

  jakes