This jw is confused about fractions

by rebel8 9 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  rebel8

  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Jehovah-s-Witness-1617/2009/2/Blood-3.htm

  She doesn't seem to understand her own religion's teachings on this topic.

  She also contradicts herself a few times about the meaning of "allowed"...

  Jehovah's Witness - Blood

  ---

  Expert: Brenda Martin - 2/24/2009
  
  Question
  I asked this of another expert, but was intrigued by your qualifications as a mother, so I wanted to ask you the same questions: Jehovah's Witnesses are allowed to receive blood fractions. I say "allowed" because they really don't decide for themselves, but let Watchtower decide for them. Before Watchtower "allowed" fractions, Witnesses totally abstained. At the same time they are allowed to receive fractions from blood that is donated by non-Witnesses, they are not allowed to donate blood, themselves. My three-part question is 1. Isn't it hypocritical for Witnesses to benefit from outsiders' donated blood, but not to be allowed to donate? 2. If you truly abstain from blood, how can you be part of a religion that allows "parts" or fractions of blood? 3. Would you ever donate blood so that the fractions could save the life of another Witness- especially your own child?
  
  Answer
  "Jehovah's Witnesses are allowed to receive blood fractions"
  
  Your mistaken!!, I carry a card which states I will not accept "fractions"
  
  "Before Watchtower "allowed" fractions, Witnesses totally abstained".
  
  Wrong again :¬) the "Watchtower" as you put it, niether allows or disallows blood fractions, it is a personal decision made by the Witness themself.
  
  1. Isn't it hypocritical for Witnesses to benefit from outsiders' donated blood, but not to be allowed to donate?
  
  You keep using the word" allowed" which gives me the impression you think we are all governed by men?? JW's obey the BIBLE command "not to take blood" We also know through our study of the scriptures that God views blood as SACRED so we would niether take or give.
  
  2. If you truly abstain from blood, how can you be part of a religion that allows "parts" or fractions of blood?
  
  Im not :¬)
  
  3. Would you ever donate blood so that the fractions could save the life of another Witness- especially your own child?
  
  Never, to do so would be to disobey God, he comes first, & my children agree with that.
  
  Brenda
• 

  WingCommander

  Where did you ask that question? Man, what a condescending asshole she is!!!

  She has one thing right though, JW's are not "allowed" to take blood or fractions. You may choose take them, but then you are automatically considered to be disassociating yourself, and seen as DF'd to every JW you ever knew. Real nice loophole and technicallity, huh???

  I would respond to her that Jesus wasn't "allowed" to break the Sabbath and heal the leper but He went ahead and did so anyway, as God respects mercy, NOT sacrifice. JW's completely miss this fact. Jesus "bent" the Law a bit in order to help someone, and YHWH didn't strike him dead on the spot for doing so, as it was a merciful, loving, kind act. Do you not think God was think the same of us, to save our lives or someone elses? This whole argument is so rediculous to me now; nothing more than straining a gnat and swallowing a camel.

  It is so legalistc, etc. Guess what? JW's were forbidden before 1980 to have an organ transplant, now it's completely ok and NOT even a DA or DF offense. What the hell??

  - Wing Commander
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  That's my question to her. I have asked several questions there (few posted yet) about
  blood and shunning. My follow-up question to Brenda never made it there, it might yet.

  The question is a slight variation on V's questions to ask JW's on his watchtowercomments.
• 

  sir82

  She apparently hasn't viewed the Society's own videos which go on and on singing the praises of doctors willing to work on JWs who will accept fractions of blood.

  Her responses seem to be a bit of "theocratic war strategy" - bending the truth with the assumption that the reader is not really familiar with what the WT teaches.
• 

  troubled mind

  So what are the Watchtower ?Awake articles that have the graph showing fractions "some christians find acceptable " about ? And why do the new Blood cards have all the spaces allowing the person to specify what fractions they do or do not allow to be given ?
• 

  troubled mind

  I responded to her answer also . The answer box said responses may not show up until tomorrow .
• 

  undercover

  Most JWs are confused about fractions...

  The current blood doctrine is so convoluted that the average everyday Jdub doesn't bother to really understand it. They just do exactly what this clueless woman who pretends to be an expert did; mark their card as not accepting any fractions.

  I think some are afraid to actually think about the contradiction and hypocrisy of the current doctrine.

  If one takes the time to study the previous doctrine of banning any and all blood products but then over time "allowing" certain fractions and procedures it has to prompt one to ask, "how can you abstain from blood if you allow some of it to be used?" but I think people are afraid to face the reality of "what if the Society is wrong".
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  My follow-up question showed up on the forum:

  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Jehovah-s-Witness-1617/2009/2/Blood-5.htm

  Here it is if you cannot go to the link:

  ---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
  
  QUESTION: #1. I say "allow" and you feel it is a personal decision. Just because you don't allow yourself fractions, it doesn't take away the validity of the question. Besides, you say that it is a personal decision and that members are not governed by men, but then you say "WE ALL KNOW THROUGH OUR STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT GOD VIEWS BLOOD AS SACRED SO WE WOULD NEITHER TAKE OR GIVE." You answer for all members as if they are all reaching their conclusions on their own. So would that mean that some members can reach the conclusion that the Bible was referring to "eating" blood and not "transfusing" so they could receive transfused whole blood? And some members do benefit from outsider's donated blood when they personally decide to partake of fractions.
  #2. I will rephrase for YOUR semantics. If you totally abstain from blood, what do you think of other members that make the personal decision that fractions of blood are okay for them?
  
  #3. Follow up- Another witness might make a different personal decision about fractions. Are you okay denying your own child fractions even if it means their death, before they are old enough to understand that they can make a "personal decision"?
  

  Answer"WE ALL KNOW THROUGH OUR STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT GOD VIEWS BLOOD AS SACRED SO WE WOULD NEITHER TAKE OR GIVE."
  
  Yes I did answer for all because in this instance it is clear cut; EVERY Witness has studied the scriptures & EVERY witness knows that the scriptures say "blood is sacred" even our young ones know that :¬) No Witness gives or takes blood.
  
  We have all reached the same conclusion because its in black & white in the bible. Not because an organization has told us what to do. I studied the scriptures BEFORE becoming a Witness, before hearing what they believe & I read the scripture myself that says "blood is sacred"
  
  "what do you think of other members that make the personal decision that fractions of blood are okay for them?"
  
  Thats up to their personal conscience, if it allows them to take it. My conscience would not.
  
  "Are you okay denying your own child fractions even if it means their death, before they are old enough to understand that they can make a "personal decision"?
  
  I dont have any "young children" now, but if I did, as a parent I would want the very best of care for them & to me that is not putting someone elses blood into them.
  
  As parents we all have the right to do what we think is best for our kids, until they are old enough to choose for themselves,so why should that exclude medical treatment?
  
  Plus death is not the end, its only the beginning, the child would be brought back to life in God's due time to a paradise earth.

  ----------------------------------------------------------

  I didn't save it for posting here, but I put more additional answer in there. It will show up tomorrow, I think.
  You can add to the answer, too.
  
  Mine was something along these lines:
  
  Brenda says, ""WE ALL KNOW THROUGH OUR STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT GOD VIEWS BLOOD AS SACRED SO WE WOULD NEITHER TAKE OR GIVE."
  
  Yes I did answer for all because in this instance it is clear cut; EVERY Witness has studied the scriptures & EVERY witness knows that the scriptures say "blood is sacred" even our young ones know that."
  
  It is bizarre that all JW's (even the little ones) come to the same conclusion on their own.
  It is bizarre that the Jews and all other Christians do not come to the same conclusion as all JW's.
  Brenda should read the second book by Ray Franz, a former member of the Governing Body- the
  book is IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM. Mr. Franz shows how JW's are misapplying the
  scriptures on blood.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  I think it is funny (funny odd, not funny ha-ha) that she says

  You keep using the word" allowed" ...

  As though your message to her should have changed in response to something she said in the previous sentence of her reply. Does she grasp the difference between a "message board" and "chat"?
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I thought this was the funniest part, not the "allowed" itself but the words that follow:

  You keep using the word" allowed" which gives me the impression you think we are all governed by men??