Is there such a thing as dispensation for blood use?

bythesea

I was talking with "worldly" friends the other day and they mentioned a JW friend they knew who recently had some serious surgery and received a special dispensation so that she could have blood for this surgery. That's what they claim she told my friends....the husband is an elder, and it was suggested that through his contacts that he was able to get this for her. I expressed disbelief and have asked my friends to see if they can get more info about her "dispensation" and whether she actually recv'd whole blood or fractions during surgery. They've said she never mentioned fractions, but referred to BLOOD. I've also asked them to find out who this dispensation actually came from.

Have any of you ever heard of a dispensation for blood use? I've been associated with JWs for over 25 yrs and have never heard of such a thing, and while I miss lots of meetings now, in my fade, I'm sure my devout husband would inform me of such a change if there was one. What's your take on this story?

ldrnomo

No dispensations that I know of. Sounds like either an excuse or maybe the person received hemoglobin or some other part of the blood that the bORG allows.

Can't imagine special dispensations but who knows, maybe this is the next step in the bORG's loosening up of the archaic prohibition of blood.

LD

Farkel

:Can't imagine special dispensations but who knows, maybe this is the next step in the bORG's loosening up of the archaic prohibition of blood.

Perhaps the borg is following the path of the Catholic Church.

1) Provide dispensations

2) Realize that people will PAY for such dispensations

3) Provide indulgences

4) Rake in money

5) Laugh all the way to the bank

Farkel

designs

It would serve their entire religion better to view blood transfusions as venial sins rather than mortal sins.

The Courts are binding them to not place excommunication over the heads of their followers in medical issues.

sir82

My take?

Your "worldly" friends misunderstood the situation. The JW in question probably originally was opposed to using blood fractions, but the HLC convinced them that they could take XYZ treatment derived from some blood fraction.

Non-JWs can't begin to imagine the Byzantine JW reasoning about "blood", "components" and "fractions". The non-JW friends mistook what the JW said about "fractions from blood" and translated it, in their own minds, to "blood".

There are no "dispensations" - but there may be soon, if one of the Bethel monitors reads Farkel's post!

isaacaustin

althoug, similar to the situation before alternative military service was allowed, don't they say if the court orders the transfusion to not fight it? It is then the court's decision and on them?

insearchoftruth

I mentioned blood fractions/transfusions to the husband of the gal who is studying with my wife and he tried to talk out of both sides of his mouth saying that if a person had a blood transfusion in a stressful situation or felt pressured into it, but showed heartfelt remorse they would not be disfellowshipped.......I pretty much rolled my eyes at the guy...

I hate that cult.

skeeter1

I have not heard an "official" word fron the WTS that it allows whole blood for surgery.

That being said, it does allow Witnesses to take whole blood of their own if it is named "Current Therapy". This is where some blood is completely taken from the body (not in a machine), adulterated with chemicals in a lab, and later retransfused back into the patient.

The WTS has not been forthcoming in telling followers the new "rules" on blood. They were not forthright with hemoglobin. The WTS banned it in its publications in 1991, but appeared to allow it as numerous medical journals and newspapers reported Jehovah's Witnesses and liasons were receiving it. Only until a few years ago after a critique and AP article, did the WTS officially announce to the rank & file that they could take hemoglobin. The same thing happened with a hemophiliac fraction in the 1970's.

Given the WTS past ploy of not "blowing the horn" to the rank and file when a new procedure becomes acceptable...rather quietly telling the HLC elders.... this use of "dispensation" may be valid. The key is that it's not a "transfusion" which would be a bad play on words.

sir82

if a person had a blood transfusion in a stressful situation or felt pressured into it, but showed heartfelt remorse they would not be disfellowshipped

I think that is probably true.

If elders hear that someone has accepted a blood transfusion, tehy would form an "investigative commitee" (2 elders) to verify it.

If the transfusion recipient bawls his/her eyes out and says they "succumbed to pressure", the resulting judicial committee might well decide to issue only "private reproof", or maybe "public reproof" if other JWs know of it.

With blood, as with any other DF offence, the criteria for DF is (or at least should be, according to JW rules) not whether they "did the deed", but the person's attitude during the committee meeting. Is he/she repentent?

Of course, due to legal fears, the Society now says that if someone takes an unallowed blood transfusion, he has "disassociated himself by his actions", rather than "being disfellowshipped". Of course the net result is the same - shunning. But even for cases of disassociation, a judicial committee is formed, at least for the paperwork part of it. So a person who shows "heartfelt remorse" even for a blood transfusion would perhaps not be expelled.

parakeet

Have any of you ever heard of a dispensation for blood use?

Sure. Here's how it works: You take the blood transfusion, get disfellowshipped, followed by years of groveling before the elders and sitting in the back of the KH before they take you back.

Is there such a thing as dispensation for blood use?

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