Blood Transfusions 101 for JW's

by moshe 47 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  agonus

  Very little backlash? I think you kid yourself...
• 

  moshe

  I usually read of several JW kids each year that die for refusing a blood transfusion. A teenage boy who was a WT no-blood martyr made the news a couple of years ago- the Seattle area. I actually talked by telephone to an elder who was on that KH liason committee. When I got done with him, his cocksure attitude was destroyed and replaced with a fear of bloodguilt for the boy's death.
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  garyneal

  moshe: Wow, I wish I could've listened in on THAT conversation. Perhaps you can share a little bit of how that conversation went.
• 

  garyneal

  Anyway, now for what I promised. I did a search of the whole Bible on the word blood to see where it was forbidden and how. Here are the verses, feel free to add any that I may have missed.

  Leviticus 7:22-27 Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden 22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 "Say to the Israelites: 'Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats. 24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. 25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the LORD must be cut off from his people. 26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. 27 If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.' "

  Leviticus 17:10-14 10 " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood." 13 " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off."

  Leviticus 19:26 26 " 'Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. " 'Do not practice divination or sorcery.
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  garyneal

  Deuteronomy 12:16 16 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

  Deuteronomy 12:23-24 23 But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. 24 You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

  Deuteronomy 15:23 23 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

  1 Samuel 14:32-34 32 They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. 33 Then someone said to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that has blood in it." "You have broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over here at once." 34 Then he said, "Go out among the men and tell them, 'Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with blood still in it.' " So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there.

  BTW, all of these passages of scripture are from the NIV translation.
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  garyneal

  Ezekiel 33:24-26 24 "Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, 'Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.' 25 Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? 26 You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you then possess the land?'

  Ezekiel 39:17-20 17 "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: 'Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan. 19 At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,' declares the Sovereign LORD.

  I guess I should've gotten the meaning of this one, perhaps it is figurative. I will check it out later when I have time.

  John 6:53-59 53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

  This is obviously referring to communion and is figurative.

  Acts 21:25 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."

  The Jehovah's Witnesses favorite passage to cite when explaining their errorneous blood doctrine. The context of the whole Bible shows that only eating blood is an abomination.

  1 Corinthians 11:23-26 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

  Holy communion, eat the bread, drink the wine. In the case of a Jehovah's Witness, this is only for the 144,000.
• 

  GLTirebiter

  There's also a scripture - I can't remember where now - that talks about how honorable it is for a man to lay down his soul for a brother. If the blood is the soul, that to be would show support very literally for blood donation.

  Thanks for the lead-in, Greenie! I agree with your reference to John 15:13: "No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends." If blood is life, what better deed could you do than donating blood? According to our local blood center's newsletter:

  Valentine's day (Feb. 14) is the official National Donor Day encouraging Americans to discuss, donate or pledge to donate blood, marrow, organ and tissue with their family and friends.

  If you're eligible, donate!

  GLT
• 

  Iamalone

  It is said that Jehovah loves life and he punishes for the loss of life, but how many died because of a census from David? Or from Moses' actions or inactions? It is so hypocritical and inconsistant in how they apply it. It should be all life or none.