Other religions have Hallal and Kosher foods since the Koran and old Testament tell them to "abstain from EATING blood." These foods are 100% certain to have been bled. Witnesses who think this law is so important DON'T EVER CHECK if their meat is bled, they just asume it is so. Imported Salami, chinese duck soup...no one ever asks, eat what ever you like! However, in medical procedures you need to, in advance question your doctor and his staff to make sure what he is going to do, and NO BLOOD EVEN IF YOU DIE!!!! Is this hypocracy?
Abstain from Blood...so why don't Witnesses have Hallal or Kosher bloodless foods??
by Witness 007 8 Replies latest watchtower medical
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Mad Sweeney
Most JWs have a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude toward the entire topic. As long as they don't willingly and intentionally take blood by eating or transfusion, it's all good.
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blondie
Many jws check especially if living in countries where the laws are lax or non-existent. The laws in the US are fairly strict. But in Belize jws purchased meat only from the Mennonites that were known to butcher meat according to bible blood laws. In some areas they buy only from jws and/or only as they watch the animal butchered and the blood poured out.
*** w61 9/15 p. 557 par. 13 Respect for the Sanctity of Blood ***The law on blood also rules out the eating of anything that has died of strangulation, because the blood would not have been drained. So any animal found smothered or dead in a trap and animals that have been shot but not immediately bled are not fit for food. The practice in many lands of killing chickens by strangulation, breaking the neck but not cutting it, also makes these unfit for consumption by Christians. Some butchers, with no regard for the divine law on these matters, do not properly bleed the animals they prepare for food; in fact, they may deliberately impair drainage to add weight to the meat. If a Christian learns that his butcher does not give attention to the draining of the blood, then he will look for another place to do business or even refrain from eating meat if nothing else is available. Likewise, a conscientious person will not eat meat in a restaurant if he knows that it is customary locally not to give attention to proper bleeding. Under such circumstances, a Christian who wants to eat meat may have to buy a live animal or bird and arrange to have the killing done himself.
*** w61 11/1 p. 670 Questions From Readers ***Christians are also commanded to abstain "from blood and what is strangled." (Acts 21:25) The Scriptures do indicate that one may eat meat but that he must not do it as an act of idolatry; however, nowhere does the Bible say that believers may eat blood under any circumstances. Furthermore, the prohibition on the consumption of blood is directed, not only to those who do their own slaughtering, but to all "the believers." Therefore those believers who do not do their own slaughtering may have to make inquiry to find an acceptable source of supply if they want to eat meat. If you know from your own experience or from inquiry that it is customary in your locality to drain the blood from butchered animals and from fowl killed for food, and you are doing business with a reliable person, then it may not be necessary to ask further specific questions on the matter when meat is purchased. However, one who purchases meat from worldly persons in those communities where Caesar’s laws do not specify that blood must be drained from slaughtered animals would not be able to avoid eating "blood and what is strangled" without making inquiry.
*** w78 6/15 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***
How concerned should a Christian be about blood in food products?God said to Noah, and thus to the whole human family: "Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. . . . Only flesh with its soul—its blood—you must not eat." (Gen. 9:3, 4) Thus, true worshipers should want to avoid eating meat with blood left in it or other foods to which blood has been added.
This may call for a degree of care. For example, in some lands animals usually are strangled, or killed in some other way that leaves the blood in them. Where this is the local practice, Christians usually buy only from merchants, butchers or farmers who are known to sell meat from animals that have been bled properly.
However, federal regulations on the slaughtering of animals in many countries, as for example, in the United States, require that animals be properly bled. Hence, Christians in these areas have little need for concern. They may freely eat meat that is sold in markets or that which is served in restaurants. (Compare 1 Corinthians 10:25, 26, where the reference is to meat that had been offered to idols: "Everything that is sold in a meat market keep eating, making no inquiry on account of your conscience; for ‘to Jehovah belong the earth and that which fills it.’") However, there may be a need to make inquiry about meat from animals killed locally, such as meat from "wild" animals, whether obtained from a hunter, a butcher shop or a restaurant.
But what about food products that may contain blood or some blood component, such as plasma protein?
Some governments require that producers list the ingredients on the label of processed food. Christians who have checked labels over a period of time may have noted that in their area blood is practically never used in foods. Hence, they may rightly have limited their reading of labels only to such times when there is some reason to believe that blood might have been added to an item.
However, recently the Federal Republic of Germany passed a law allowing meat companies to use, without listing it on a label, up to 2 percent (or, in some cases, 10 percent) dried blood plasma in "wieners, frankfurters and similar products including pâte and roulade . . . meatballs, meat stuffings, fricassee, ragout, meat in lard, . . . " What is the conscientious Christian to do in such cases?
He could make inquiry of the butcher or the producer. It is reported that in response to such inquiries, some producers in one Scandinavian land readily gave assurance that blood is not an ingredient in their processed meats; they do not want to lose business. But, in some places, Witnesses who inquired of butchers or meat producers were given vague or questionable replies. It may be noted that, even if the law permits companies to add some blood without stating it, this does not necessarily mean that all or even most of them do so.
Therefore, Christians, individually, must decide what to do. The consciences of some may move them to avoid anything about which they have serious questions or to make such inquiry as is needed to settle their consciences. (Rom. 14:23) In instances where it does not seem possible to get absolute information through reasonable inquiry, other Christians may conclude: ‘Where there is no substantial reason for me to think that blood is present or there is no definite way that I can determine it, I can with a clear conscience "keep eating."’ They should, however, consider the conscientious feelings of others, even as Paul counseled.—1 Cor. 10:28-30; Rom. 14:13-21.
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cofty
The bible principle was that the blood of an animal slaughtered for food was to be poured out on the ground thus symbolically returning the life to god. It was not to be used for any other purpose other than sacrifice.
Even if an animal is bled, the fact remains that the blood from a slaughterhouse is used for a myriad of commercial uses and therefore should not be eaten according to the bible.
Another example of double-standards
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nelly136
when i asked it was explained to me we were following the principle by the meat being bled or summat like that, they would announce certain products to avoid from the platform, irritatingly icecream was one of those products.
when i saw hemapure and products like that are acceptable i wondered how the hell they could justify deliberately transfusing animal blood as animals are supposed to be at least bled, but hey ho a pint or few of cow is fine.
they justify cell savers as its your own blood, but the moment your blood leaves your body it doesnt belong to you and is supposed to be poured on the ground
as for collecting their own blood for transfusion purposes, its still left your body
its seriously all bollox. it may have been no blood in the old days but its not been for a long time so they might as well just admit it instead of playing with peoples lives.
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cofty
its seriously all bollox
Exactly - but tragically its bollocks that costs lives
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Witness 007
Powdered Plasma is used as an addative in some foods.
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BluesBrother
I can well remember the scares of my childhood when dubs would write to food manufactures and ask if blood was used it the product. Such things as Oxo and Bovril were avoided by a lot of Witnesses. Nowadays I guess that you would have to ask if whole blood or the four main components were used - could get complicated.
Game has generally been avoided (as far as I know) but regular meat is believed to be bled , OK . I recall being told that Kosher or Halal products were a safe bet.
I agree though that most dubs are happy to assume that food is blood free these days and "Not make enquiry on account of your conscience" as Apostle Paul said.
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mrsjones5
Because it's a half assed religion propping it's lame arse up as truth. It will never go all the way and getting anywhere close to being Kosher...too much effort. Geez, I was raised in the madness and I could dell then how stupidly shallow it all was.