The Organ Transplant Doctrine

by Sharpie 9 Replies latest watchtower medical

  • Sharpie
    Sharpie

    I read this page http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/medical.php about old light about organ transplants..

    Anyways so here is the timeline in short after reading that page.
    Organ transplants Acceptable in 1961
    ...it does not seem that any Scriptural principle or law is involved. It therefore is something that each individual must decide for himself." Watchtower 1961 August 1 p.480 Questions from Readers
    Organ transplants unacceptable in 1967
    "Sustaining one's life by means of the body or part of the body of another human...would be cannibalism, a practice abhorrent to all civilized people… It is not our place to decide whether such operations are advisable from a scientific or medical standpoint… Christians who have been enlightened by God's Word do not need to make these decisions based simply on the basis of personal whim or emotion. They can consider the divine principles and use these in making personal decisions as they look to God for direction, trusting him and putting their confidence in the future that he has in store for those who love him" Watchtower 1967 November 15 pp.702-704

    Organ transplants still unacceptable in 1975 for some preposterous reason. The oddest one yet. Hell, cannibalism made more sense then this
    "A peculiar factor sometimes noted is a so-called 'personality transplant.' That is, the recipient in some cases has seemed to adopt certain personality factors of the person from whom the organ came." Watchtower 1975 September 1 p.519

    Organ transplants now acceptable in 1980
    "There is no Biblical command pointedly forbidding the taking in of other human tissue…. It is a matter for personal decision…" Watchtower March 15, 1980, p 31

    So in summary a total 13 years in which Jehovah Witnesses lost their lives for a wrong, laughable and down right stupid reason.

    All I'm looking for is lawsuits during because of this doctrine. There had to be some uprising, not from the brainless pawns but from family members who lost loved ones during this period. Any help finding news artistically would be much appreciated. Thanks

  • miseryloveselders
    miseryloveselders

    Organ transplants still unacceptable in 1975 for some preposterous reason. The oddest one yet. Hell, cannibalism made more sense then this
    "A peculiar factor sometimes noted is a so-called 'personality transplant.' That is, the recipient in some cases has seemed to adopt certain personality factors of the person from whom the organ came." Watchtower 1975 September 1 p.519

    Thats classic. I used to love USA's Up All Night as a kid and teenager with Gilbert Godfrey and Rhonda, cant remember her last name. But they showed all the weird B-movies from the 80's and late 70's, and a couple flicks seem based off this article. Remember "The Hand"? Dude gets a hand transplant and the hand was from a serial killer or something, and the transplant recipient started killing people or somthing like that?

  • JWoods
    JWoods

    Welcome to the forum - and an interesting subject for your first post. You quoted from 1975 -

    Organ transplants still unacceptable in 1975 for some preposterous reason. The oddest one yet. Hell, cannibalism made more sense then this
    "A peculiar factor sometimes noted is a so-called 'personality transplant.' That is, the recipient in some cases has seemed to adopt certain personality factors of the person from whom the organ came." Watchtower 1975 September 1 p.519

    I have no proof, but at the time this was just past an equally preposterous 1970 idea that the human heart somehow could "think" for a person like the brain. Possibly this above idea was aimed at heart transplants?

    I think that lawsuits over this issue, however, would probably be few and far between. The rules changes were not very obvious even to the JWs at the time - certainly it was under the surface compared to blood transfusions.

  • sir82
    sir82
    All I'm looking for is lawsuits during because of this doctrine.

    Organ transplants are a rare procedure to begin with, and were even rarer (and riskier) in the 60's and 70's.

    Given the relatively small proportion of JWs living in lands where such operations were affordable and possible, plus the general reticence of JWs to even think of suing the Society, I'd say there may even have been 0 such lawsuits.

    Of course I may well be wrong - that's just my gut reaction based on no evidence.

  • blondie
    blondie

    If you want to find out about lawsuits, the most likely place would be www.ajwrb.org

    http://www.ajwrb.org/about.shtml

  • straightshooter
    straightshooter

    Thanks for the interesting facts about organ transplants. Remember that the WTS try to keep such lawsuits secret.

  • XPeterX
    XPeterX

    Just saw this topic.An elder in my congregation has had a kidney transplant.I am going to ask him what he would do if we were in 1967.He would be considered a "cannibal".

  • Sharpie
    Sharpie

    do tell how it goes :)

  • thetrueone
    thetrueone

    Putting the power of god into men's hands can have dire consequences, cant it.

    There are thousands of Christian based religious groups proclaiming they are god's

    solemn organization with the holy spirit guiding them as well......ummm

  • carla
    carla

    Marking for another great flip flop, thanks.

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