BBC afternoon radio play about pregnant JW and the "blood issue"

slimboyfat

Did anyone catch this on Radio 4 yesterday?

People in the UK can listen to it on the following link:

http://beta.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=afternoon%20play

The Understanding.

PG Morgan's drama tackles the emotional realities of dealing with an ethical dilemma. A young Jehovah's Witness is urgently admitted to hospital and prepared to have her baby delivered by Caesarian section. What happens in the next few minutes will test the judgement - and the understanding - of everyone in the room. With Philip Fox, Katy Cavanagh, Golda Rosheuvel, Sam Dale. Directed by Jonquil Panting.

Clam

Cheers Slim. That's very good.

snowbird

Clam!!!

Syl

nelly136

for future reference.

slimboyfat

It is excellent. It's just a shame there are a couple of details JWs could nit pick. Like I don't see how two JWs could meet each other speed dating. And the husband kept saying Lord instead of Jehovah, and at one point "Lord accept her into your arms", which just sounds wrong.

But the main issues came across very well, for instance how JWs in general don't understand what fractions they can take. (She clearly made a mistake when asked about fractions of primary blood components, believing them to be forbidden as well as primary components) And it showed that some members are more committed than others and can be put under pressure to refuse blood, as the mother was put under pressure by her husband in this case.

If these issues have affected you Clam I am sorry to hear about that.

scotinsw

I don't see how two JWs could meet each other speed dating

At the speed some dub couples get married it might as well be speed dating!

Clam

Sylvia Hi

Slim no not directly affected. My ex was a midwife who used to and still does have ongoing issues and run ins with Dubs.

This has ranged from Elders just making a nuisance of themselves at the delivery suite on an ongoing basis, to mothers hemorhaging in childbirth after refusing transfusions. I passed your link on to her. Apart from your points which wouldn't be picked up my 99% of listeners, I think it's well done.

cameo-d

Some don't need to be pressured. Some have it so ingrained that the blood issue is a "test of loyalty" to jehovah. It is beyond even discussing or reasoning with them.

slimboyfat

I think pregnant JWs are especially vulnerable because emergencies can occur suddenly without any time to reconsider whether to take blood. Plus if someone is pregnant then everyone tends to know about it, so it would be much more difficult to accept blood secretly as some witness must do with routine operations.

jj123jj123

Thank you for sharing, It was very interesting to listen to.

It reminded me of this sad story from 2007

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7078455.stm

BBC afternoon radio play about pregnant JW and the "blood issue"

The Understanding.

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