Blood Fractions (page 7)

cantleave

So if I am allowed to use "fractions" why can't I donate my blood to manufacture the fractions?

Scully

it writes:

On the subject of blood components in comparison with fractions: plasma for example is a major component unique to only blood as created by God.

If you believe that, I hope you don't own a plasma TV.

The JW teaching on blood is for want of a better analogy like a child's tricycle. While the larger wheel rests upon scripture, the two smaller wheels rest upon science and medicine. Without the (alleged) support provided by the two smaller "wheels," the purely religious notion that God forbids the eating of blood does not have anything at all to do with transfusion and the entire structure topples over.

But how is my 90 year old grandmother ( a devout JW ) going to understand fully the decision she is making with regard to blood fractions?

Obviously she can't The same goes for my wife's aged parents. That sort of dilemma is exactly what I was alluding to when I pointed out that there is no visible difference between the administration of an albumin solution and plasma. Understanding a distinction that minute would require reading and understanding an entire chapter on blood in a college level primer on human physiology.

For the apologist, this is really a no-win situation and I'm sympathetic to a point. Attempting to legitimize the idea that blood as a substance is the real issue when we're allowed to eat red bone marrow and that there are more leukocytes in colostrum than there are in circulating blood, requires that the apologist find some sort of scientific distinction to hang their hat on.

Yet the more estoteric and technical the discussion becomes, the more painfully obvious it is to all that the autonomy of the average JW patient is a lie. The ability to understand the reasons behind a life and death decision is a prerequisite to the ability to bear the responsibility for that decision.

palmtree67

that there are more leukocytes in colostrum than there are in circulating blood,

You know, I knew that and totally forgot that intersting bit of trivia!

Thank you again, TD.

AllTimeJeff

I have such a different perspective right now. There are some things that matter, and some things that don't.

What matters on this whole subject, regardless of how many WT articles you quote, or how long a post you want to write as an apologist, is it simply doesn't matter why the leadership of JW's try to defend and establish and justify their stand on blood.

What matters is that people by the tens of thousands have died or have suffered irrepairable harm. Their stand is ignorant and harmful.

It doesn't matter why JW's believe the way they do on this. It only matters that they are wrong.

What matters is that thanks to the internet, more JW's then ever have the information available to access. More and more former JW's have shared many good thoughts, not a few of which reside on this board.

AIW, it simply doesn't matter. Life is important now. The use of blood as medicine saves lives now. That's what matters. Anything else that the leadership of JW's put out there, or internet JW apologists like AIW says, doesn't matter. It's really that simple.

GLTirebiter

Well said ATJ, and it's good to see you here again!

Healing on the sabbath was against OT law. Jesus ignored the law, healing on the sabbath (and rebuking the "law-abiding" pharisees in attendance).

Eating blood was against OT law. If Jesus was a doctor and the patient was dying from loss of blood, WWJD? Save the patient's life, of course!

alice.in.wonderland

"The JW teaching on blood is for want of a better analogy like a child's tricycle. While the larger wheel rests upon scripture, the two smaller wheels rest upon science and medicine. Without the (alleged) support provided by the two smaller "wheels," the purely religious notion that God forbids the eating of blood does not have anything at all to do with transfusion and the entire structure topples over.
But how is my 90 year old grandmother ( a devout JW ) going to understand fully the decision she is making with regard to blood fractions?
Obviously she can't The same goes for my wife's aged parents. That sort of dilemma is exactly what I was alluding to when I pointed out that there is no visible difference between the administration of an albumin solution and plasma. Understanding a distinction that minute would require reading and understanding an entire chapter on blood in a college level primer on human physiology.
For the apologist, this is really a no-win situation and I'm sympathetic to a point. Attempting to legitimize the idea that blood as a substance is the real issue when we're allowed to eat red bone marrow and that there are more leukocytes in colostrum than there are in circulating blood, requires that the apologist find some sort of scientific distinction to hang their hat on.
Yet the more estoteric and technical the discussion becomes, the more painfully obvious it is to all that the autonomy of the average JW patient is a lie. The ability to understand the reasons behind a life and death decision is a prerequisite to the ability to bear the responsibility for that decision."

I didn't intend to entertain the Bible's admonishment about blood, as to whether it prohibits consumption or both consumption and intravenous use.

From the most ancient renderings of the New Testament (the New World Translation is based on the Westcott and Hort text. Two manuscripts were favored by Westcott and Hort: Vaticanus and Sinaiticus), Acts 15:20 clearly states to abstain from blood. If you translate the Bible a hundred different ways, what is stated can mean whatever you darn well want it to. There's plenty of people that play games with the plain meaning of plain words.

Abstain for two reasons:

Health considerations. There were disease risks in eating blood. Blood transfusions weren't a common medical practice in the 1st century (the century the last book of the Bible was completed). The first historical attempt at a blood transfusion was described in the 17th century, although there was no way to safely store blood, screen blood for diseases or match blood types in the 17th century.

The sanctity of blood. Under the Mosaic Law there was only one use of blood that God ever approved, namely, for sacrifice. Animal sacrifices to make atonement for sin. (Le 17:10, 11) Under the Christian arrangement, the sanctity of blood was even more strongly emphasized.

While technology has removed some of the health risks, science hasn't resolved the modern flood of blood transfusions as a natural human function. Blood compatibility has many aspects, and is determined not only by the blood types (O, A, B, AB), but also by blood factors, (Rh, Kell, etc.). Much like fingerprints our blood is unique to ourselves; only identical twins have exactly the same antigens recognized by the immune system in their blood.

The sanctity of blood is of little importance to those completely disconnected from God or those that have an idealistic opinion of a supreme being that exists only in their mind. Transfusion medicine is still fraught with dangers, so it only has a future if alternatives aren't discovered for all medical circumstances. If alternatives aren't discovered, that should tell you something about medical science's inability to cure diseases.

palmtree67

The sanctity of blood is of little importance to those completely disconnected from God

The issue is not sanctity of blood.

The issue is respect for life.

If alternatives aren't discovered, that should tell you something about medical science's inability to cure diseases.

Duh.

AllTimeJeff

"The issue is respect for life."

Bravo Palmtree. That is it in a nutshell.

Blood and blood medicine saves lives. If JW's can have organ transplants and blood fractions, but not whole blood, that is just absolutely contradictory and nuts.

In the end though, as I will repeat, it doesn't matter what any JW will say to defend the indefensible. What matters is the saving of life whenever it can be done.

Heaven

Would you give a blood transfusion to a starving man?

Then conversely, would you give food to a man who needed to replenish his life force (aka blood) because it is draining from his body?

My Father still chooses to 100% refuse all blood. He says he is informed. He is not. He can't even remember what day it is.

Blood Fractions

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