by Marvin Shilmer 8 Replies latest jw friends
Jehovah’s Witnesses — Going it alone for decades!
Today I uploaded a new article to my blog showing how Jehovah’s Witnesses were left to go it alone for more than 40 years after Watchtower deemed it sinful to accept transfusion of blood.
My article is titled Jehovah’s Witnesses — Going it alone for decades and is available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/09/jehovahs-witnesses-going-it-alone-for.html
Marvin Shilmer
I recall during the 80's the big fuss here about Ron Lapin and his championing the cause of bloodless surgery. He gained what was almost "Messiah" status among JW's at the time . . . I'm sure I recall the publication "No Man's Blood" being available through the literature counter.
Looking back it would appear he simply saw the plight of thousands of innocent sufferers who had this crazy doctrine thrust upon them with no recourse to alternatives. It was only really after that time that any tangible assistance was developed and provided by the Organisation themselves . . . shamed into it by "worldlies"
Considering that Lapin faced accusations of rape and a bitter divorce in the 90's, it not surprising he faded into the darkness in WT world . . . he had served their purpose by then anyway.
This is destined to become nothing but a modern day shameful abuse of ecclesiastical authority.
Sizemik - Good memory- thanks for mentioning this Dr guy. I remember Lapin being spoken of in reverential tones- he (And Neo) was "The One".
I remember reading Lapin's book, he was indeed a legend among JWs. There was a tape recording going around of an interview he did for Australian TV that put his poition in perspective. One of the first things he said was that in the case of major trauma there was no alternative other than fresh whole blood. His interest was in elective surgery. I don't think that was what they wanted to hear.
As an elder I went to support a family whse son had been hit by a car while getting off the school bus. He had suffered a ruptured spleen and the surgeons obviously wanted to operate quickly and use blood. It was pre-HLC days so I telephoned London bethel. They were absolutely useless, I may as well have phoned the local pizza shop for advice.
Thankfully the hospital contacted a judge and had the child made a "ward of court". He got the surgery with blood and made a good recovery. Nobody was saying it publicly but I'm certain everybody was secretly relieved the doctor had taken it out of the hands of the parents.
cofty writes:
“It was pre-HLC days so I telephoned London bethel. They were absolutely useless, I may as well have phoned the local pizza shop for advice.”
And isn’t that both sad and telling!
Since year 1944 Watchtower’s been harping and harping that taking blood transfusion is sinful, ultimately going so far as to impose this position under pain of organized communal shunning of an extreme variety. And then what did Watchtower do for more than 40 years? It left individuals in the community of Jehovah’s Witnesses to either sink or swim on their own.
Opting to take blood was tantamount to family/social suicide because laws did not protect a patient’s privacy.
Opting to refuse blood was tantamount to literally suicide in many cases because in many cases transfusion of donor blood was the difference between living and dying.
The common theme:
- Take blood and no one in Watchtower land was there to help!
- Refuse blood and no one in Watchtower land was there to help!
Something about binding up heavy loads comes to my mind!
Marvin Shilmer
Everytime my wife and I are out somewhere and she opens her wallet to pay for something and I see that no blood card I feel like riping it up.
People die as a result of following a policy written by men who could care less about them. The men who write this ever changing policy have no medical or scientific training and their understanding of biblical laws and principles is even worse.
Making policies that put its followers in very difficult positions with no support has been a common practice of the Watchtower. When they came up with the stop smoking or be df'd rule. That was all they did. Make rule. They didn't create support groups to help people quit. They just made the rule and said obey it.
The same was true with the draft. They didn't have any draft counseling. If you wanted draft counseling during the Viet Nam war years you had to get information for the antiwar groups that were around at that time. Usually a hippie hanging around the draft board office. And did the Watachtower form a network of support to visit and help the young men who went to jail for the Watchtower? Nope!
This is really the key to understanding the upside down nature of JW's "faithful" adherence to murderous policies by the GB.
Were we to substitute the court and the procedure a bit you can quickly see what I mean.
What if it were a court in Malawi making individual Witnesses a "ward" of the court and ordering a political party card on them!
Or, a court in a Muslim country legally forcing a family of JW's to burn all their Watchtower literature and bibles...
The focus is on how far (in such instances) JW's would fight, resist, refuse, raise bloody hell, appeal, sue, etc. to PREVENT such "legalisms" from
taking place! These are CLEARLY actions no JW would normally perform even in the face of death.
But, family members aren't humanly anxious to make martyrs of their loved ones unless they are quite mad to begin with. Sane people (even JW's) will inwardly rejoice at having the burden seemingly lifted from their consciences.
In the case of RAPE JW women are instructed to scream even if overpowered and threatened with death!
Think about it---how is having your child made a ward of the court any less of an "overpowering"?
Am I making myself clear here?
I have two personal experiences.
1. I was with my wife whilst her sister was dying for the want of platelets in an intensive care unit in London. The poor woman was so short of this blood fraction that she was bleeding through her skin. I went to speak to the senior doctor and told her that our British head quarters was just up the road and I was sure that they would have some expertise to share to help. The Doctor was open to any help that could be suggested. There was no profesional pride or insult taken at the implication thay others, even laymen may be able to offer advice.
I went up to London Bethel and asked for any help from the accumulated experience and knowledge that they may have accumulated. The HLC had yet to be thought of. The answer: "all we have is what is in the literature". He then referred me to a witness that practised homeopathy, a branch of quackery that I view as praying on the vulnerability of the desperate especially that of impressionable witnesses.
I went to Bethel having full of hope and faith in the warmth and strenth of the organisation. I returned dissilusioned with the knowledge that I had received no help, not even sympathy or good wishes. The coldness and lack of empathy from these "brothers" that hold themselves up as the only source of love and support in this cruel world still shocks me.
2. Another close relative died after a major operation, the loss of blood prove too much and the poor lad succumbed. A member of the HLC stood by looking sheepish. He offered no advice, there was no specialist knowledge given to the doctors or nursing staff. He was as much use as a turd in baby bath. I think in hind sight that he was just there to ensure that tere was no back sliding, no sneaky transfusions.
The eighteen year old lad who had just started university had his life ahead of him, he was cut off before he even had chance to understand what life was all about.
In both cases one before, one after the HLC arrangement not a scintilla of help. We were on our own. Two members of our family gone to what?
Terry, I get exactly what you mean, very good point.
Slidin Fast you have had more direct experience of the impact of this stupid law than most. I think a lot of JWs imagine that if it really came to the crunch there would always be alternative treatments and the HLC would come in like the cavalry and save the day. The reality is much more mundane. A life slips away while everybody who could help stands around feeling helpless and frusrated.
