Why can Witness Doctors give Transfusions and sisters sell cigarettes??

by Witness 007 18 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  BroMac

  doctors no, nurses yes

  *** w99 4/15 Questions From Readers ***

  [Footnote]

  Some Christians working in hospitals have had to consider this factor of authority. A physician might have authority to order medications for or medical procedures on a patient. Even if a patient did not mind, how could a Christian doctor in authority order a blood transfusion or perform an abortion, knowing what the Bible says on such matters? In contrast, a nurse employed at the hospital might not have such authority. As she performs routine services, a doctor might direct her to perform a blood test for some purpose or to care for a patient who came for an abortion. In line with the example recorded at 2 Kings 5:17-19, she might conclude that since she is not the one with authority who orders a transfusion or performs an abortion, she could carry out human services for a patient. Of course, she still would have to consider her conscience, so as ‘to behave before God with a clear conscience.’—Acts 23:1.
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  BroMac

  own the store? no cigarettes

  *** km 2/74 pp. 3-4 Harmonizing Our Employment with ‘Love of Neighbor’ ***

  Then there is the person who owns a store and stocks tobacco as a minor item among the many things he sells. He may say he would prefer not to stock it but that his customers demand it, and this may have some basis in fact. He does not feel he is an active promoter of tobacco. Yet, even though his responsibility may be less than that of one whose main means of living is gained from tobacco, what is his reason for acceding to his customers’ demands? Is it not to retain their business and the gain that this brings? Since he is the owner of the store and has control of what is sold there, the responsibility falls directly upon him, and his Christian conscience should move him to dispose of all tobacco stock and not replace it, even though this may result in some financial loss to him. Surely he would be able to adjust his affairs within a reasonable period of time, say three months, and relieve himself of such responsibility, even though suffering some loss, and so be able to continue as a member of the congregation. If a customer inquires why he does not sell tobacco, he can explain that he is being a good neighbor and doing good to others.

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  employed by the store? yes cigarettes *** km 2/74 p. 4 Harmonizing Our Employment with ‘Love of Neighbor’ *** By comparison there may be a Christian who is simply an employee in an establishment that sells tobacco incidentally and who has no voice or control in what is sold. For example, an employee in a restaurant may be called upon by a customer to sell him a cigar which the management stocks. Or, one may be working in a food market; groceries and meat are the principal products sold, but the owners stock tobacco as an incidental item. The Christian employee may be expected to collect money for items that are sold, including the tobacco. Personal conscience would have to dictate what he or she in this situation could and should do as to handling tobacco products to this extent. He may prefer to ask the employer to relieve him of any handling of these objectionable materials. Unless a serious issue would arise, such employee would not be restricted from serving as a pioneer, an elder or a ministerial servant in the congregation.
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  aquagirl

  Im stunned that at the idea that there might be a medical doctor somewhere that is a Jehovahs Witness.Are you sure????
• 

  NOLAW

  Doctors? No!

  I personally know of a lot of trouble that 'responsible brothers' created to a then active JW family cause they had a franchise shop and selling something forbidden. Beeing a franchise shop means that you cannot have much choice to what you sell. And btw the shop was sold to them by another JW!!!@!!!
• 

  WTWizard

  If you work for a large company and part of your job description is to sell cancer sticks or lottery tickets, you are supposedly allowed to. However, if that is your sole job, you are not. And, if you are a sole proprietor and sell those items as a witless, you have to discontinue selling them.

  The same goes for things like selling holiday items. If you are working for a large company and are asked to sell holiday items as a part of selling general merchandise, you can (unless Brother Hounder calls you out for "brazen conduct"). But, you are not supposed to accept a position where your primary job is to sell holiday items or decorate for the holidays. Often witlesses will, however, have problems when called to participate in a birthday party by singing Happy Birthday or a holiday party by singing Christmas carols.
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  serenitynow!

  I've known JW RNs who would not administer blood. As a JW nurse, I had no problem administering blood. I did reason that I do follow doctor's orders unless I know them to be in error and somehow not in the patient's best interests. I never discussed it with any JWs other than nurses. I tried to keep my religion and profession separate. I have also cared for women experiencing complications after having had an abortion.
• 

  PaintedToeNail

  Straining out the gnats, aren't they. All the provisos: You can sell lottery tickets in this situation; but not in that. Sheesh! And to think at one time I agreed with these statements.
• 

  djeggnog

  @Witness 007:

  It's a "Mortal sin" for a Witness to not "abstain from blood" or smoke, yet Witness Elders who work in the medical field are free to administer blood transfusions. And sisters that work in a supermarkets in the section that sells smokes are free to do so.....it's like not being immoral yourself but being a "pimp daddy" for others.

  It's not a mortal sin for one of Jehovah's Witnesses to accept a blood transfusion or smoke. While accepting blood or smoking can result in disfellowshipping action, the fact that a person can be reinstated to the congregation proves that such things aren't "mortal sins" (as would a Catholic that robs a bank (steals), kills a security guard while fleeing the scene of the crime (murder) and never manages to seek absolution from a priest before the police corners and kills the person).

  I mentioned in another thread quite recently how the human conscience determines whether one Christian can engage in behavior that another Christian cannot do. (Hebrews 5:14) Based on the degree to which one's conscience has been trained, what is "right" and what is "wrong" may differ for one Christian that was formerly a devout Jew that never ate pork and still won't do so, and for another Christian has no problem eating pork on every occasion.

  However, if the conscience of a doctor allows him or her to administer blood transfusions to others while the conscience of the nurse that works with that doctor finds what the doctor does in administering blood transfusions to others to be repugnant, the doctor may have to find another hospital where this nurse is not employed or move his or her practice to a different location or terminate the nurse(!) if the doctor should become aware that what he or she does in connection with blood transfusions is causing the conscience of the nurse to be disturbed.

  Why should it be that our freedom is judged by another person's conscience? (1 Corinthians 10:20) What someone else's conscience will allow one to do doesn't mean that your conscience will also allow you to do what someone else's conscience allows. No Christian should allow someone else's conscience dictate their own freedom.

  @djeggnog
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  NOLAW

  Nurses do not sign/order for a blood transfusion. Doctors do, so it is their responisibility and for this reason JWs doctors do not give b. transfusions. Anyway in a big hospital this is not an issue for a JW doctor as another doctor can do so. Jws doctors usually sign an official document that they will not give b. transfusions and the others are aware and 'replace' them on that.
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  Now a question about the family I mentined in the previous post:

  They had so much trouble for having among their merchandise improper material but the dub who sold the business to them apparently didn't. Shouldn't he be punished for making his brothers sin?