I knew and planned, that if it came to that, I would close the door and tell the doctor to use blood to save my child and let God kill me for it if needed.
I lacked faith that we were 100% right I guess so I couldn't take that risk.
How many of you would have let your child die over the blood issue?
by UnConfused 16 Replies latest watchtower medical
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Giordano
I never believed it....ever. But when I married and we wanted to start a family I realized I could no longer be associated with such an ignorant and dangerous group.
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designs
It was very scary dealing with the blood issue as a JW parent, getting false and misleading information from the Society was horrible. When my daughter was born in 82 she had a hole in her lung and her chest filled with air we had her in the neonatal intensive care unit. We were scared the doctors were very concerned and kept asking me for permission to transfuse my baby. I was the milkman, my wife was in another hospital recovering from a cicerian and pumping her breasts and I was feeding my daughter when they would take her out of an isolation chamber. My daughter's lung healed after 2 weeks and we were all able to be at home.
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JeffT
Glad I never had to face it. I think that if push came to shove I would have given permission when no one was around. My wife says that it would have been a no-brainer, she would not have let one of her children die. Interestingly, in a recent conversation with my sister about this (she's an MD) she said that many in the medical community know that they will get a different answer to the question if no one else is in the room.
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designs
JeffT- Many a Witness parent silently prayed that the Court would take over and give the doctors power to do the right thing.
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UnConfused
Interesting JeffT concerning your sister's observation.
@designs, I'm glad that ended well!
@G - I take it you didn't marry a witness?
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DesirousOfChange
I know that in the past I would have "sacrificed" my life by refusing blood, but I don't know if I ever would have stood firm on that for my wife or children. There was always comfort in knowing the Courts would have interceded in the case of a minor child.
I really used to believe that this was an identifying mark that the JWs were God's Chosen People. Today, that idea just seems ludicrous! When someone is only taking in (WT) propaganda and ignoring the opposing view, no matter how reasonable it is, the propaganda will always win. The WTS trains JWs to NOT listen to opposing views. It (literally) demonizes anyone who disagrees with their dogma. A JW who would reasonably study both sides of an issue of contention, is cast as someone who is both "partaking of the table of God and the table of demons".
While I do think medical professionals often suggest a transfusion when such is not really necessary, I also realize the absolute ban on transfusions is/was strictly a man-made doctrine that cannot be realistically supported by Scripture (unless such is twisted like wringing out an old washrag). This is made no more evident by the fact that it has moderated to where it is NOT an aboslute ban (abstain from blood). It is obviously a case of the 2/3 vote by faillible men on what "fractions" they have been convinced are "OK" and which are not. Something this ridiculous could only be the product of lawyers (or maybe politicians).
Doc
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designs
Doc- Transfusions can and were over used which made the Society's claims seem valid. My father talked about seeing guys blow up like balloons on the battle field in the South Pacific from transfusions but you can imagine the unsanitary conditions of a field surgical situation.
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charlie brown jr.
I was one............
that blind!
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OnTheWayOut
I think I would have died for the cause from my conversion in 1988 up until 1996 or so. I probably would have allowed my wife to die for the cause up until then also. I have to imagine that if I had kids in that time period, I would have answered as JeffT did- save the kids and let Jehovah kill me.
The generation change of 1995 woke me up enough to know that sometimes the rules change in "the truth" and I would make decisions for myself on each issue.