Watchtower’s Dr. Dixon on Individual Consciences of Jehovah’s Witnesses

by Marvin Shilmer 22 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Marvin Shilmer

  Watchtower’s Dr. Dixon on Individual Consciences of Jehovah’s Witnesses

  Today I added a new article to my blog addressing a statement of cherished belief held by the former head of Watchtower’s medical department. Dr. Dixon’s view was published in the New York State Journal of Medicine in year 1988, and I agree with his cherished belief. My preference would be for the Watchtower organization to also embrace the same belief.

  My article is titled Watchtower’s Dr. Dixon on Individual Consciences of Jehovah’s Witnesses and is available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2012/03/watchtowers-dr-dixon-on-individual.html

  Marvin Shilmer

  http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com
• 

  designs

  Dixon was our Circuit Overseer in the late 60s, bright guy, don't know how he did his stint as a CO.
• 

  james_woods

  Marvin, didn't Dr. Dixon have a medical office in Oklahoma City for a while after he left Bethel? Seems like I remember him there in the late 60s...
• 

  JW GoneBad

  "no mention whatsoever in Scripture of blood constituents as though one is off-limits and another is perhaps not off-limits."

  Ain't that the damnest, bloody truth!

  Thank you Marvin.
• 

  Marvin Shilmer

  james_woods,

  I don’t recall whatever became of Dr. Dixon.

  JW GoneBad,

  When confronted with the question of what biblical texts speak to, for example, platelets that do not speak equally to cryosupernatant Watchtower representatives do one of two things: 1) become stone silent or 2) respond with something nonsensical like “Our consistent position is that it is wrong to accept transfusion of whole blood, red cells, white cells, platelets or plasma.” I have asked several times. Each time I get either door number 1 or door number 2.

  Watchtower’s top leadership knows its blood doctrine is a loser. But to admit this would undermine the entire membership program. It’d be like what happened in the 1920s when upwards of 80% of those associated with Watchtower dumped the organization.[1]

  Marvin Shilmer

  http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com

  ______________

  References:

  1. For more on Watchtower’s huge losses in the 1920s see the articles:

  Watchtower — selling the president available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/08/watchtower-selling-president.html

  Watchtower — emergence of the business end available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/08/watchtower-emergence-of-business-end.html
• 

  james_woods

  Well, Marvin - I asked because we had a JW doctor Dixon in Oklahoma City in the 1970s in the years before I left the JWs.

  I think this must have been the same guy- he was a doctor at Bethel before he moved there. I thought he was a nice guy.
• 

  Marvin Shilmer

  Well, Marvin - I asked because we had a JW doctor Dixon in Oklahoma City in the 1970s in the years before I left the JWs.

  I think this must have been the same guy- he was a doctor at Bethel before he moved there. I thought he was a nice guy.

  Sounds like it’s probably is the same guy. Accounts of his personality vary, but generally speaking he seems to have impressed folks as a decent human being.

  Marvin Shilmer

  http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com
• 

  Marvin Shilmer

  james_woods,

  I think Barb Anderson knew (or knew of) Dixon pretty well. She can probably provide more detail about the man. Most of what I know is from his published work.

  Marvin Shilmer

  http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com
• 

  thetrueone

  Just a point that I think is worth mentioning, is that the WTS. came up with its anti-blood transfusion policy/doctrine, right about the same time

  they stated that god dwells on the star Alcyone in the Pleiades constellation. (1945)

  This shows how sharply acute the WTS. is when it comes to biblical theological comprehension.

  Unfortunately it was a blundering mistake that cost thousands of lives, since the commandment was focused upon the eating consumption of blood,

  just as it still is today by Orthodox Jews.

  The respectful sacredness of blood could still have been retained by the transfusion of blood from one and another in an attempt

  to save a person's life and would fall in line with Jesus's direction of his followers to love one another.

  To give evidence to the WTS. own acknowledgment of this blunder, they've now stated that its OK to take all fractions of blood separately

  and if one was to take a complete blood transfusion, that they would only label them DA and not completely disfellowshiped.
• 

  james_woods

  james_woods,

  I think Barb Anderson knew (or knew of) Dixon pretty well. She can probably provide more detail about the man. Most of what I know is from his published work.

  Very likely, as she was at Bethel during the time he would have been there. (Barbara and I are not exactly getting along just now as I challenged her on continuing to associate with the Six Screens mess.)