Christ Alone vs IsaacAustin (blood)

by isaacaustin 49 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  isaacaustin

  The WT arbitrarily imposes a ban of 'whole blood' on its members, resulting in heartache, difficulty/delay in receiving medical care, and in many cases death. Rather than focus on the relatively new allowance of blood fractions and the utter flaws in that logic to WT policy, we will focus on blood transfusions involving 'whole blood'.

  Christ Alone, the restrictions on blood found in the OT, or Hebrew Scriptures if you will, were dietary restrictions on the eating of animal blood, and nothing more. The Mosaic Law forbade the eating of animal blood, as it was to be poured out on the ground. Nothing in the Bible even remotely mentions or relates to medicinal treatment involving blood- which by the way does not involve the taking of the life but rather the preserving of life. Ask yourself- what is more valuable- life itself or that which represents it.
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  Heaven

  "If your Holy Book contains the word Blood more than the words Love, Forgiveness and Beauty combined...
  
  Christian Holy Bible:
  Blood... 459
  Love ... 311
  Forgiveness ... 7
  Beauty ... 49

  Your Religion Might Be Bullshit"
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  Christ Alone

  Jehovah's Witness:

  Life is definitely a gift from Jehovah God. It is something to be treasured. We, as Jehovah's Witnesses, show the utmost respect for our life and our bodies. For example, we refuse to smoke tobacco, understanding that this would be defiling the temple of our body. We do not overindulge in alcohol nor use drugs. We love life.

  The fact that we want to live is evidenced by our closely following the advances made in the field of bloodless medicine and surgery.

  However, the command to abstain from blood in Acts 15 was not merely a health guideline, but a divine prohibition that followed God's MORAL principle on blood.

  Jehovah has consistently made it clear that we as humans are to abstain from blood. It began with his command to Noah (before the Mosaic law) to abstain from blood (Gen 9:4). This was repeated throughout the Mosaic law. He continued to remind us in the Greek scriptures.

  "It ought to be observed, that this prohibition of eating blood, given to Noah and all his posterity, and repeated to the Israelites, in a most solemn manner, under the Mosaic dispensation, has never been revoked, but, on the contrary, has been confirmed under the New Testament, Acts xv.; and thereby made of perpetual obligation."—Joseph Benson; Benson’s Notes, 1839, Vol. I, p. 43.

  As far as blood fractions go, each true servant of the Most High God Jehovah, must determine how he defines "blood". If a Witness views a fraction as "blood" then he should NOT use it.

  There are some things that cannot be viewed in any way OTHER than blood. These would include plasma, red cells, white cells, and platelets. These WHOLE components cannot be viewed in any other way than that they are blood. However, if a small fraction is extracted from it (such as serum that contains antibodies to fight a disease or counteract a snakes venom), then some Witnesses conclude that it is no longer blood and are not covered by the command to abstain from blood.

  If I was commanded by my parents to not eat the apple pie, but I went and ate an apple, would I be guilty of disobeying their command not to eat the apple pie? No, I ate something that goes INTO apple pies, but I did not eat the apple pie itself.
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  Christ Alone

  Heaven, the SINGLE word "love" appears 314 times. But it is connected with other words, and hence, is in the Bible more than "Blood"

  the word - love - appears 314 times
  the word - love's - appears once
  the word - loved - appears 98 times
  the word - lovedst - appears twice
  the word - lovely - appears 4 times
  the word - lover - appears 4 times
  the word - lovers - appears 23 times
  the word - loves - appears twice
  the word - lovest - appears 12 times
  the word - loveth - appears 65 times
  the word - loving - appears 3 times
  the word - lovingkindness - appears 26 times
  the word - lovingkindnesses - appears 4 times

  In the NIV, blood is mentioned 389 times.

  But this shows how important the sacredness of blood is to the Most High Almighty Everlasting Lord of the Holy One of Israel, Jehovah of Armies.
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  Heaven

  We, as Jehovah's Witnesses, show the utmost respect for our life and our bodies.

  The JW's I know do not do this.

  we refuse to smoke tobacco -- We do not overindulge in alcohol

  Again, both of these statements are false as some of the JW's I know have done/do both of these activities.

  If you eat meat or dairy you are ingesting blood. My JW relatives eat both these items.

  There are some things that cannot be viewed in any way OTHER than blood. These would include plasma, red cells, white cells,

  Mother's breast milk contains white blood cells.
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  isaacaustin

  Christ Alone, the so-called command to abstain from blood that you speak of in Acts 15 was not a command, but rather an appeal made to the newly converted gentiles. The Jews were still zealous for, and holding to the Law. They were insistent that the gentiles also follow the law. This caused quite a bit of friction and dissent in the congregation. This led to their appeal to the gentiles to abide by the rules that a alien residing in Israel was to abide by in the days of the Mosaic Law. These are in Leviticus 17 and 18, and included the eating of animal blood as well as marriages to certain relatives. These are issues that the gentiles had no issues with, but were repulsive to the Jews who had grown up zealous for the law. In fact, the Acts decree says that this is the reason why they were making this request for these things in particular, it says in Acts 15:21 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

  You have attempted to predate these guidelines on blood to the days of Noah in quoting Genesis. However, in reading the Genesis account it becomes clear that the use of the word blood in that account is referring, not the the substance in our body, but to life itself. It speaks of shedding innocent blood and requiring the blood of the wrongdoer back, and then continues on to speak of not eating animal that still have their blood in them. This is speaking of humane treatment of animal, and not eating animals that are still alive. I believe the Aztecs used to have a practice of carving steaks out of live animals.
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  Christ Alone

  Again, both of these statements are false as some of the JW's I know have done/do both of these activities.

  No matter what group you belong to, there will be those that are rebelious. We do not discredit the entire nation of Israel from being God's people in Moses day because some of them were rebelious towards God.
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  Heaven

  No matter what group you belong to, there will be those that are rebelious. We do not discredit the entire nation of Israel from being God's people in Moses day because some of them were rebelious towards God.

  It doesn't change the fact that your statement is false. Not all JWs do what you say they do.
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  Christ Alone

  There is absolutely no parallel between the natural occurrence of leukocytes in milk and use of leukocytes derived directly from blood.
  
  God’s law did not apply to white blood cells in milk or blood in meat, but we cannot say the same for WBC which have simply been separated from blood. They have not become something else which was approved for consumption but are still functioning exactly as within blood. Jehovah’s Witnesses take great pains to obey God’s prohibitions and avoid any part of blood which can still be viewed as blood. The leukocytes found in mothers milk can in no way be considered blood. However, if a servant of Jehovah God was to consider the leukocytes in the mothers milk as blood, then it WOULD be wrong for them to let their baby partake.

  But the whole intent of those who denounce the use of fractions is to excuse their disobeying Jehovah God's clear prohibition of blood. How hypocritical for someone to criticize Witnesses’ allowing others the freedom freely make their own choice regarding fractions while they are deliberately disobeying God’s command to “abstain from blood.” Jehovah's TRUE CHRISTIAN WITNESSES love freedom! We give freedom to all!!!
  
  So again, we do not even have to prove that WBC undergo physical changes when they are part of milk because whether they change or not is irrelevant. They have become part of something that God has approved (mothers milk)which cannot be said of WBCs which are derived directly from blood. There are several passages in scripture which talk about a baby being nursed by its mother, so the prohibition of blood cannot apply to a mothers milk.
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  Christ Alone

  Not all JWs do what you say they do.

  All TRUE witnesses of Jehovah do. Just being CALLED a Jehovah's Witness does not make you a true Witness of Jehovah God.