I left the cult in 97, and used to keep up on the BS. I have since stopped watching the crazy crap they do. But I ran across an article in Canada that said they changed their stance on blood? I find this hard to believe and also what other things have they changed if any in the past years? Thanks.
Have JWs changed on taking Blood?
by dogon 5 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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wizzstick
This article should help explain where they are (essentially no to whole blood, no to the primary four components, yes to fractions of the main components):
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nonjwspouse
Take the ham sandwich apart and it's ok, use it all together as a sandwich, then no. In an emergency or undergoing cancer treatments then you are toast.
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notsurewheretogo
@nonjwspouse...that ilusatration doesn't quite fit...the JW's still don't believe you can accept components of blood much like the ingredients of your sandwich...therefore a JW could not accept a whole ham sandwich or even the ham itself...
They do accept fractions of components so in their sandwich they could have a few minerals from the ham in the sandwich but not the whole sandwich or all the ham...
Of course, the scriptural proof for all of this is non-existent...
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nonjwspouse
Although these are borrowed words , where I have forgotten. But it represents why the blood ban is so rediculous, when seperating them out, basically all of whole blood is a conciounce matter. Also some fractions take 100s of people's donated blood to create. Ok to take, but not to give...
"In 1964, the American Judith Pool accidentally discovered that if frozen plasma thaws slowly at a temperature just above freezing point, a deposit is formed that contains a large amount of clotting factor VIII. The discovery of this ëcryoprecipitateí as a means to obtain factor VIII was a breakthrough for the treatment of patients with the blood-coagulation disease hemophilia A. Nowadays, a large number of plasma proteins can be isolated and used as medicine.[16]
Moreover, after cryoprecipitate forms, a plasma protein, cryosupernatant, separates from it. Together, cryoprecipitate, which is around 1% of plasma, and cryosupernatant, which is around 99% of plasma, total up to be plasma
Witness leaders say that Witnesses abstain from plasma, but they do not in that both products contain globulins (all the proteins in plasma) with cryoprecipirate containing more concentrations of proteins, and cryosupernatant containing less. So, each one of these products is plasma because they both contain, to some degree, the same constituents. And they are both called plasma in medical literature and by medical personnel.
Although Witnesses are allowed to take one or the other of these two important blood products, or ìfractions,î cryoprecipitate or cryosupernatant, both fractionated from plasma, they generally donít know about cryosupernatant because this 99% watery substance and soluble product is not documented in Watch Tower literature; hence, Jehovahís Witnesses are not aware it is permitted because it is not on the allowable list but a phone call to Bethel will reveal that taking it is a ìconscience matter." Sad to say, it is not permissible for the Hospital Liaison Teams to mention cryosupernatant to doctors, or to patients, unless patients or patientsí families inquire about the product. In addition, physicians donít usually suggest cryosupernatant as the medicine of choice for a condition such as, Refractory Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which is life-threatening, once the patient declares use of plasma off-limits.
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There is only ONE MAJOR component of blood that does not exist in some form on Watch Towerís list of approved ìconscience matterî products and that is water. There is no component of a whole blood transfusion that Jehovahís Witnesses may not accept as long as it is fractionated first.
In connection with the historically flawed blood-ban doctrine, what about Jehovah's Witnesses never being officially told that the fraction hemoglobin was acceptable by personal decision? The last official pronouncement from the Watch Tower in its general literature was that hemoglobin was not permitted by a true Christian. This was contrary to many academic medical journals that were reporting the outcome of individual Jehovah's Witnesses surviving after receiving hemoglobin through the help of their Hospital Liaison Committee. This caused Bethel's Writing Department to promptly correct the situation by writing the August 2006 Awake! cover series on blood which finally and officially told followers that hemoglobin was allowed by personal decision.
Bolding mine.
Changing positions:
Since 2000, a Jehovah's Witness still may not have a blood transfusion, but are permitted certain blood fractions, such as immunoglobulin and hemoglobulin. They may not donate nor store their own blood.
"Thus, Jehovahs Witnesses do not accept transfusions of whole blood or the four primary components of blood namely, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. They also do not donate or store their own blood for transfusion." Kingdom Ministry Nov 2006 p.3
"The above material shows that Jehovahs Witnesses refuse transfusions of both whole blood and its primary blood components. The Bible directs Christians to abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from fornication. (Acts 15:29) Beyond that, when it comes to fractions of any of the primary components, each Christian, after careful and prayerful meditation, must conscientiously decide for himself." Watchtower 2000 Jun 15 p.31
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dogon
So the same old Borg, nothing much changed. I was thinking it would be very strange if they had moved much. Sooo glad I am not part of that cult anymore. Sad that family will take a cult over family but thats the way things are.