Kids who need blood transfusions

by ilikecheese 5 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  ilikecheese

  I was reading this story about an Amish girl in Ohio whose parents wanted to use natural medicine to treat her cancer, but a court has ruled that the hospital can force chemo in this situation. It got me thinking about JW kids and blood.

  Obviously, there are a ton of cases where hospitals have made a blood transfusion happen, despite the parents' wishes.

  If you had been the parent whose kid had been "forced" to get a transfusion, would that have angered you? Or would you have secretly been relieved that it was forced, and your child's life was saved without you or them getting in any trouble? Also, when you were a devoted JW, would you have felt strongly about not getting blood for them because you really believed that doctrine, or would it partly be because you were afraid of getting in trouble with the church? And, not that anyone would know for sure, but how do you think the general JW populace would feel in this situation?
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  yadda yadda 2

  The parents are secretly relieved. Letting the hospital obtain a Court's order to give the blood and then leaving the parents alone is now the unofficial JW policy. The Watchtower Society has pretty much had a gutsful of it all I think, they are just too afraid to finally end the policy once and for all.
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  rebel8

  I was that child and I secretly wished someone would override my wacko cult mother's decision to withhold medical care. Unfortunately it was not common back then for children's rights to be considered. Today it could be as simple as calling the local child abuse hotline.
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  DesirousOfChange

  Every hospital that treats children has the phone number of a judge on speed-dial. If they need a court order to save a life, they can have it in less than an hour. Most JW parents with their child's life at risk are relieved that they don't have to "take the stand" -- not "the stand" against the court ordered transfusion -- the stand against the Elders in a judical committee for conscenting to let their child have the transfusion.

  Doc
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  smiddy

  I`m pretty bloody sure that if I had have been in that situation when I was a dyed in the wool witness , I would not have consented to a blood tranfusion for myself , my wife , or either of my children .And if that had happened , today I would be a suicidal wreck .I wouldnt be able to live with myself.

  Just saying.

  smiddy
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  problemaddict

  I had my kid when I had one foot out and didn't realize it. I honestly think even with both feet in I wouldn't have let my child die. Here is how my thinking even as a hard core JW would intertwine with my natural instincts as a parent to take care of my child.

  Ok.....So the kid will get a transfusion. I am going to authorize it. That way my child lives, and Jehovah will kill ME instead for allowing it. My kid doesn't have asay in the matter, so jehovah won't hold him accountable. But me, he can kill if he wants because I disobeyed.

  That is probably the way i would have viewed it. I am ashamed I thought of God this way.