WT February 15, 1952 p. 128 Announcements
Friends of the truth throughout the earth will be interested to learn of the death of one who played a prominent part in the affairs of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society for many years, Clayton J. Woodworth.
Brother Woodworth was made editor of the Society’s newly introduced magazine The Golden Age. He remained editor when the magazine’s name was changed to Consolation in 1937, to carry on as such until 1946. Because of advancing years he was relieved of this when the magazine was given a new change of name to Awake!
He died at the ripe old age of 81, loyal to the faith and unwaveringly devoted to the theocratic organization, on December 18, 1951, at 4 a.m.
Its common knowledge that Rutherford appointed his buddy Clayton J. Woodworth to manage and be the editor and decision maker of the The Golden Age and Consolation magazines. It was during his tenure that Woodworth allowed the understanding and opposition towards vaccines to manifest and become doctrine for several decades. Some very bizarre and unsavory comments were printed in order for JW’s to feel revulsion towards accepting vaccinations. Interestingly, only one year after Clayton J. Woodworth died the WT December 15, 1952immediately released “New Light” and completely rescinded and overturned all the decades’ long teachings. Some have suggested that the WTS wanted to do this much sooner but out of respect, courtesy and to avoid embarrassment for Brother Woodworth they waited until after he died. Below is that Watchtower with my italics and highlighting.
WT December 15, 1952 p. 764 Questions From Readers
● Is vaccination a violation of God’s law forbidding the taking of blood into the system? G. C. North Carolina.
The matter of vaccination is one for the individual that has to face it to decide for himself. Each individual has to take the consequences for whatever position and action he takes toward a case of compulsory vaccination, doing so according to his own conscienceand his appreciation of what is for good health and the interests of advancing God’s work. And our Society cannot afford to be drawn into the affair legally or take the responsibility for the way the case turns out.
After consideration of the matter, it does not appear to usto bein violationof the everlasting covenant made with Noah, as set down in Genesis 9:4, (Verse 4: Only flesh with its soul—its blood—YOU must not eat.) nor contrary to God’s related commandment at Leviticus 17:10-14.
Most certainlyit cannot reasonably or Scripturally be argued and proved that, by being vaccinated, the inoculated person is either eating or drinking blood and consuming it as foodor receiving a blood transfusion.
Vaccination does not bear any relationshipto or any likeness to the intermarriage of angelic “sons of God” with the daughters of men,as described in Genesis 6:1-4.
Neither can it be put in the same class as described at Leviticus 18:23, 24, which forbids the mingling of humans with animals. It has nothing to do with sex relations.(Verse 23: “‘And you must not give your emission to any beast to become unclean by it, and a woman should not stand before a beast to have connection with it. It is a violation of what is natural.)
Hence all objection to vaccination on Scriptural grounds seems to be lacking. Medical science, in fact, claims that vaccination actually results in building up the vitality of the blood to resist the disease against which the person is inoculated. But, of course, that is a question for each individual concerned to decide for himselfand as he sees it to be Jehovah’s will for him. We merely offer the above information on request, but can assume no responsibility for the decision and course the reader may take.
