I cannot grasp this. I will voice my confusion at the KH, among JWs, does not matter. IF BLOOD IS TO BE POURED OUT, AND THAT IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE USE FOR IT, HOW THE F%^k DO THEY JUSTIFY BLOOD FRACTIONS THAT COME FROM HUNDREDS OF LITERS OF DONATED BLOOD THAT WAS MIXED TOGETHER AND BROKEN DOWN AND WAS NOT POURED OUT???
Watchtower November 2014: Witnesses can't donate blood
by opusdei1972 25 Replies latest watchtower medical
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Daniel1555
Just donated blood this week for the first time. It feels great.
I told the elders last December that I think it is right in god's eyes to also donate blood. This kind of shocked them.
At least they let me fade if I don't tell my views to the cong.
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steve2
Arch hypocrites!
If they took a consistent stand on ot using any 'product' derived from human-donated blood at least they'd have the virtue of integrity to their belief.
This entrenched re-statement looks plainly reactionary to the strongly anti-Watchtower blood noise on the net.
Perhaps more than the usual amount of traffic has come their way asking, How come we can't donate blood when accepting (some) blood fractions is a conscience matter - AND those fractions are derived from the blood of a huge number of donors? Nothing like digging your heels in and cracking the whip when your shaky position is questioned.
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steve2
Oh, I love the resort to spiritual superiority: "Jehovah's holy people". Legalism reigns supreme, okay.
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Magnum
Londo111: I was surprised…I thought they were trying to quietly pocket this teaching.
Exactly my thoughts. I really thought they were going to gradually drop the blood doctrine.
BU2B: I cannot grasp this. I will voice my confusion at the KH, among JWs, does not matter. IF BLOOD IS TO BE POURED OUT, AND THAT IS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE USE FOR IT, HOW THE F%^k DO THEY JUSTIFY BLOOD FRACTIONS THAT COME FROM HUNDREDS OF LITERS OF DONATED BLOOD THAT WAS MIXED TOGETHER AND BROKEN DOWN AND WAS NOT POURED OUT???
I agree with your thinking entirely. Just think about it. Instead of being poured out on the ground, the "sacred" blood is taken to a processing facility run by "worldly" people where it is processed by machines to separate the components. I read an account of a doctor's describing the process; it was eye-opening and would certainly seem to go against JW doctrine.
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opusdei1972
BU2B For instance, albumin is a fraction taken from Plasma. Plasma is one of the four components forbidden by the GB. But, the Governing Body allows the use of albumin. To get albumin you need blood donors. Furthermore, albumin is used to produce erythropoietin, which is used by Witnesses:
Questions From Readers
Would it be proper to accept a vaccination or some other medical injection containing albumin derived from human blood?
Frankly, each Christian must personally decide on this................Many find this noteworthy, since some vaccines that are not prepared from blood may contain a relatively small amount of plasma albumin that was used or added to stabilize the ingredients in the preparation. Currently a small amount of albumin is also used in injections of the synthetic hormone EPO (erythropoietin). Some Witnesses have accepted injections of EPO because it can hasten red blood cell production and so may relieve a physician of a feeling that a blood transfusion might be needed. (The Watchtower 10/1/1994, p. 31)
Note that though a small amount of albumin is used in EPO, you need many donors to produce it. In a private letter, the Governing Body has admitted the following:
...it is our understanding in many situations that blood from many donors would be needed to get sufficient amount of a required fraction for treatment......therefore, a Christian would carefully evaluate this possibility in determining whether to submit to having a minor fraction extracted from his blood (quoted from http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com.br/2012/03/jehovahs-witnesses-can-donate-blood.html )
So, though Witnesses are forbidden to donate blood, they can use fractions taken from many donors. A double Standard theology.
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rebel8
sir82, interesting. The statements made by both AWJRB and the Borg grossly understate the amount of donated blood used by hemophiliacs.
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William Penwell
No the WT never flip flops on questions of faith. Sarcasm intended.
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GLTirebiter
All take, no give: shouldn't a christian congregation teach that we should give freely, without expectation of getting anything back?
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Vidiot
GL Tirebiter - "...shouldn't a christian congregation teach that we should give freely, without expectation of getting anything back?"
Absolutely.
(To the Watchtower Society.)