Could the allowance of blood fractions be curtailing the growth of the religion? (page 3)

sir82

In order to be a JW you have to accept:

-- humans first existed on the planet just a tad over 6000 years ago

-- all the problems in the world exist because a talking snake convinced a naked lady to eat a piece of fruit

-- the entire globe was fully submersed under water for a full year just 4400 years ago

-- Jesus returned invisibly in 1914, and is king, even though he doesn't seem to do much

-- [this arbitrary list of things] is bad because of their pagan origins (Christmas, Halloween, cross, etc.) while [that arbitrary list of things] is perfectly fine despite their pagan origins (wedding rings, baptism, etc.)

...and so on.

You get the picture. People who are willing to accept all of the above ain't exactly the "sharpest tools in the shed". When it comes to blood / blood fractions, they probably aren't the type of folks who would notice anything inconsistent.

Apognophos

Heh, could be. Of course, the first three points are taken for granted if the student already accepts the Bible as God's Word, which most do.

looter

If that student is not having a personal blood issue, then he probably would just disregard that teaching and automatically agree. Like what the second poster said, they most likely have been indoctrinated. Hey, they might even think that they can accept just blood period if they don't understand fractions.

baldeagle

WTS leaders have on a regular basis sought obedience from members by invoking the idea that a teaching or policy is formed and based on God’s divine law. Who are we to argue with God’s Laws? The laws from God are unchangeable and perfect. Divine laws on murder, adultery, fornication, uncleanness are still in effect. The laws against lying, fraud, pride, greed, lust, anger etc….are still in place and have not been revoked or changed.

So we now have the following WTS change that has already been mentioned:

WT June 15, 2000 p. 30 Questions From Readers: Do Jehovah’s Witnesses accept any medical products derived from blood?

........Should Christians accept these fractions in medical treatment? We cannot say. The Bible does not give details, so a Christian must make his own conscientious decision before God.

So in the year 2000 WTS leaders say that the, “The Bible does not give details….” But let’s go back to what the unchangeable perfect Law of God was clearly saying years earlier in regards to blood fractions.

WT September 15, 1961 pp. 558-559 pars. 16, 19

16 Is God’s law violated by such medical use of blood? Is it wrong to sustain life by infusions of blood or plasma or red cells or the various blood fractions? Yes! The law that God gave to Noah and which applies to all his descendants makes it wrong for anyone to eat blood, that is, to use the blood of another creature to nourish or sustain one’s life. Even as Tertullian in his Apology showed how the early Christians reasoned on the matter, so today it is recognized that if this prohibition applies to animal blood, it applies with even more force to human blood. It includes "any blood at all." Lev. 3:17.

19 In view of the emphasis put on the use of blood in the medical world, new treatments involving its use are constantly being recommended. But regardless of whether it is whole blood or a blood fraction, whether it is blood taken from one’s own body or that taken from someone else, whether it is administered as a transfusion or as an injection, the divine law applies.God has not given man blood to use as he might use other substances; he requires respect for the sanctity of blood.

Now this is the question to that WT study for par. 16 above & what JW’s were being taught as being a Divine Law regarding blood and Blood Fractions!!

16. Is use of blood in medical treatment to sustain life a violation of God’s law?

I showed this to a few devout JW’s. I asked them, how could something clearly stated as being against God’s Divine Law, now become a conscience matter? Things that are deemed as being in violation of God’s laws and requirements never change. Were blood fractions truly in this category? How many JW's have been negatively affected in the nearly 40 years that this view was held? As you can imagine no answers or explanations were given. They were surprised, confused and eager to leave!!

rebel8

What the OP described happened to my family, except it was back when fractions weren't allowed (early 1970s).

They don't tell you the worst things until you're mostly hooked. Manipulative.

What is going through your mind at this point? Isn't just about anyone's BS Alarm liable to be going off at this point?

What happened to my mother is, "But my daughter is hemophiliac and needs fractions weekly right now. She's almost died without it. I can't follow that teaching, knowing she's going to suffer and die." (Let's just remember that bleeding to death is slowly suffocating. It's not a quick or painless death.)

Response from jw: several weeks of cult programming, resurrection to petting zoos, Abraham ready to sacrifice his son, the fact that both of us will be executed and permanently dead at jehoopla's hand for taking blood products, and fake medical facts about taking on the personality of the criminals who were donating blood.

My mother suppressed her logic in favor of this thinking, because she was so eager to be in a group with strict, hard-to-follow rules so she could prove to god how much better she is than the Great Unwashed. She could have had her social status highly elevated if I had died one of the times she tried to sacrifice me.

AndDontCallMeShirley

.... it wrong for anyone to eat blood, that is, to use the blood of another creature to nourish or sustain one’s life.

The other important factor to look at is the source of WT's argument that a transfusion constitutes the "eating" of blood. W 4-15-85, p.13, quotes WT's source:

Frenchman Denys...of the 17th century!

WT cannot find a single modern authority to support its view, so it does the classic WT move of finding any source from any century, no matter the level of ignorance of that century, as validation of the legitimacy of its stance.

---

To further muddy the waters of WT's policies, think about this:

WT allows organ transplants- organs are tissue.

Guess what? Blood is also tissue!

http://www.siumed.edu/~dking2/intro/blood.htm

Blood is a highly specialized, fluid tissue. Blood is traditionally classified as a specialized form of connective tissue

eyeuse2badub

The WTBTS is morphing into something else. (???????) Not exactly sure what. Doctrines are changing. Long held beliefs are being tossed out and replace with 'overlapping' interpretations. This is certainly not the religion it was just 25 years ago. JW. org is now the 'brand' name. Thank god (or whoever) for all these changes! This has certainly awakened awareness in a great many long time jw's, me included. (60 years a jw)

The total hiprocracy of the wtbts is now very clear to us and for that we should all be thankful. At least we now have "fractions" of truth to help guide us on our journey.

just saying!

eyause2badub

Gone and forgotten

I remember when the teaching about blood started changing...it was then that I really started doubting. The first change that caused concern was when they said use of a heart lung machine was ok as long as it wasn't primed with blood. But when the fraction teaching came out, that really hit me like a ton of bricks. Coupled with the several changes in the teaching concerning the "generation", and a few other incomprehensible changes, and it felt like something completely foreign.

I think the only thing I still believe is that blood is sacred to God, and that I, in good conscience, will still abstain from blood. I have had a few surgeries, and cancer treatments since leaving and still refused blood.

I not aware of any studies that were discontinued due to this change, but I know a few friends that have developed doubts and left.

OneEyedJoe

Gone and forgotten - first off, welcome!

On your view of blood - do you believe blood (as a symbol of life) to be of more importance to god than life itself?

It seems to me that upholding the sanctity of blood at the expense of life is like a man choosing to save his wedding ring at the expense of his marriage. I urge you to look into the matter prior to having another surgery - I'd hate to see this cult take another life, especially after you've already escaped.

Vidiot

I've come to the conclusion that the WTS doesn't really want actual growth, because that would admit a wider and more diverse variety of personalities into the Org.

At this point, a fewer number of hard-core loyalists is of greater value and more use to them.

Could the allowance of blood fractions be curtailing the growth of the religion?

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