Jehovah’s Witnesses and Child Sacrifice
For the most part Jehovah’s Witnesses are viewed in their communities as law abiding citizens and neighborly. Most of us would never imagine that this religious organization of people teach and promote a theology which, in effect, sacrifices lives, even of children. How so?
The Doctrine
Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught by their central governing body to abstain from some forms of blood at whatever the cost, even death. The tenet is promoted as the will of God. Any Jehovah’s Witness who conscientiously violates this doctrinal position will be shunned in a manner so extreme that persons outside the faith can hardly comprehend its effects. What are the consequences of this theology for children?
Effect to Children
Children of Jehovah’s Witness parents are faced with dire consequences if they experience a medical condition where they will die without a blood transfusion (this discusses addresses scenarios where alternatives to blood transfusion therapy are insufficient). In cases such as this, if parents remain faithful to the “no blood transfusion” tenet, the child’s life is placed in severe jeopardy. Unless a third party steps in and forces the medical blood transfusion therapy the child who would die without a transfusion of blood is doomed to an early grave. Jehovah’s Witness parents making a conscientious choice to allow a forbidden blood therapy are shunned in the most extreme way imaginable, which places huge peer pressure on them to stick to the policy. Naturally, because parents are “parents,” some Jehovah’s Witness parents accept the inevitable shunning in order to provide their child with every opportunity to grow up healthy and make their own religious choices.[1] But this is the exception and not the rule among Jehovah Witnesses.
Child Abuse a Crime?
Remarkably their controlling governing body has recently sent letters to all congregations of Jehovah Witnesses in which it states that child abuse is a crime.[2] This letter is quite explicit that child abuse includes sexual abuse, self-evident physical abuse, and extreme neglect involving a minor. What is more negligent and abusive to a child than refusing medical therapy essential to continued living? Nothing! So, how do Jehovah Witnesses rationalize their abuse of children facing the medical scenario above? What is the rationale?
License of Religious Belief
Jehovah Witnesses choosing to stick to the “no blood transfusion” tenet respond to critics that their actions are a religious position and therefore should be respected by everyone else, including medical personnel. Furthermore they assert the consequence of letting a child die rather than permitting a necessary blood transfusion is not murder or child abuse because their actions are in harmony with God’s will. Boiled down to its most basic premise, the assertion is that sacrificing a child’s life by disallowing a blood transfusion is okay because it is God’s will. Of course, the central governing body of Jehovah Witnesses is who decides what God’s will is for the masses of Jehovah Witnesses. It does not matter that some Jehovah Witnesses feel accepting blood transfusion is not contrary to God’s will.[3]
Apologetics
Jehovah Witness apologists practically fall over themselves trying to refute critics of their deadly “no blood transfusion” tenet, but their apologetics fail because they refuse to address the most serious flaws of the doctrine. In a nutshell, what are some flaws these would be apologists fail or refuse to address? Following is a question they have yet to answer with any sound scriptural argumentation:
Why are Jehovah’s Witnesses taught to SHUN a fellow Jehovah Witness who CONSCIENTIOUSLY accepts a platelet blood agent to save their child's life but they are taught to RESPECT a JW who CONSCIENTIOUSLY accepts a similar or greater amount of a hemoglobin blood agent to save their child's life by continuing to view them as "in good standing"? What Biblical texts soundly support the details of this teaching and practice as God’s will?
Most persons do not fully understand the question above. It addresses one of the most bizarre features of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ doctrine of “no blood transfusion.” (Better described as “semi-no blood transfusion”) This doctrine teaches that some forms of blood components must be avoided at all costs (even death!) and that other forms of blood components can be accepted. It happens that platelet therapy is one that must be avoided under pain of shunning and hemoglobin therapy can be used without repercussion. (Both platelets and hemoglobin are taken from donated whole blood)
Absurdity
Can any Jehovah Witness provide a Biblical text or Biblical argument that teaches something so absurd as “Upon pain of death or shunning, we must avoid THIS from blood but we need not avoid THAT from blood”?
Child Sacrifice?
So, though Jehovah Witnesses are generally viewed as good neighbors and parents, we also see one of their peculiar religious tenets can lead to the death of a child that could otherwise have been saved, or at least had a fighting chance for survival. Yes, Jehovah’s Witnesses have allowed and affected the loss of a child’s life by following tenets of their central governing body. Most people call this child sacrifice. Does anyone deny that child sacrifice is a crime? Does it matter that it is done in the name of religion?
Ironically, based on the Biblical text of Jeremiah 7:31, Jehovah’s Witnesses have long taught that sacrifice of life on religious grounds aside from God’s will is one of the worst forms of false worship.[4] Yet in the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses affecting the loss of children’s lives with their theology they cannot substantiate their teaching as God’s will to the same detail as they practice it, but they continue in this practice of sacrificing children’s lives anyway.
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References:
[1] Read the account of the Jehovah Witness father in Calgary, Canada who stood up to this doctrinal position and reaped the shunning of his wife. The online story can be read at: http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20020311/298228.html
[2] Letter from the central governing body to all congregations of Jehovah Witnesses, dated February 15, 2002.
[3] Questions From Readers article, The Watchtower journal, 1958, issue dated 8/1: 478.
[4] Insight on the Scriptures Volume I page 833 under the subject Fire states: “Israelites sacrificed their own children in the Valley of Hinnom. (Le 20:2-5; De 12:31; 2Ch 28:1-3; Jer 7:31; 19:5) However, faithful King Josiah put an end to this gruesome practice by making Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom unfit for worship.”