JW Pets and Blood

Vanderhoven7

As a JW would you have allowed your pet to have a blood transfusion to save it's life?

What is the Society's stand on this today?

I was in that situation about ten years ago when I was close to waking up. I knew that JW doctrine was against it, but I was going to allow it. It was an exotic pet, and the vet I had to go to in another state happened to have one of the same animals at his facility. He called the owner and asked if it was OK to take blood from it; she said yes. I got a motel room and the vet made preparations. I went back the next day for the transfusion and surgery, but the animal died at the vet's office (horrible death) before any procedures could take place.

I would not have allowed it when I was a believing JW, even though I love my pets greatly.

Vanderhoven7

That is so sad Magnum. We had a boxer that bled internally and fainted. We allowed a transfusion but discovered the next day that his bleeding was caused by a ruptured and inoperable cancerous tumor.

I believe the Society still frowns on blood transfusions for pets but I'm really not sure.

ScenicViewer

Side point here.

I seem to remember an article from several decades ago, or it might have been in one of the blood booklets, that pets shouldn't be given food with blood in it because that would be a violation. That struck me as odd since animals in the wild often eat the blood of other animals naturally.

Using fertilizer with blood in it was a violation too.

Again, that's odd, since an animal killed for food was to be bled before the meat was eaten - the blood was to be "poured out onto the ground" - therefore it would naturally have become fertilizer.

Even as a fully believing Jehovah's Witness at the time these things didn't make sense to me. I should have paid better attention to my inner instincts.

So many man-made rules in the JW religion.

Edited to add:

The no-blood-transfusion policy is mainly based on the idea of not eating blood, which applied only to humans. Animals were not Biblically prevented from eating blood, so what is the scriptural basis for denying a blood transfusion for them? Go figure.

Atlantis

Watchtower-1964-February-15th-pg.127

Questions From Readers

How, then, must we answer the question, Would it be a violation of the Scriptures for a Christian to permit a veterinarian to give blood transfusions to a pet? By all means, to do so would be a violation of the Scriptures. To use blood for transfusion purposes, even in the case of an animal, would be improper. The Bible is very clear in showing that blood should not be eaten. It should not be infused, therefore, to build up the body’s vital forces, either in the case of a human or in the case of a pet or any other animal under the jurisdiction of a Christian.

Scan: Click image to enlarge.

https://postimg.cc/bZJhwj3t

Atlantis!

Vanderhoven7

SV:You are right, all carnivors eat blood in the wild so why would transfusions be contrary to the scriptures?

Atlantis: thanks for that quotation. I wonder if there has been new light pn the subject since 1964

Vanderhoven7

M.A. writes

As a JW I would have allowed it. Carnivores including dogs do not drain the blood of their prey before they eat.

The JW doctrine of abstaining from blood even for medical treatment was scripturally and biologically debunked decades ago. Watchtower knows this. But they have too much blood on their hands and fear additional lawsuits from families of deceased witnesses who died refusing blood transfusions. So they double down. They use fearmongering to dissuade rank and file Jehovah's Witnesses from objectively researching anything critical of Watchtower. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and Proverbs 18:17 says they can do just that.

It is also noteworthy that Watchtower formerly prohibited organ transplants having cited them as cannibalism. This also led to the deaths of obedient faithful witnesses. Their permission for the use of blood fractions requires blood donors. Hence it is nonsensical as Watchtower often is. That is not to say JWs should not use them.

Exception to the law to protect life:

There was absolutely an exception to the law including regarding blood and the Sabbath. It is a Rabbinic provision known as “Pikuach Nefesh”. You can Google it. It is based on Leviticus 18:5 and 19:16. NO One was required to die for the law. Life and well-being trumped the law.

In keeping with Pikuach Nefesh Leviticus 17:15 Permitted the eating of meat with blood in it when no other options were available. It permitted eating recently killed animals. The only caveat was that they bathe in water after eating the unbled animal.

According to the New Testament Jesus- who practiced Judaism, applied Pikuach Nefesh to break the strict Sabbath to help people. This also applied to helping animals. See Matthew 12:11-12.

It is also noteworthy that breast milk contains Millions Of White Blood Cells. This one fact invalidates Watchtower's blood prohibition.... Regardless, Pikuach Nefesh is the exception to the law. Protection of life and well-being trumped the law. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and Proverbs 18:17.

carla

"Using fertilizer with blood in it was a violation too." -yep, my jw insisted on throwing out a bag he found in a shed which I couldn't understand myself as the 'blood' was in fact being 'poured' out onto the ground wasn't it? if their reasoning of no blood is in part because of Deuteronomy 12:24 NIV- New International Version

You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

crazy jw's

ScenicViewer

Quote from M.A.:

It is also noteworthy that Watchtower formerly prohibited organ transplants having cited them as cannibalism. This also led to the deaths of obedient faithful witnesses.

Watchtower has long said that blood itself is an organ, a liquid organ. When the prohibition on organ transplants was eliminated you would think that would have included ALL organs, including blood. But no.

To this day JWs can take any organ transplant there is except one - no blood.

Taking any organ transplant isn't considered to be eating or cannibalism except one - taking blood is eating.

I honestly think that most JWs are not aware of the blood/organ connection. When Watchtower speaks of organ transplants today it seems to be in a very negative tone, giving the impression transplants are off limits without saying so. This is likely to put off questions regarding this glaring contradiction.

Vanderhoven7

Right on SV. And the fact is that billions of white blood cells are passed from donor to recipient with every major organ transplant...because the majority of white blood cells are in the tissue not in the blood stream.

If they were consistent the organization would ban transplants again and more JWs would perish through their medical quackery.

JW Pets and Blood

Share this