by raymond frantz 35 Replies latest watchtower bible
JOEY JOJO:
Yes, looking back in retrospect the Witness religion is a very BAD joke, sorry to say!
Even though I never faced the blood issue when I was there - the joke would have been on me if I had listened to other things….Sorry for others who believed the hype and made the mistake of literally planning their lives around this religion...👎 No good.
The article says “blood fractions” as though red cells, white cells, plasma and platelets were not also fractions, but of course they are . It is the rule of the GB that only allows other fractions to be taken medically. So whose rule are they following? Man’s rule or Gods ?
Scripture says “ It is in vain they worship me if they teach commands of men as doctrine “
Nb. “Shepherd the Flock 2024 makes it plain that if one unrepentantly takes “ blood” they disassociate themselves
I think they are mostly concerned with two things: the PR nightmare and the possible legal liability if they backtrack on transfusions. There are people who lost loved ones --including children-- because they refused to allow blood transfusions. My mother faced this issue twice in her life and has been fortunate enough to survive both times. She credits Jehovah with saving her, instead of the doctors and nurses who diligently worked to keep her alive with the difficult burden of not using blood.
How will it look if they finally say that they were wrong about transfusions? It has literally been a life and death issue for decades now, and the backlash would probably go mainstream. And I would imagine that at least a few people would sue them, which would definitely get them more attention of the type they do not want. The blood issue is a minefield for them.
"They haven't retracted a damned thing! The blood doctrine as it was a quarter of a century ago is still firmly in place. All fractions, no parts, no whole blood"
You and they are missing something here. If transfusions are against God's law, what is the punishment for violating it? Has anyone who had a transfusion gotten leopresy? struck by lightning? Had the ground open and swallow them? Not that I've heard.
So there is no punishment. Those ones live and they die and are in hell/hades/sheol/grave like everyone else who has died. They will be resurrected just like everyone else will.
The living worry about the resurrection but the dead don't.
"How will it look if they finally say that they were wrong about transfusions? It has literally been a life and death issue for decades now, and the backlash would probably go mainstream. And I would imagine that at least a few people would sue them, which would definitely get them more attention of the type they do not want. The blood issue is a minefield for them."
Exactly. If they can figure how to remove the no blood issue without this happening, then it will be gone.
So the problem is the critics preventing them to do that, not the GB itself.
@Rattigan
The living worry about the resurrection but the dead don't.
The dead in heaven are awaiting a resurrection. 2 Corinthians 5:8, which suggests believers are "away from the body and at home with the Lord".
In print the WTS says it is a conscience matter (for legal purposes) but the chatter behind the scenes from elders, etc., can and will walk it back.
Haemoglobin is what makes blood blood, as it carries the oxygen. It is also a major component of blood by weight, accounting for 33% of red blood cells and 14% of whole blood. As such, to allow haemoglobin effectively makes the Watchtower's entire blood policy meaningless.
1992 - Specifically Forbidden
“It would be right, of course, to avoid products that listed things such as blood, blood plasma, plasma, globin [or globulin] protein, or hemoglobin [or globin] iron.” Watchtower 1992 Oct 15 p.31
2000- Indirectly Allowed. With the Watchtower 2000 Jun 15 stating that fractions of the four blood components are allowed, haemoglobin was indirectly permitted, being a fraction of red blood cells. The same conclusion could also be drawn from the 2004 chart.
2006- Specifically Allowed. In the Kingdom Ministry 2006 Nov p.5, a work sheet specifically stated that haemoglobin is a personal decision.
For the history of WT stance on blood transfusions, jwfacts.com has a wonderful piece documenting this history of the blood doctrine over time till today. I always check to see how things are changing regarding using hemoglobin-based products made with expired human blood and others with animal blood. "
The amount of resources they have put into this issue must be staggering. I wonder... would those hospital liason committees even exist if not for the need to make sure JWs don't get blood transfusions? I am guessing 'no.'
TonusOH - “…She credits Jehovah with saving her, instead of the doctors and nurses who diligently worked to keep her alive with the difficult burden of not using blood…”
Can’t very well have agents of “Satan’s World” responsible for anything positive, now, can we?
😒
