Sorry that was a delayed post above, those are good quotes from Earnest and others. There does seem to be strong evidence that transplants were prohibited and/or it was reasonable for ordinary JWs to infer it was a disfellowshipping offence.
Did the Watchtower Society ban Vaccinations and Organ Transplants?
by Vanderhoven7 27 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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Earnest
Just a small note on organ transplants. In the same 1967 Watchtower article which described human organ transplants as cannibalistic, it also said :
At present scientific researchers are starting to use artificial or animal parts where formerly human parts were thought necessary, such as in the case of cornea transplants. ... Whether wider use of such operations will be made, we do not know. Nor can we decide whether a Christian should accept some animal part as a transplant; that is for personal decision. (Gal. 6:5)
So it would be true to say that "organ transplants have always been up to the individual". It is only the transplanting of human organs which it was thought that God did not permit.
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Vanderhoven7
Here is an email I received this morning on the subject from our dyed in the wool JW apologist.
"Are you aware that in the Golden Age magazines, that many of the article that were published were actually letters sent in. The web site where you got the above in formation from 1921 , did that tell you that there were positive articles for vaccinations in the sane issue? Were you informed that the negative article that you sited was a contributed article by a reader? It was that readers opinions?
Did the web site tell you that in the 1931article the words “"Vaccination is a direct violation of the everlasting covenant that God made with Noah after the flood." were not from the Golden Age staff but from a contributed article from a reader.
Were you informed about the 1939 article that it quoted from various doctors and medical sources of the day and explained the then process of how vaccinations were made? That the picture was from another source?
I have the full articles.
At no time were vaccinations banned."
I wrote back
Are you saying that the articles and pics in the Golden Age did not reflect Watchtower sentiments?
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slimboyfat
It is true, some of the articles in Golden Age did not reflect official JW teaching. It was a bit rogue, under the stewardship of Clayton Woodworth.
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baldeagle
December 15, 1952 WT Page 764 – “Questions From Readers”
It was only by as late as 1952 that this entire vaccination subject was off loaded by the WTS and left in the hands of congregation members. Prior to this the organization did take a negative view of vaccines. It’s been speculated that vaccines were allowed at this time due to the success of the Gilead School, requiring air travel to foreign lands commonly known for their prevalent diseases causing sickness & death.
Also, the GB leaders were regularly flying to 3rd world countries giving talks in lands known for many illnesses due to little to no vaccination by the population there. The continuing dominance of air travel required passengers to have all vaccinations up to date in order to travel to these poorer countries.
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Vanderhoven7
Earnest, I missed your post. That is an important distinction. Thanks.
Slim, I added your comment to my response.
BE, I will use that info in my next response.
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Balaamsass2
In the 60s and 70s, Gamma globulin vaccinations/injections were discouraged publicly because supposedly they contained blood fractions. A nice juicy steak also contains blood fractions......
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notsurewheretogo
In the 1960's Awake Organ transplants were forbidden because of a) blood, b) they said your body "ate" the organ and that is cannibalism and c) you took on the personality of the donor.
It was a DF offence to get an organ transplant until they changed it in the 1980's.