I have not heard of this, though I suppose some hardline elders might ask for it back as the wording -at least on the old card I have - states that the bearer is "one of Jehovah's Witnesses". In our area I don't think they care much about it. It's not like the old days where at a meeting each year everyone was asked to fill out a new one and get it witnessed. We were also told not to call it a " blood card" as it was actually a " no blood card" although the preferred term was Advance Medical Directive. It's also been called a Health Care Proxy and a Durable Power of Attorney. A video shown a while back used all these terms, and I asked an elder if they all mean the same thing but didn't get a clear answer..
Removed - blood card
by skin 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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NotFormer
"It's not like the old days where at a meeting each year everyone was asked to fill out a new one and get it witnessed."
I once asked a question about this on here* and there were a few doubtfuls, in the UK, anyway, but I was sure that I'd read about that sort of thing a couple of decades ago. Did WT legal disallow it, due to the obvious smoking gun of WT interference in "a conscience matter"? Could anyone in the congregation not turn up to the meeting? Could you get away with not having a blood card?
*Found the thread:
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6048618390224896/blood-card-check
Apparently HIPAA killed that little exercise in authoritarian overreach. đŸ™„
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Phizzy
If I had been DF'd I would not have had a card to hand back, I never filled one in or carried one when I was a J.W.
It was strange thinking about it, I had never thought about the blood nonsense hardly, I did that after I left, and asked my Doctor to remove any reference to it from my Records, and any ref. to me being a J.W. he assured me no such records had ever been on there ! LOL, I hadn't done that either.
I think the reason I did not do any of that crap was the feeling that is natural to me, since I was very young, just a boy, to never obey "authority" if I cannot see good reasons as to why I should.
The move to stop all that, to do with Blood cards, was definitely the fear the Org. has of litigation, The Legal Dept. guide them on this, as in so much, where is the Holy Spirit one wonders ? LOL.
When the Org. makes ANY move, it is always about the $$$.
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Journeyman
Can't say I've ever heard of elders removing a blood card* from a disfellowshipped person here in my part of the UK.
It might sound logical to take the card away if the person is "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses", but since the blood card is supposed to be a medical document, I don't see how they can just do that, if the person still holds that desire. Someone might be disfellowshipped for adultery, say, yet still believe in the blood issue and want to avoid surgery using blood.
In fact, I know of one case of the opposite - a disfellowshipped person who was in hospital for a serious operation, and contacted the elders for assistance. Not sure why - if it was an accident or for a specific health condition - but I heard from an elder that they had such a case and did indeed follow-up, even though the person was disfellowshipped, since it was their personal wish not to have blood. That was about 20 years ago, so things might have changed. They did update the wording on the card recently, I think.
I can think of two possible reasons why they asked to take his card:
- Maybe the person was disfellowshipped over differences of opinion about the blood issue itself?
- Maybe one of the signatories withdrew their consent for their details to be used as a contact, when they found out he was disfellowshipped?
* = yes, it's officially called Advance Medical Directive, but everyone says "blood card" - JWs and ExJWs - so we know what we mean!
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HereIam60
It always annoyed me, back in the days of printed magazines, that whenever there was an 'Awake' article on health care there would always be a footnote stating that they did not endorse or recommend any particular treatment. I felt if that were true then neither should they discourage or forbid any. I think the terms of conditions of the JW App also contain a statement that they are not responsibke for a person's health care choices. The publication of the current bible study book "Enjoy Life Forever' would have been a perfect opportunity for them to quietly "step away" from all the controversial doctrines but no, it's all in there including a full page chart on what blood fractions would or would not be acceptable. I'm now sure the scriptural guideline to abstain from blood only means 'Do not purposely eat it and Do not purposely shed the blood of others' Medical uses have nothing to do with it.
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blondie
It is not part of the official WTS policy, not in print in their publications. But if individual elders might make this necessary, I can believe that. Elders don't always listen to the WTS and make their own rules. Of course, that might get them in trouble with the WTS if the WTS finds out.
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Athanasius
I agree with Blondie. This is a local issue where elders go beyond what is written.
In my experience when I resigned as an elder in 1984 and faded, I'd forgotten about the Blood Card in my wallet. It was several years after my departure from the JWs as I was going through old business cards in my wallet that I found the old Blood Card. So I removed the card and burned it.
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blondie
The "blood" card was updated at one point, so current jws at that time were "encouraged "to get the new one throw away the old one. But not required returned from d'fd by elders. Meeting Workbook January 2024 Durable Power of Attorney (DPA) Card and Identity Card (ic): These cards outline a patient’s wishes concerning the medical use of blood. Baptized publishers can obtain from the literature servant a DPA card for themselves as well as an Identity Card for their minor children. These cards should be kept on our person at all times. If you need to fill one out or update one, do not procrastinate."
2016https://www.jwfacts.com/pdf/blood-2016-Medical-Directive-dpa-E.pdf This 2016 one seems to be the most current. Because the WTS has constantly "adjusted" this document, the WTS wants the individual jw to have the most current, so the medical/legal community is not "confused" and everyone is on the same page, and destroy the old one. Does anyone remember when new cards were handed out at the old book study (small groups) and fill it out there and have the conductor sign it? WTS taking control of having it done.
If now accepting blood transfusions, give document to doctor, hospital, and any place you gave your old HC-POA. Experience from here on JWN: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/95897/elders-will-notified-will-find-you-hospital
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skin
Does anyone remember when new cards were handed out at the old book study
Yes, I remember doing that way.
Thanks for everyone's input on this subject. If I hear this subject mentioned again in conversation, I might ask how they know that removed ones need to return there card.