Who 'REALLY' abstains from blood in the WTS?

by BLISSISIGNORANCE 12 Replies latest watchtower medical

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  BLISSISIGNORANCE

  I was not raised a dub and was 'in' for only 12 years so there are 'many' things I don't know about the borg, that's why I ask alot of questions. This is just another question that came into my mind some time ago and would appreciate any thoughts or opinions.

  In the whole time I associated with jws, I never heard of any member of the GB/anointed/ anything above the R&F..........your 'average' publisher..........dying from refusing blood.

  Every experience I ever read about in the WTS magazines was either about young adult jws/dear old faithful bro. or sister so-and-so/ children and their obedient parents, making a decision to refuse blood and choose death.................because real life in the paradise earth was worth more than extending life in this system. But I have NEVER read or come to know of any 'higher up' jws dying for the same cause.

  I've became very suspicious of the GB and their double standards since coming to know of their cover-ups with the UN and the sexual abuse scandals, and many other things that people on this forum have shared. I have myself been a victim of their corrupt judicial committee procedures and know they are capable of anything.

  I recently remembered a conversation I had with a surgeon in a hospital in Australia several years ago. My mother (also a jw at the time) had to have a serious operation and the blood issue came up. I got the gloves on and was ready for a fight, after all, as jws we are told to view these satanic tests as an opportunity to prove our loyalty to and love for god.I thought 'I love god and I'll show them'.

  The surgeon told me, after I bombarded him with all the ................blah, blah, blah....... we are trained to say.................., that he was so insistent my mother consent to signing the form to authorise them to give her blood should she need it because, get this.................

  • he had met many jws that would say, in front of family and friends, that they didn't want blood.
  • but when they were in pre-op they asked to be given blood if they needed it, just as long as no other jws knew about it.

  At the time I thought he was lying, trying to weaken our decision. But I have a feeling he was telling the truth, I mean, the WTS tells us the UN is evil but they are members of it for over 10 years. Who are the proven liers?

  Maybe the GB, WTS, is quite happy for 'others' to die taking a stand on the blood issue while 'they' choose other options.

  So if you know of any GB member or other (not R&F) jw that has died by abstaining from blood, please share. Otherwise, maybe, they choose this life and let others die. That would be worst than the tragedy already at hand.

  Cheers, Bliss
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  Gopher

  The man-made command to refuse potentially life-saving blood transplants is a loyalty test imposed on the rank and file, as your post suggests.

  The JW's are populated with many authority figures whose motto could be "do as I say and not as I do".

  They have elders who tell the flock not to be materialistic, and then those elders go home to a luxurious abode. They have leaders who tell the flock to increase their service time, while they personally do whatever they can to avoid the tedious door-to-door work.

  They have members of their governing body who at one time taught that association with the UN was evil because it was Satan's counterfeit Kingdom, and then turn around and apply for official recognition as an NGO on behalf of the UN.

  So there are indeed two sets of standards of conduct for JW's, based on who you are or who you know.

  It's just another "old boys club" cloaked in religious garb.
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  BLISSISIGNORANCE

  What a pity this particular double standard costs the trusting, neive and in the childrens' case, innocent, their lives.
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  ballistic

  I am in disagreement with some of your conclusions. I think the doctor may have had one such case and then used that as leverage over others. As for the Governing Body, I am of the mind set which feels they are just as misled, if not more so, as the rest of us were. Everything they do which involves tactics such as lying - they feel they are doing it to protect the name "Jehovah" and with that being their objective, anything is permissable. This, in fact, is what makes them potentially dangerous.

  As a side note, I refused blood even after being disfellowshipped, such is the power of their scare tactics and brain washing, and having had a father die without blood also. I really didn't want blood. You must not presume that it is a difficult decision to say no for all witnesses, most refuse blood as a matter of routine, and most surgery can be performed without it anyhow.
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  BLISSISIGNORANCE

  I ask alot of questions. This is just another question that came into my mind some time ago and would appreciate any thoughts or opinions.

  Ballistic, a question not a conclusion.

  So if you know of any GB member or other (not R&F) jw that has died by abstaining from blood, please share. Otherwise, maybe, they choose this life and let others die. That would be worst than the tragedy already at hand.

  It's an observasion I've made and have asked for information from people out there so I may reach a conclusion, I haven't come to one yet!

  The choice of not taking blood is personal. I personally wouldn't like someone elses blood either, but my concern is that jws don't have a choice ..................

  .............while maybe 'others' in the borg do.

  Cheers, Bliss.
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  Sam Beli

  I have been told by a reliable anesthesiologist that 20% of his JW patients routinely give permission to receive blood, if needed, in exactly the circumstances your doctor described – secretly, in the OR, out of the sight of other JWs.
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  BluesBrother

  We have no knowlege of the GB , they seem to go on and on and on anyhow,

  I knew an ex CO in the UK who was suffering and refused to have a blood based treatment that ,then at least , was not allowed

  I have family who refused blood even though the blood count was critically low. He survived .

  Although, I have heard the same stories told to a sister in my family by a doctor, "Nudge & Wink, No one need know " He claimed to have given blood to witnessess. She found another surgeon , had it done bloodless and recovered ok.

  I feel rather the same as Ballistic. I would only accept it as a last resort .
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  outoftheorg

  Good question Bliss.

  There are a lot of older people at the top of the org. I am sure that they are not imune to the same disease and accidents we experience.

  I was born into the jw's and am now 67. In all that time I have never heard of even one, of the leaders refusing a blood transfusion.

  It would seem that they would tout any refusal by the leaders, as a sign of rightousness and gods blessing. Don't you think?

  You make a good point here.

  Outoftheorg
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  shotgun

  Most of the GB have probably had blood transfusions:

  *** w58 8/1 p. 478 Questions from Readers ***

  Questions from Readers

  • One of Jehovah’s witnesses who claims to be of the anointed remnant recently went to the hospital and took a blood transfusion, voluntarily. Should she be allowed to partake of the emblems of bread and wine at Memorial time?—R. J., United States.

  We, of course, regret with you that this sister who professes to be one of the anointed remnant took a blood transfusion voluntarily during her stay in the hospital. We believe that she did the wrong thing contrary to the will of God. However, congregations have never been instructed to disfellowship those who voluntarily take blood transfusions or approve them. We let the judgment of such violators of God’s law concerning the sacredness of blood remain with Jehovah, the Supreme Judge. The only thing that can be done in the cases of individuals like this is to view them as immature and therefore not capable of taking on certain responsibilities, hence refusing to make certain assignments of service to such ones.

  Since an individual is not disfellowshiped because of having voluntarily taken a blood transfusion or having approved of a dear one’s accepting a blood transfusion, you have no right to bar this sister from the celebration of the Lord’s Evening Meal. As an anointed member of Christ’s body she is under orders and command by Christ Jesus to partake. Whether she is unfaithful as to what she professes to be by virtue of taking the emblems of the Lord’s Evening Meal is something for Jehovah God to determine himself. His judgment begins at the house of God. It is not for you or anyone serving the Memorial emblems to act as the judge, but to allow the emblems to go to anyone in the audience as these are passed along in the normal manner of letting each one have the opportunity to partake.

  They did change this policy in 1961 and started DFing ones who had voluntarily received blood. But on a lighter note its still ok to be immature and not capable of taking on responsibilities and be selected to be ruling in Heaven as one of the 144000.
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  freedom96

  The vote by the governing body was a split regarding the blood issue, so I have no doubt that a few of them would have no problem saving their life by taking blood.