Being an ex-jw for some years now, we assumed that JW's would have some answers to the blood fractions allowed since they can no long claim they abstain from blood. We recently were called on by an elder and what appeared to be a brother he was training. They gave us blood videos, both of which spoke nothing about what was allowed. They do not know we are former JW's, so we can aim the questions to be thought provoking at times. When we explained what we knew from research about the blood via the internet you could see the paranoid expression growing on their face. When asked about the fractionated blood they would not answer, their reply was to stand by bloodless surgery comments. When asked why the change and what was the scriptual justification for the fractionated blood, again they commented about bloodless surgery. We tried to explain to them, how could we believe they know what they were talking about when they obviously didn't understand their church's allowing or restricting of blood fractions. The brother in training looked so spooked by his own thoughts, I believe he didn't know about the fractionated blood. The elder explained that taking of any blood is a matter of choice and denied any reprisals are taken against a JW, so of course we brought up the internet stories, that althought they don't excommunicate a member on paper necessarily, the persons choice to accept the blood means they no longer wish to be a JW, and this in turn gets them shunned. The elder admitted to that being true but said if one were really sorry that could change. When talking to a JW you hear so many of the same standard answers as we were taught 18 years ago. And I just loved the Organization tape which was suppose to explain who Jehovah's Witnesses are behind the name.........it was like watching a school movie about the big printing company, it was all about the factory and the factory work. I guess we expected them to have new excuses for the new light by now ,especially with the internet research the average person can do with ease.
A conversation with JW's about blood fractions
by catch22 13 Replies latest watchtower medical
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jwsons
Mind you, you can stop any JDub at the door (even he is an elder or ministerial servant) Ask them: "Which fraction is allowed to be transfused, which one is not. And if not, why not?" No one can answer directly. Any knowledge are ready-made from "leaders" [of A Cult], Sorry to say, but because if no individual of Jehovah's Witnesses (rank and file Jdubs) can answer by his or her own conscience, what else but Cult's member? Step by Step follow up "leaders." Blindly following-up is a symptom of a cult. Nothing else. jwsons
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eyeslice
Blood fractions has to be the achillies heal of the whole of the no blood doctrine. It just does not make sense now.
Blood 'fractions' are derived from large 'pools' of donor blood, i.e. these fractions are extracted from the blood from hundreds of individual's donations, all of whom broke God's law by donating, but as a Witness it is OK to accept? I see no logic in the doctrine any more.
eyeslice
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XQsThaiPoes
I know personally there was no blood docterine it was all saber rattling and political posing. The blood issue was made up from superstition fear of neo-vampirism, and STDs which you know only the most depraved sinners get and later preserved mostly for PR. Any publicity is good publicity. I am not saying how I know, but I lived the fact, if you read the cases they lost you'll see the blood issue is a paper tiger. It is like republicans arguing over stem cells "elect me I'm sanctity of life, or marriage, or pet rocks". WTS are not hypocrites if they could wave a magic wand there would not be any blood donations to get fractions from, but they also know dead horses (47k years of creation anyone). The blood issue is over science out flanked it. We might was well not eat the sinew of the hip joint, and not get hip replacements because of Jacob. I'll stick by the WTS for docterinal reasons but more of what people think is a docterine is spin doctoring and posing to appease and convert fundy christians looking for less liberal religions.
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Valis
I'll stick by the WTS for docterinal reasons
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XQsThaiPoes
One mans trash...
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Valis
Is another dog's vomit
Sincerely,
District Overbeer
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Gopher
there was no blood docterine it was all saber rattling and political posing.
OH YES -- there was a blood doctrine! Do you remember the brochure "How blood can save your life"? The whole thing was based on the DOCTRINE that blood is sacred and the only acceptable use was for Jesus' shed blood to ransom mankind. All other whole blood was to be poured out on the ground (or disposed of) out of respect for Watchtower-God-Jehovah.
WTS are not hypocrites.
That's a good one! Like the original poster said, they say you can't get bumped from the organization for accepting a blood transfusion. But then they announce you as DA'd anyhow. What a bunch of double-talk around this doctrine.
if they could wave a magic wand there would not be any blood donations to get fractions from
But of course they're not that delusional. There will always be a supply of blood for medical purposes as long as modern society continues.
they also know dead horses (47k years of creation anyone).
I agree here. They did used to teach that there were 7 creative "days" of 7,000 years each. But that doctrine seems to have vanished once 1975 (the supposed end of 6,000 years of human history) came and went with no Armageddon. So they just let that 7 x 7,000 year thing fade into history ( = old light).
The blood doctrine will probably also fade away as the decades go by. It'll be "old light". A couple decades from now, most of the JW's then in the organization will probably never have heard of the restriction on blood (much like those of our generation never have heard of the old restriction on vaccinations).
They can't suddenly change their blood-transfusion prohibition now. It would be a tacit admission of the wrongness of their teaching, and many still-living relatives of JW's who died under this prohibition would flock to the courts to seek big money from the WTS. So that just isn't going to happen, at least not any time soon.
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garybuss
Gopher, you wrote:They can't suddenly change their blood-transfusion prohibition now. It would be a tacit admission of the wrongness of their teaching, and many still-living relatives of JW's who died under this prohibition would flock to the courts to seek big money from the WTS. So that just isn't going to happen, at least not any time soon.
They would not have to change the blood medical treatment doctrine. All they would have to do is change the shunning doctrine and make all medical treatment a personal issue like they have done with the diet restrictions that their medical treatment guidelines come from.
That leaves the blood doctrines in place but ends shunning for members wanting modern medical treatment. It would be a win win. I do expect that is the way it will end. That's basically all they have done with the blood fractions allowances. GaryB -
Gopher
Gary, you make a good point.
Could you elaborate on what you mean by:
the diet restrictions that their medical treatment guidelines come from