Murmurings in my congregation

by stichione 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  stichione

  I just had a startling conversation with a brother in my congregation at today's meeting. He asked me if I had read the two study articles of the June 15th 2004 Watchtower magazine on blood transfusions, particularly the banned and not-banned blood products.

  He told me he found it absolutely idiotic the way the argumentation for banning some blood products and not others was presented. He also told me he spoke about it to his family members and some other congregation members. I'm wondering if this is indicative of murmurings that are spreading throughout the BOrg collective.

  He he he, this is fantastic...the great apostasy will be soon coming to a local congregation near you!
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  Stephanus

  He probably sees the idiocy of the ban on the whole but not of the parts. If the JWs had decided to run with the Torah's ban on eating pork, they'd be saying you can't eat a pig, but the trotters, the tail and the snout are okay!
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  the mole

  the people murmur but no action is ever taken.. for myself i have heard many questions on why this or that is.. my friends alone ask alot questions and when i show them some facts and misquotes they are dumfounded but within the next sentence they make comments like the "truth" is this or that...so whether the murmers may create a exodus from the org is hard to imagine at this point unless the government exposes them or another brother like ray franz leaves then maybe it will shake up the society... most are so engrossed with the notion of brotherhood they still will neglect the family and friends to keep the org strong.....
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  zugzwang

  The article in question contained no "new light." It was just a rehash of a previous article which was a rehash of a previous article. The Borg is playing a very tricky game right now. They are trying to drop the ban on blood altogether but doing so will have huge legal repercussions. So they are changing the policy over a period of decades in order to avoid the legal troubles that will follow. Articles like the June 15, 2004 are probably produced to test the waters of the rank and file. To see how asleep the rank and file are. If they receive alot of mail in response (from CO and DO and elders primarily) that means that the rank and file are paying attention and that they have to be careful. If no one is paying attention then it becomes easier to slip in slight changes in policy that move them closer and closer to the end goal. That being a drop on the ban altogether. The reasons for wanting to drop the ban are varied and included "political" considerations. The WTS is seeking greater acceptance and recognition as an established religion in some European nations but the blood ban is producing problems for them. For this reason the WTS no longer disfellowships it's members for accepting a blood transfusion. They are merely said to have disassociated themselves by their action. The same is true of one who joins the military. It's all legal, economic, and political maneuvering. As far as people murmuring is concerned this is a good thing. That means that people are awake and paying attention. The more people who wake up to the WTS dysfunctional policy on blood the harder it will be for them to get away with their cunning.
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  SAHS

  The thing that really bothers me is the title to that little booklet that came out a while ago (in the 90?s, I think) called something like, ?How Can Blood Save Your Life?? The comparison is apparently to the symbolic value of Jesus? blood.

  However, the WTBTS not only doesn?t allow blood transfusions as an emergency medical procedure, but also doesn?t permit the storing of someone?s own blood before a critical operation in case of an emergency (?autologous blood donation?). Now, the purpose of blood is to keep yourself alive by transferring oxygen to the cells, eliminating waste (such as lactic acid from the muscles), production of antibodies for the immune system, and so on. So, if you take some of the blood that is already in your own body right now and temporarily remove it for possible re-entry into your own body as a preoperative safety measure, then what is the big f^@#?n problem! You would simply be putting something that is from, and thus belongs in, your own body back to where it came from in the first place.

  Therefore, if you died during a critical operation when your death could have been prevented simply by returning some of your own blood back into your own body, then how in the hell did ?blood save your life?? This is yet another example of a WT rule that simply makes no sense. (I believe the word is ?nonsense.? )

  ?SAHS
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  observador

  The comparison is apparently to the symbolic value of Jesus? blood.

  I wrote short article in the form of a summary about these two articles specifically. You can find it here (in Portuguese, sorry). But the point I wanted to make was this: under "observações", my very first observation has exactly to do with the quote above.

  http://www.observandoomundo.com/artigo.php?cod=65

  I mean, the christian, when making use of a blood transfusion, has no intention of replacing the "blood of Christ". Why not? Simple: the blood of Christ theologically redeems a person from the adamic sin and death. A transfusion, on the other hand, cannot and will not replace that; it simply avoids a premature and needless death.

  The other points deal with WT language trickery to fool the unattentive "brothers".

  That's it.

  Observador.
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  Gretchen956

  I heard there is a group of active JWs who are secretly working from within to change the teachings on blood. Perhaps this is something in that direction. Anyone else ever heard of the group? Possibly someone has posted about them before.

  Sherry
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  PopeOfEruke

  Sherry

  maybe you mean AJWRB?

  Pope
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  startingover

  Does anyone know if there was a blood card distributed this year? I just check my wife's and it was dated July 2003. I know they didn't pass it out in 2002 saying there was a problem with the printing. But I thought they started again in 2003 and now it appears they have stopped again as my wife usually keeps up on that.

  zugswang, I think you hit it right on the money about testing the water and the reasons why they need to get rid of it
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  XQsThaiPoes

  I think what will happen is when people murmur some one will say "yes this is nonsense, but do you believe this is gods spirit directed org" then a smart jw will bring up the point the GB the spirit directors retired in 2000. Rinse wash repeat and then a schism will form.