Blood, The Soul, & The WTB&TS

by Francois 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  Francois

  This topic was inspired by another one dealing with the pointless loss of life of four JW teenagers. Upon reflection, it seems even more pointless than before. And it makes the JW policy on blood aritrary to the point where it rubs shoulders with actual criminal conspiracy.

  Remember that the Mormons finally abandonded their teaching on polygamy because it could not stand modern scrutiny of its legitimacy. The same seems true concerning the Society and its "teaching" on blood.

  See if you agree.

  The really unforgiveable aspect of the ban on blood transfusions is that the JWs have backed themselves into this corner. And they've tried every way they can to ooooze out of it. It's OK for JWs to accept transfusion of various blood fractions, for instance, and even the product that's made of some sort of purified cow blood.

  The idea that it's OK to accept various blood fractions contains an absurd concept. Blood cannot be transfused because it's "sacred," because the "soul is in the blood." By allowing certain blood components to be transfused but not others, the WTBTS by implication is signalling that it knows which blood component contains the soul - that part of blood that makes it sacred. Otherwise, why proscribe its transfusion? This is mighty heady stuff, this claim that the actual location of the soul is known by an isolated group of religious leaders in New York state.

  Of course, the WTBTS has no idea where the soul is located. In fact, the WTBTS, in another of its teachings, claims there's no such thing as a soul. So proscribing blood on the grounds that it is the sacred seat of the soul is an internally inconsistent argument. Can't have it both ways; either there is a soul or there is not; either blood is sacred by virtue of its containing the soul or it's not sacred at all - and the ban on its transfusion is just what it seems: an absurd, baseless religious ritual requirement no different than all the other baseless rituals of, say, the Catholic Church concerning which the Society has pilloried this competing religious organization for years.

  I say the WTBTS has backed itself into the mother of all corners.

  What do you say? (Note to JW fanatics: we already know what you "think.")

  Francois

  Where it is a duty to worship the Sun you can be sure that a study of the laws of heat is a crime.
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  Marilyn

  I think the point is (not the WT point - god knows what their point is?) that when God said not to eat blood, because the life, the soul, is in the blood, God's was saying blood is symbolic of life . Clearly God didn't mention the kidneys, heart, pancreas, lungs etc that we also can't live without - they too are our life force because without them there is no life - so God must have decided that blood was a good symbol of life - and it was easy to lay down a few rules to accomodate our acknowledgement - like draining an animal not strangling it. The overall intention has been completely lost on Jehovah's Witnesses. It was to make a statement about the importance of life. Not to waste it, not to abuse it, not to take it - but to appreciate it's value. Hence the JW doctrine is 100% opposite of what God intended.

  I think it's relevent too that a properly bled animal still has a large volume of blood left inside it - can't remember the percentage but I know it's high. If God was being literal about not eating blood - then why eat meat that has significant blood left in it? And who decides where to draw the line? Well clearly the WTS does - but I can't see the difference between a blood transfusion and a plate of juicy rare steak! Both are there to preserve life. Though not too much of the steak for me thanx - I'm watching my cholesterol!!!

  Btw - something I've never mentioned here and I don't know if it's mentioned on any of the blood sites, but generally speaking the human doesn't digest full blood too well. My adult daughter had her tonsils out last yr and she had a bleed on day 4. She vomiting a lot because of the blood she was swallowing. I didn't twig - but she had her wisdom teeth out more recently and the same thing happened. As she is a medical student I asked her about this and she said it's commonly understood that the stomach doesn't digest blood very well. Vomiting is the usual reaction. I can't help thinking that this might be relevant as to why this blood law even made it into the Bible. It's of course limited to the digestion of raw blood!

  warm regards
  Marilyh
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  Francois

  Really good observations. And no matter how you slice it, it does seem obvious the WT policy on blood is indefensible on any number of counts.

  That people are willing to die for this policy apparently substantiates the idea that religion is an emotional phenomena.

  Franc

  Where it is a duty to worship the Sun you can be sure that a study of the laws of heat is a crime.
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  Yerusalyim

  Orthodox Christian theology on this is that since blood sacrafice foreshadowed that of Jesus on the Cross, blood was sacred to God and was to be offered just as that of Jesus was. The life is in the blood because Jesus blood is live giving.

  From a practical standpoint, the life is in the blood because if ya don't have blood, you have no life.

  JW position is too inconsistent, if they wanna do this no blood thing right they need to buy only kosher meats what we buy at the store still has too much blood in it.

  The Jews, to whom this law of blood was given don't understand it in the Light that the JW's do, Jews can recieve blood transfusions. The dubs are wierd on this issue.

  Yeru

  YERUSALYIM
  "Vanity! It's my favorite sin!"
  [Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]
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  68storm

  Quote: "the Catholic Church concerning which the Society has pilloried this competing religious organization for years."(Sorry I don't know how to do the quote bit.}

  With all do respect Franc, I get tired of hearing things like this from ex jws, born again Christians, etc. This is like saying that Wal-Mart is competing with the hot dog vender down the street. The jws always humor themselves thinking that the Catholic Church considers them as a threat. It is the Catholic Church's total ignorance of this minor cult that allows them to convert Catholics in the first place.

  If one were to look at the stats of man-hours expended trying to convert people; the jw religion would have to get a total failure. If you study other minor, made in the US religions that began at about the same time or later, you will discover that they are much more successful than the witnesses are. Even some that do NOT bust your huevos Sunday mornings.

  When my jw ex first left, I attended a few meetings with former jws and various other professed Christians. Imagine my surprise at one of these meetings when I had everyone in total disbelief by stating that Catholics are read three scriptures during every service. I was fortunate enough to have a former Catholic in the room that substantiated what I stated. The Watchtower propagates so much garbage about the Catholic Church to the point that ex Catholics even believe the "bullshit" The thing that most Protestant religions don't realize is that the Catholic Church has scripture to back up most of their doctrines also.

  I find it quite interesting being in my position. I am a very nominal Catholic; therefore, I am not too fanatical about my beliefs. Every Christian sect has some good points and some very weird points. Anyone sitting on the outside looking in, cannot, in all consciousness, truly believe all of the fairy tales that are contained in the Bible

  Again, let me state that I enjoy reading your posts. This comment kind of triggered something.

  Keep those posts coming.

  68storm
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  sf

  (post created into new thread)