Jez: It was on the Vancouver news this morning. They told what was going on and then the stupid dub lawyer was interviewed. He said that this is about the right to decide what to do with you body. He said it could very well be a moral issue or something other than religious. That she has a right to decide.
Jez --
Leaving aside, for the moment, the question of whether or not this particular 14-yo girl is mature enough to be considered an adult capable of making such a life-and-death decision, what troubles me is the question of what constitutes truly informed consent.
If someone must make a decision which has potentially life-threatening consequences, than the decision out to be a fully informed decision, imo.
As I read it, the editorial in the Journal of Medical Ethics, which I quoted from earlier, makes a case that doctors would be acting ethically if they informed their JW patients that there are dissident JW's who do accept blood.
It seems to me that a truly informed decision cannot be made unless the JW patient has been told of the information on the AJWRB site; in particular, of the instances where Hemopure has been approved, and, especially, of the WT's history of doctrinal changes regarding medical issues.
If a JW patient has not been told that the WT has changed its policy on things such as vaccinations and organ transplants, then the patient is making a decision based on partial information.
Just my thoughts,
Marjorie
