Billy said:
But on the issue of blood, one of the big historical facts that JW doctrine has ignored... and continues to ignore, is that the prohibition on eatting blood at the time of Noah and in the Mosaic Law was to show respect for the life of DEAD ANIMALS. When you really look at the context, it's clear that the prohibition would not relate to medical treatment using blood from live donors. It's a terrible misapplication and is the reason that Jews will accept blood transfusions.
Yup. It's just amazing to me that people are willing to die for the sake of nebulous wording that was written when blood transfusions, MRIs, organ transplants, etc weren't even possibly imagined! Genesis 9 gives a bail-out by saying that "God will demand an accounting", but apparently the "no blood" thing has been JW doctrine for so long that once again, there's more concern for the embarrassment that would result (saving face) rather than the deaths that will result (saving lives).
Simply put, saving face > saving lives.
As someone who understands evolution, it's sad, but it's also natural selection in action, i.e. some organisms take themselves (or their own offspring) out of the game.
And I wonder how many of the seriously sick and elderly JWs actually want to die, and "no blood" policy gives them an excuse, a way out, without the shame of committing suicide.