The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society’s (WTS) blood doctrine is saturated with contradiction, inconsistency, self-serving assumptions and lack of substantiation for life and death details that are enforced on Jehovah’s Witnesses under pain of extreme shunning.
Following are statements of fact regarding the WTS’ blood doctrine; each speaks for itself:
Fact 1a:
The WTS teaches that Jehovah’s Witnesses abstain from blood.1
Fact 1b:
Jehovah’s Witnesses use from blood.2
Fact 2a:
The WTS allows Jehovah’s Witnesses to accept literally anything from blood so long as it is sufficiently fractionated beforehand. The published reason for not forbidding these fractionated blood constituents is that “The Bible does not give details, so a Christian must make his own conscientious decision before God.”3
Fact 2b:
Just as the Bible does not give details of constituents of blood allowed by the WTS to Jehovah’s Witnesses neither does the Bible give details of constituents of blood forbidden to Jehovah’s Witnesses under the WTS’ Blood Doctrine.4
Fact 3a:
The WTS teaches Jehovah’s Witnesses that adherence to its Blood Doctrine protects Jehovah’s Witnesses from blood borne diseases such as AIDS.5
Fact 3b:
The WTS Blood Doctrine does not protect Jehovah’s Witnesses from AIDS because AIDS has been transferred by blood constituents Jehovah’s Witnesses accept under the Blood Doctrine.6
Fact 4a:
The WTS teaches that all of Jehovah’s Witnesses hold the same view regarding the WTS’ Blood Doctrine.7
Fact 4b:
Repeatedly the WTS has received requests from Jehovah’s Witnesses to tolerate acceptance of blood transfusions, and indeed some Jehovah’s Witnesses accept blood transfusions. Since the WTS began enforcing organized shunning for accepting these transfusions some of Jehovah’s Witnesses have still accepted blood transfusions but they have done so secretly. Hence all Jehovah’s Witnesses do not hold the same view regarding the WTS’ Blood Doctrine.8
Marvin Shilmer
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References:
1. “In harmony with Acts 15:29, Jehovah’s Witnesses abstain from blood, including blood transfusions. They do, however, accept nonblood medical management.”—Anonymous, My Opinion of a Doctor’s Duty Has Changed, Awake!, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1995 1/22: 31
2. “I accept all fractions derived from any primary components of blood.”—Durable Power of Attorney from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and provided for Jehovah’s Witnesses, January 2001; See images below.
3. “The Bible does not give details, so a Christian must make his own conscientious decision before God.”—Anonymous, Questions From Readers, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., The Watchtower, 2000 6/15: 30
4. “…Witnesses are deeply religious people who believe that blood transfusion is forbidden for them by Biblical passages such as: “Only flesh with its soul—its blood—you must not eat” (Genesis 9:3-4); “[You must] pour its blood out and cover it with dust” (Leviticus 17:13-14); and “Abstain from . . . fornication and from what is strangled and from blood” (Acts 15:19-21)…. While these verses are not stated in medical terms, Witnesses view them as ruling out transfusion of whole blood, packed RBCs, and plasma, as well as WBC and platelet administration.”—Anonymous, Jehovah’s Witnesses—The Surgical/Ethical Challenge, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., How Can Blood Save Your Life?, 1990: 27
5. “Jehovah’s Witnesses hold that accepting whole blood or any of those four primary components violates God’s law. Significantly, keeping to this Bible-based position has protected them from many risks, including such diseases as hepatitis and AIDS that can be contracted from blood.”—Anonymous, Questions From Readers, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., The Watchtower, 2000 6/15: 29
6. “The disease is also linked to blood transfusions and blood products. “AIDS has become the second leading cause of death—after uncontrollable bleeding—in hemophiliacs, and, most recently, a number of surgical patients who have received blood transfusions have contracted AIDS, raising fears among some observers about the nation’s blood supply.””—Anonymous, Jehovah’s Standards Help Us, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., The Watchtower, 1983 6/15: 13
“…some 70 million units of concentrated Factor VIII are imported from the United States and are used to treat British haemophiliacs. Each batch of Factor VIII is made from plasma that is pooled from as many as 2,500 blood donors. It seems that by importing this blood product the AIDS virus was transferred to the British supply.”—Anonymous, Britain, Blood, and Aids, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., The Watchtower, 1985 6/15: 30
“For example, clotting factor VIII has been given to hemophiliacs, who bleed easily…. to prepare gamma globulin, blood-based clotting factors, and so on, requires that blood be collected and processed. Hence, some [Jehovah’s Witnesses] reject such products, just as they reject transfusions of whole blood or of its four primary components. Their sincere, conscientious stand should be respected… Other [Jehovah’s Witnessses] decide differently. They too refuse transfusions of whole blood, red cells, white cells, platelets, or plasma. Yet, they might allow a physician to treat them with a fraction extracted from the primary components.”—Anonymous, Questions From Readers, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., The Watchtower, 2000 6/15: 30
7. “But who uphold the sanctity of blood out of respect for God’s law, doing so as a group? When a patient objects to having a transfusion, whom does the doctor automatically think him to be? Does the doctor not usually say: ‘You must be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses’?.... All of Jehovah’s Witnesses hold the same view as they walk in Jesus’ footsteps.”—Anonymous, A People Walking in Jesus’ Footsteps, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., The Watchtower, 1988 5/1: 17
8. “Repeatedly we are confronted with requests for information on blood transfusion, particularly for us to pronounce a sanction of this medical practice.”—Anonymous letter, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., The Watchtower, 1950 5/1: 143
“One of Jehovah’s witnesses who claims to be of the anointed remnant recently went to the hospital and took a blood transfusion, voluntarily.”—Anonymous, Questions From Readers, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc., 1958 8/1: 478
““Are You Tolerating Secret Faults?” How this talk made us think! It forcefully showed that whether we are observed by humans or not, God sees us and rewards faithfulness. Particularly dealt with were the secret faults of masturbation, excessive use of alcohol and yielding to pressure in the matter of blood transfusion on being assured that this sin would be kept secret. But all such tolerating of secret faults results in a bad conscience and Jehovah’s disfavor.”—Anonymous, Our “Kingdom Unity” Convention—Why ‘the Best Yet!’, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Inc., The Watchtower, 1984 1/15: 28-29
Durable Power of Attorney from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and provided for Jehovah’s Witnesses, January 2001:
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