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Watchtower tells everyone that by abiding by its blood doctrine Jehovah’s Witnesses abstain from blood. This is repeated like a mantra over and over again by Watchtower and its representatives. Is it true?
Watchtower teaches that its blood doctrine is rooted in a biblical mandate forbidding the eating of blood because the substance of blood is supposedly sacred and to eat from blood that has been bled from a animal is taboo.
A 20/20 view of what Watchtower’s blood doctrine actually looks like reveals a completely different picture than what is normally understood about Jehovah's Witnesses and blood, and it shows just how absurd Watchtower’s doctrine is.
Contrary to the common perception, under Watchtower’s blood doctrine a Witness can accept transfusions from blood and Witnesses can eat from blood.
Watchtower’s blood doctrine is explicit about what is forbidden to accept from blood. Whole blood, red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma are expressly forbidden. Other than that, nothing is forbidden.[1-2] Moreover, Watchtower doctrine teaches that transfusion of blood and eating of blood should be “equated” as “not actually different.”[3-5]
Accordingly, Watchtower’s blood doctrine has the following absurd outcome shown at the bottom of the following illustration in the center:
Watchtower tells everyone that by abiding by its blood doctrine Jehovah’s Witnesses abstain from blood. This is repeated like a mantra over and over again by Watchtower and its representatives. Is it true?
Watchtower teaches that its blood doctrine is rooted in a biblical mandate forbidding the eating of blood because the substance of blood is supposedly sacred and to eat from blood that has been bled from a animal is taboo.
A 20/20 view of what Watchtower’s blood doctrine actually looks like reveals a completely different picture than what is normally understood about Jehovah's Witnesses and blood, and it shows just how absurd Watchtower’s doctrine is.
Contrary to the common perception, under Watchtower’s blood doctrine a Witness can accept transfusions from blood and Witnesses can eat from blood.
Watchtower’s blood doctrine is explicit about what is forbidden to accept from blood. Whole blood, red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma are expressly forbidden. Other than that, nothing is forbidden.[1-2] Moreover, Watchtower doctrine teaches that transfusion of blood and eating of blood should be “equated” as “not actually different.”[3-5]
Accordingly, Watchtower’s blood doctrine has the following absurd outcome shown at the bottom of the following illustration in the center:
The absurdity
A doctrinal position based on a premise that eating blood is wrong is constructed in such a way that eating from blood is not necessarily wrong.
Marvin Shilmer
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References:
1. Watchtower letter to a Watchtower appointed elder, dated 2006:
2. Watchtower letter, dated Feb. 21, 2007:
3. “Why is taking a blood transfusion not actually different from “eating” blood?”—(Live Forever, published by Watchtower, 1989, p. 25.)
4. “Why are blood transfusions to be equated with eating blood through the mouth?”—(The Watchtower, September 1, 1986 p. 25.)
5. “Explain why getting a blood transfusion is not actually different from ‘eating.’”—(Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, published by Watchtower, 1981, p. 167.)
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