Cardiac patient changed his mind, and lived

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Patients who are Jehovah’s Witnesses have the added pressure of harsh organized communal shunning should they conscientiously accept medical treatment forbidden by the Watchtower organization’s Governing Body.[1-3]

Specifically, Jehovah’s Witnesses are forbidden to accept transfusion of whole blood, red cells, white cells and/or platelets.[4]

A recent article published in Heart, Lung and Circulation shares an incident where one of Jehovah’s Witnesses changed his mind about accepting transfusion of forbidden blood products upon suffering serious gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient’s life was saved by transfusion of 11 units of packed red cells.[5]

Some generous person(s) freely sacrificed some of their own blood to help save the life of another, and in this case the Jehovah’s Witness patient accepted this freely given gift and it helped to give life just as it was intended.

● There is no biblical tenet suggesting it improper to donate blood to help save life.

● There is no biblical tenet suggesting it improper to accept blood donated to save life.

● In particular, there is no biblical statement directly commenting on medical transfusion/transplantation of donor blood as though it is inappropriate.[6]

For whatever his reason, I am glad this one of Jehovah's Witnesses changed his mind and lived. Surely there was no reason not to make the choice he did, that is other than the will of Watchtower's Governing Body that he die rather than accept a product rendered from blood that is forbidden under its doctine. But then, Christians do not place their trust in men. (Ps. 146:3) Right?

I encourage Jehovah's Witnesses to sacrifice blood just as was donated to save this patient's life. It should be as Jesus said,

"No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends." (John 15:13)

I encourage Jehovah's Witnesses to accept transfusion of blood that is sacrificed by donation to help save their lives.

Marvin Shilmer
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References

1. See Coercion to Refuse Blood

2. See Cruelty and Threat — Shunning and Watchtower

3. See Watchtower — Faith — Compromise? (unabridged)

4. The Watchtower, June 15, 2000, p. 30.

5. Marshall et al, Short Term Outcomes after Cardiac Surgery in a Jehovah’s Witness Population: An Institutional Experience, Heart, Lung and Circulation, 2012;21:101–104.

6. See Gene Smalley Debunks Watchtower’s Blood Doctrine!

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