Jehovas witness', and blood transfusions.?

Question

Is it true that a Jehovas witness will not accept a blood transfusion or allow one on next of kin, even if their life depended on it??
I'm not trying to offend anyone, I heard this once and I wondered if it was true.
If it is true, what are the reasons please??xxx

Robert T, you say "do not make decisions of others", but what about children, mentally handicapped, those who are incapable of making the choice.
I remember seeing on the news, a long time ago when I was a child, a mother was refusing to let her baby daughter have a life saving blood transfusion, so a nurse took the baby from her in order to save her life.
I can't remember the details of the news story, but I do remember it, very clearly even though I was only a child. Why would a mother allow her child to die, when this precious life was so easily saved?
roeleavitt, you say "ppl have died from taking blood" and "many families have died together because of it" Ok so some ppl have not survived following a transfusion, but families dying together??? What do you mean? I think the number of lives saved is far greater than lost. I really don't mean to offend anyone, I just don't get it. I could not watch my child die, if all it took to save them was a transfusion.xxx

Answer 1

Those who would criticize Jehovah's Witnesses regarding their respect for blood nearly always fail to note that many multitudes more have died as a direct result of a blood transfusion than from a conscientious refusal to accept one. Despite inflammatory anecdotes from past decades, the fact remains that medical technology has progressed to the point where literally no medical condition exists that cannot be treated without the introduction of blood.

Jehovah's Witnesses are absolutely *NOT* against science or good medicine. Their objections to the abuse of blood are based on religious and moral convictions. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the scriptures demonstrate a clear pattern indicating the sacredness with which Jehovah God (and his worshippers) views all creature blood.


Predates Mosaic Law.
For example, over a thousand years before the birth of Moses, the pre-Israel, pre-Jewish, pre-Hebrew man Noah received what the scriptures record as only the second restrictive command on humans (after Garden of Eden's tree):

"Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it [that is, lifeblood] and of man" (Genesis 9:3-5)


Jewish Law.
Later, God's feeling regarding blood was codified into the Mosaic Law. This part of the Law dealing with blood was unique in that it applied, not just to Israel, but also to non-Jewish foreigners among them. It's also interesting that besides forbidding the consumption of blood, the Law also mandated that it be 'poured out on the ground', not used for any purpose.

"No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. Any man also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust." (Lev 17:12,13)

By comparison, it's significant that the Law also forbid the consumption of ceremonial animal fat, but that didn't apply to non-Jewish foreigners and it DID allow the fat to be used for other purposes.

"The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, You shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. The fat of an animal that dies of itself, and the fat of one that is torn by beasts, may be put to any other use" (Lev 7:22-24)


Early Christian era.
The Christian era ended the validity of the Mosaic Law, but remember that the restriction on eating blood preceded the Mosaic Law by over a thousand years. Still, does the New Testament indicate that Jehovah God changed his view of blood's sacredness?

"[God] freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses" (Eph 1:6,7)

"[God's] beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins... and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood" (Colossians 1:13-20)

"we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood." (Acts 15:19,20)

"For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity." Acts 15:28,29


Modern times
Some will claim that the bible's command to "abstain" from blood only applies to eating it, and does not apply to the use of blood for other purpose. If that form of respect for blood were common among Christendom, one might wonder then why so many (who ostensibly follow the book of Acts) so happily eat their blood sausage and blood pudding if they truly respect blood according to some limited understanding of Acts 15:20,29. In fact, respect for blood and for Acts and for the Scriptures themselves is too rare among even supposedly god-fearing persons.

An honest review of the Scriptural pattern over the millenia from Noah to the Apostle Paul teaches humans that blood is to be used for a single purpose: acknowledging the Almighty. Otherwise, for centuries the instruction was to simply dispose of it; 'poor it upon the ground'. When Jehovah's Witnesses pursue non-blood medical management, they are working to honor and obey their Creator.


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/hb/index.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/vcnb/article_01.htm

Answer 2

I am sorry for your loss. It sounds like you really cared about her and her death has left you sad. We ALL should have the right to refuse treatment if we so choose. That is part of our freedom of choice. In cases where it runs the risk of death or potential harm to children it is tougher to see the danger of NOT having a choice. Institutionalized health care runs the risk of recommending treatment we do not need, and taking away our rights. Some doctors take their Hippocratic oath to a level where they believe they can make life decisions for others. Doctors do the best they can, but they are only as good as the knowledge they have, plus they are human and can be wrong. ADD: As to the excuse why JWs refuse blood transfusions, it is partly an interpretation of what others call the Kosher laws about the slaughter of meat animals. As the time that the OT was written, ancient people struggled to understand disease and set up restrictions that they hoped would keep their people healthy. At the time that JW sect became popular, blood transfusions were very risky and many people died directly or indirectly because of them. Even today, there are still blood born diseases that can slip through the screening process at blood banks. The risk is much smaller, but it exists. Note: Most people in the US do not realize that the way that modern slaughter houses execute animals is still done according to a softened version of Kosher rules.

Answer 3

It is absolutely true.

They refer to bible texts that forbid people from consuming blood.

The odd thing is that the texts refer to animal blood and yet they are not vegetarians. You CANNOT get all the blood out of an animal so they are still consuming blood when they eat meat. Go figure.

Looking at all the rotten diseases floating around that COULD be in the blood supply, I would refuse it and I am not even a JW.

I told my doctor he better not put any other persons blood in me. He can pump me full of all the liquids he wants to but no blood. IL's rather die naturally. I watched my dearest aunt die a slow, miserable, painful death of hepatitis because she got some blood before they were testing every sample. It was horrible. She was terribly sick. She was only 5 feet tall 100 pounds but her abdomen swelled up as big as a beach ball. She kept saying, don't try to save me anymore, I can't stand it.
She finally closed her eyes and gave up. Her liver was so scarred by the hepatitis it couldn' t filter out the impurities in her blood and she filled up with poison.

Maybe you should think about that too!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

They don't accept blood transfusions because God told his people to "abstain from blood". Acts 15:29 is just one of many scriptures that talk about this. Some people take that to mean that only eating blood would be breaking this commandment.

Is a transfusion really the same as eating blood?

In a hospital, when a patient cannot eat through his mouth, he is fed intravenously. Now, would a person who never put blood into his mouth but who accepted blood by transfusion really be obeying the command to “keep abstaining from . . . blood”? To use a comparison, consider a man who is told by the doctor that he must abstain from alcohol. Would he be obedient if he quit drinking alcohol but had it put directly into his veins?

The Bible shows that even if we were to die because of refusal to take blood, they died defending scriptural principle & they would be resurrected to a perfect life here on Earth because they are in God's memory. (John 5:28 & 29)

btw, Crazysexycool, it is not to their convenience. Do you think it would be CONVENIENT to face death because you choose to uphold your principles? NOOOOO! It would be much easier to break them, believe me. Convenience has NOTHING to do w/ defending your faith, and regarding "cutting out your eye", etc., we are perfectly aware that certain scriptures are symbolic, not literal. Otherwise, we would be running around looking into the skies for a wild beast w/ some sort of harlot riding on its back.

Answer 5

The correct answer to your question is this.No witnesses of jehovah do not accept blood trans.but,however they do not make the decisons of others.their reasoning is this;They understand that acts 15:29 says to abstain from blood.If a doctor told you to abstain from alcohol would you inject it into your veins?Jesus said whoever wants to save his life will lose it but,whoever will lose his life for his sake will find life.(matt16:25)

Answer 6

no we do not take of blood. even if I was not a Jehovah Witness I would never put that junk in my body. to many people have died from taking of blood. many families have died together because of it. many people that are not even Jehovah Witnesses will not take of blood either. we do take our families to doctors and get the best care that we can. many Jehovah Witnesses are doctors and nurses

Answer 7

Yes, it is true. Jehova's witness usually try to follow the bible pretty closely. My cousin, who is a Jehova's witness, has shown me a couple of quotes from the Bible concerning blood. It even has somethings about drinking blood from animals (I have relatives who like to drink Iguana blood like an icee, no joke). If it says it in the Bible they have to follow it no questions.

Answer 8

Hi Contrary to some misinformed people Jehovahs Witnesses do not have a death wish as some misguided persons have claimed they go to drs and hospitals for treatment some are even Drs and Nurses what they do refuse is to violate Gods laws on the use and misuse of Blood! such as found in the following Scriptures like Acts 15:28,29, Lev 17;11,12 Gen 9 :3,4 they view blood as sacred Heb 9:11-14,22 Eph 1:7 the do accept alternative medical treatments such as Ethropoietin, ringers lactate heta starch and hundreds of other plasma volume expanders and other Non Blood Medical Management current in use in many hospitals world wide Drs have learned that it is safer less cost and quicker recovery and no side effects so many people who would have died from complication of such outdated practices are using Non Blood medical Management for many of their Non Witness patients als and many time Drs go to seminars to keep up on the latest inovations in Bloodless Medicine and Surgery so you see they only want the best for their loved ones and God provides for his faithfull ones I will give you an example of twin sisters who went in for major open heart surgery one Was a Christian Witness of Jehovah God and His son Jesus Christ the other was not one had Bloodless Surgery and came through the operation in record time with no complications her sister has complications from the transfussion she requested was in the hospital for 6 weeks and died from complications from the blood transfussion the other was out of the hospital and doing fine to this day in 3 days what most people dont know is that well give an example how long can you hold your breath 1-3 minutes on average then you pass out and autonomic breathing takes over well a cell has only seconds then it starts dying and if left in a bag for minutes ,hours days weeks even all the RBC and Wbc are dead all that left is the diseases so now the body has to fight that off as wellas what ever is wrong with it also consider this where do the hospitals get their blood from blood banks and where do they get it from any one who wants to sell it and since there are scores even hundreds of diseases you can get from a transfussion the "average blood donor center " screens for CBC , pro tine and prothrombin levels and mabey one form of the HIV virus which can lay dormant for up to 6 weeks to 6 months then strike full force and since they are over 60 types and constantly mutating the collection centers can afford to screen for all diseases there isnt time or money to do so so it buys from the donor for 15-30 dollars sells to ablood bank for 50-100 and they sell to the hospital for X dollars who in turn sell it to your insurance company or you for XXX dollars its a very profitable enterprise but as previously stated we refuse on Religious grounds I thought you would like to know the medical community is beginning to realize God was right and work accordingly hope this helps clear up any misconceptions best wishes Gorbalizer

Answer 9

100% true, they believe that blood should stay pure and receiving from another person "unpurifies" it..... I really don't get why.... drinking coffee, sodas and stuff "unpurifies" blood, eating junk food too, and I don't see them not doing it, and Jehovah does not exist!! Jesus name is Javeh. Ppl take the Lord's word and twist it to their convenience....

***To that guy that said his cousin is a "Jehova's" witness, the bible also says that if you sin with your eyes make yourself blind, if you sin with your toungue cut it out, if you sin with your hand cut it off, and I dont see NONE of the "witnesses" blind, mute or amputee by choice, so dont say they follow the bible very close, cuz thats bull..... as I said, they take it to their convinience.

***Dear Princess, I insist on the CONVINIENCE part! If you say you follow the Lords word, follow it completly, not conviniently, as you do, or is that you are so perfect that you have not sinned??? Besides, I think that its very rude to try and hammer your "beliefs" to other ppl, all my experiences with you ppl have been dreadful, and dont try to convert you to my religion, why do you insist on converting us to yours, learn to respect others ok!

Answer 10

Its absolutely true. It is laughable when they try to give it scientific backing.