why don't jehovah's witness accept blood transfusions?

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the scriptures demonstrate a clear pattern indicating the sacredness with which Jehovah God (and thus god-fearing humankind) 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/e/hb/
http://watchtower.org/library/vcnb/article_01.htm

Answer 2

First off we do not believe in the immortal soul. We do not accept blood transfusions from anyone. It does not matter if the blood comes from a fellow Witness or not. There are those who claim to be Witnesses but are not or who claim to know a Witness who did etc... My father-in-law at one point claimed to be a Witness, HE WAS DEFINITELY NOT. We are not against medicine. We do not feel our blood is better then anyone else's aside from what people do to themselves. The Bible principle that prohibits the accepting of blood transfusions is a universal guideline. All true Witnesses abide by the Bible. I find it offensive that one of the other answerer's implied that different Witnesses in different countries have different. We serve one God. We follow the Bible. There are no separate factions of Witnesses who follow their own guidelines. We are not a cult. This is not a rule that will change. As science advances we have to study hard to see what principles apply. If you want more information go to the source http://watchtower.org. Better yet you could drop by a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses and politely ask your questions.

Answer 3

Leviticus 17:10 and Acts 15:29

Answer 4

A better question would be "Why are 90% of those refusing blood not Jehovah's Witnesses?" So many the 150 now offer it as an option to all their patients. Google bloodless surgeries

Answer 5

Because the bible in Acts 15:28-29 forbid it the only blood the bible autohrized to "use" is Jesus´s blood to save a life with his blood you can get eternal life accepting that other human instead of Jesus gave you life it is against what the whole bible explain.
Acts 15:28-29
For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to YOU, except these necessary things, 29 to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If YOU carefully keep yourselves from these things, YOU will prosper. Good health to YOU.

If you notice the bible separate the use of the blood and eat with the blood inside.

Remember the one who disobey the command of God will loose his life but if you loose obeying him he will grant you everlasting life, and truly christians believe in resurrection .

Answer 6

We firmly believe that God’s law on blood is not open to reform to fit shifting opinions. Blood is sacred to Jehovah God.

Jehovah God told our common ancestor Noah that blood must be treated as something special. (Genesis 9:3, 4)

Later, God’s laws to Israel reflected the sacredness of blood: “As for any man of the house of Israel or some alien resident . . . who eats any sort of blood, I shall certainly set my face against the soul that is eating the blood.” By rejecting God’s law, an Israelite could contaminate others; thus, God added: “I shall indeed cut him off from among his people.” (Leviticus 17:10)

At a meeting in Jerusalem, the apostles and older men decreed that we must ‘abstain from blood.’ Doing so is as vital as abstaining from sexual immorality and idolatry. (Acts 15:28, 29)

Answer 7

What is so objectionable about getting decent medical treatment without blood? Why do people default to using blood, when there are better alternatives?

Answer 8

because in the olden days it's consider illicit to consume blood so from they point of view blood transfusion is just like eating blood

Answer 9

Because blood is sacred, holy. It is the shed blood of Christ Jesus that washes away our sins, why disobey God and make that sacrifice seem worthless. Acts 15:20,29 God says to abstain from blood, that in itself is good enough reason without getting into all aspects of how unsafe it is.

Answer 10

Because they misinterpret scriptures in the book of Leviticus that refer to not eating blood. It's one thing to eat blood, It's another thing to accept a blood transfusion that results in bringing life to someone else.

Answer 11

the watchtower has changed its policy on blood transfusions a couple of times now. Their beliefs are based on the fact that blood transfusions constitute eating blood which is forbidden in scripture- they do however allow a transfusion of hemopure which is made from cow's blood- sorry, cannot figure out the logic there. In the past they have banished members for receiving blood transfusions.
Here is their policy - past and present:

http://www.ajwrb.org/