What can you say about the Jehovah's Witness' practice of not allowing blood transfusion on their sickmembers?

Question

Any Biblical basis or they just interpreted the Bible incorrectly?

Answer 1

Principled, but foolhardy.

James, when he agrees in the Book of Acts to accept Gentile converts without the step of first becoming Jews, writes a letter saying to observe only these things:

"Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood" (Acts 15:19–21)

He's not speaking here of transfusions, which would not be invented for thousands of years. He is speaking here of people who would ritually consume blood from animals or other people as a religious practice.

Abstaining from blood transfusions is foolhardy legalism in an adult, that goes against the intent of scripture. When done on behalf of a child in one's custody, it is a monstrous transgression against that child, that sets legalism in an exalted position over saving the child.

Answer 2

Go to this link. I say if you have a question about Jehovah's Witness', go to the source.

http://www.watchtower.org/e/vcae/article_01.htm

Or these articles might help you.

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20000108/article_01.htm

http://www.watchtower.org/cgi-bin/lib/ProcessForm.pl

I answered this question a few days ago, here is part of that answer.

No where in the Bible will you find the mention of transfusions.
there were no transfusions back then. However there are several referring to the eating of blood. See quoted scriptures at the bottom of post.

Does the Bible’s prohibition include human blood?

Yes, and early Christians understood it that way. Acts 15:29 says to “keep abstaining from . . . blood.” It does not say merely to abstain from animal blood. (Compare Leviticus 17:10, which prohibited eating “any sort of blood.”) Tertullian (who wrote in defense of the beliefs of early Christians) stated: “The interdict upon ‘blood’ we shall understand to be (an interdict) much more upon human blood.”—The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. IV, p. 86.

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”? (Acts 15:29) 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?

Answer 3

Everything about our beliefs are based on Bible teachings. The main reason why we refuse blood transfusions is not just "because the Bible told us so", but because of the numerous medical and scientific reasons why as well.

Here is a video that sums up what we believe to be true about blood transfusions and why everyone should abstain from them.

Answer 4

I think they do not understand the Bible correctly. Similar to many religions they misinterpret the Bible. If they choose to believe that God is going to sent someone to hell because he got a transfusion after being in a car crash, they have guts. I have a lot respect for Jehovah's Witness', but they are still wrong.

Dude, the Jesus I worship is a very merciful person.

How about only 144,000 are going to be saved.
Th Bible says that "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved".

Oh-- if someone finds a church that does what Mark 16: 15-20 says let me know...

Answer 5

Someone I know that was raised in the truth but stopped going to the hall got very ill one day . They were admitted to the hospital and were given a 2% chance to live. Then 4 nurses came in and told him at 3 am that he would die without blood. He was doped up with painkillers and was barely awake. I said he doesn't want any blood and they started yelling at me. He then opened his eyes..I said tell them you don't want blood. He said stop fighting with the nurses they will just let me die. And he agreed to the blood.
Now he had lost a great volume of blood and they hooked him up and gave him about 3 tablespoonsful.
He didn't get out of the hospital for 6 months.
But he did live.
Had his body not been made to fight off the strange blood he would have gotten better sooner.
Since he realized what he had done he felt very bad. He started making all of the meetings and is soon to be baptized.
Now he has to worry if the blood he took will give him a horrible disease.

God says to abstain from blood..good health to you.
God knows why we need to stay away from it.

My mom had both knees and a hip replaced with bloodless surgery.
She is about to go through heart surgery without blood.
But if she does die she will be returned to us in the resurrection. And she is positive like Job that God will remember her.

Answer 6

If we were to consider this issue upon the basis of one scripture alone, we should be guided to the conclusion that blood transfusions are forbidden for those who wish to please God. Acts 15:29 plainly says to abstain from blood. One poster alleged that the scripture makes it plain that this means not to ingest blood. How very curious that the word abstain is now defined as "do not ingest." Taking this to its logical conclusion, that same scripture, which commands us to abstain from fornication would mean do not ingest fornication. So I suppose it is perfectly acceptable for unmarried people to indulge in sexual intercourse as long as they do not have oral sex. Yes?

There are many scriptures that give us God's view on blood and its sanctity. These same scriptures assist us in recognizing that it is God who decides how blood is to be used. A consideration of all these scriptures, including Acts above, leads an honest hearted person to the inescapable conclusion that blood is sacred in God's eyes and any and every use of it is NOT acceptable to him. Blood transfusions are one of the uses that is NOT acceptable.

Abstain – in every single dictionary – means just that: abstain.

Hannah J Paul

Answer 7

The decision not to accept blood is based on the Bible. Abstain means what to you?

Answer 8

I say that it is great as blood will only make them sicker.

Biblical basis or not, blood is bad medicine.

Answer 9

I would say incorrect understanding of the Bible.

One Witness told me that blook transfusion = feeding,and the bible says we are not to eat blood. The funny thing was when I went to lunch with that Witness (we worked together) he would order a medium cooked hamburger. He had no problem eating it with its red juices.

Error begets error I guess

Answer 10

I say it's their belief and they have a right to it.

It's based, I believe, on

Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.