Jehovah’s Witnesses, why don’t you believe in blood transfusions?

Question

Don’t quote me scripture because Watch Tower interpretations are wrong. Instead, I ask you to look at the science. The Watch Tower position is that blood transfusions are the same as eating blood, because nutrients can be fed into the body in the same manner as transfused blood – intravenously.

Fact: the body does not consume blood. It is nothing more than a sort of liquid organ that transports food, oxygen, and waste in the body. Therefore, a blood transfusion is no different than an organ transplant.

Given that MEDICAL SCIENCE proves the Watch Tower teaching wrong, why do they still teach this? Why are people still needlessly dying because of a belief that is proven wrong by scientific fact?

Again, do not quote me scripture; stick to the science and explain the Watch Tower position.

Answer 1

You request the reason for our position as regards blood transfusions, then request we not use Scripture to reply.

Under this condition, a reply is not possible. Our position is based squarely upon the Scriptures, specifically Acts 15:28, 29, whether anyone accepts or rejects that.

Answer 2

We do believe in blood transfusions, just not for us Christians.

I don't know what the Watch Tower interpretations are but the scriptural interpretations of Jehovah's WItnesses is that blood is sacred and to be kept from the body that does not belong in it.

Why do you focus so much on the Watch Tower position? Or is it Watchtower? To which corporation are you referring?

What is the harm in refusing blood transfusions? No one has needlessly died from the refusal of blood transusions. No death is needless, it fulfills God's word that sinful human will die.

And how can we explain the Watch Tower position when you ask Jehovah's Witnesses. We only know Jehovah's Witnesses' belief. If you want to know about the Watch Tower, write to them and ask them.

About blood being passed between pregnant women and the fetus. What does that have to do with anything? That is nature. That is not blood transfusion. That is an excuse that opposers make.

Answer 3

Medical science also proves many, many deseases come through the blood transfusions. Many are not detectable by tests.

Medical science proves that transfusions are not needed by competent confident surgeons, even open heart surgery. The recovery times are quicker with fewer complications without transfusions. In the documentary, "Knocking!", a JW gets a liver transplant from his father without ANY transfusion.

Medical science is now pointing to the benefits of NOT using transfusions, just as they once did about washing their hands between surgeries.

How's that? Not one scripture used! The main reason still remains is because the true God of the Bible said so!

Answer 4

Medical Science believes blood transfusions are dangerous.
http://www.pulmonaryreviews.com/feb04/pr_feb04_transfusion.html
Have you ever heard of TRALI?
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=HPIA,HPIA:2006-34,HPIA:en&q=TRALI
How about hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F and now G?
No doubt you have heard of AIDS.
Jehovah has protected us from all of these different diseases by telling us to abstain from blood. True we are to abstain because blood is considered sacred to Jehovah, but still, by obeying this law, we have avoided many of these diseases. And we have also forced medical science to go above and beyond what they thought was possible in order to provide excellent medical care not only for Jehovah's Witnesses, but also the general public. Jehovah's Witnesses provided "test subjects" for medical science so they could experiment with bloodless surgeries. Doctors have found that bloodless surgeries actually have better recovery rates than those that receive blood.

Don't take my word for it, look at the following article that discusses alternatives:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3689/is_200406/ai_n9434243

Answer 5

For Bible-based reasons (bible law), Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions. But they do accept, and vigorously pursue, medical alternatives to blood." Jehovah's Witnesses actively seek the best in medical treatment.

Note: Unless the bible is saying it is OK to fornicate as long as it does not involve idols then abstaining from blood is bible law.

Answer 6

i can tell you where it came from. there is a verse in the bible that says, "dont eat the blood of animals as it is their life force". unfortunately the creators of the JW denomination have interpreted that to mean no blood transfusions, since man is an animal. this rule however only applies to JW's in the US, since in other countries they do allow blood transfusions. what the JW's should also have looked at is the verse that says "a man hath no greater love than when he gives his life for another". most people interpret that to mean you have to die to save another person. however since man is part of the animal kingdom, and since blood is the life force of animals, giving blood to save a life is allowed.

by the way, it is virtually impossible to ask a religious question, regarding a religious position, and then not allow the use of ones religious tools to answer said question. kind of like asking an engineer to tell you how a plane flies, but he cant use any engineering terms or science of mathmatics to show you the proof.

Answer 7

I would like to point out that God would not break His own rule....if in fact this was a rule.

JWs seem to forget about pregnant women and how blood can pass thru the placenta between mother and child. It is so highly likely, in fact, that pregnant women with a negative RH factor must get a shot to prevent their blood from attacking the baby's should the baby have positive RH.

So are pregnant women sinners?
Are fetuses sinners?
____

sklemetti - yes, it is NATURE. God would not break His own rule. That's the point. If God didn't want anyone's blood to ever mix, He would not allow this to happen naturally!

Answer 8

i have tremendous respect for JW's for going out and ministering to the masses. that said, i could never be one. i would be dead by now. just this year alone i've had 3 blood transfusions- all together about 12 units of blood. i hope i never have to have another transfusion but it's good to know that if i get sick again- at least the option is there for me.

but, again, i respect my JW brothers and sisters.

Answer 9

Because there are much safer and better alternatives, like volume epanders. Also, because the Bible condemns taking blood into your body.

You are incorrect. Modern science DOES NOT prove the Watchtower wrong. In fact, scientists have seen that people who use blood transfusion alternatives have shorter hospital stays and do not suffer side affects such as contracting AIDS or other blood-borne illnesses.

You told me not to quote scripture, but I will anyway since that is what guides our thinking.

"For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to YOU, except these necessary things, to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication." -Acts 15:28

"Only flesh with its soul-its blood-you must no eat." -Genesis 9:4

"No soul of YOU must eat blood and no alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst should eat blood...14 For the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood by the soul in it. Consequently I said to the sons of Israel: “YOU must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh, because the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it will be cut off." -Leviticus 17:10-16

Did you notice the reason God does not want us to eat blood? He says the soul, or the life of the person, is in the blood. God chooses to hold blood as sacred. The only blood that can save our eternal lives is that of Jesus, who shed his blood for our sakes. Why would you disobey God to save your own life? -Matthew 10:39

"By means of [Jesus Christ] we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness." -Ephesians 1:7

“Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son.” -Acts 20:28

“Therefore, brothers, . . . we have boldness for the way of entry into the holy place by the blood of Jesus." -Hebrews 10:19

“If we are walking in the light as he himself is in the light, we do have a sharing with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” -1 John 1:7

There are alternatives to blood transfusion, plain and simple. My uncle is diabetic and had to have a leg amputated. To prepare him for the surgery, he was put on an iron supplement to increase his red blood cell count. His surgery was a success and he was awake within a few hours. His recovery was remarkeable for a severe diabetic. An older friend of mine had triple heart bypass surgery successfully without the use of a blood transufusion. Volume expanders were used and he too was put on an iron supplement. He is doing fine and is an active full-time preacher of God's word.

Despite what another answerer said, NONE of Jehovah's Witnesses accept blood transfusion, not matter what country they live in.

Answer 10

More people have died due to this false teaching than ....In any organized cult suicide in history combined...That is why Jehovah's Witnesses are so dangerous...their false teaching can get you killed.