How is recieving a blood transfusion against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses?

Question

I am curious, what possible reason could there be to deny a life-saving procedure to yourself or your loved ones? What is the exact belief, or tenet that they follow and what does it say about blood transfusions that makes them against their religion??

Rare steaks?? well done steaks still have blood in them you fool it is just cooked... lol

Ok but if what everyone is saying is true then why would god have a problem with a person willingly using their "soul" in the form of blood to give new life to another?? It says nothing about blood transfusions in any of the verses provided... so why should it be interpreted that eating blood and getting new blood from a willing donor who wants to give of their blood(soul) so that others may live.. is the same thing?? It isnt even close.

and what about bone marrow transplants? they are used to give sick people the ability to produce new red blood cells.. so do Jehovahs refuse bone marrow transplants too? since that would be like taking someones "soul" (blood) producing ability and putting it in another..

achtung... how is using a blood transfusion to save someones life, misuse? and yes it DOES save lives. The whole reason I asked this question is because recently a Jehovah woman gave birth and started to hemorrage, her and her family refused blood transfusions and she died, leaving a child without a mother, and a husband without a wife. How could that possibly be interpreted as "prospering"....

Answer 1

Schneb (and several others) are completely correct: JWs misinterpret the meaning of "eating blood."

Honestly, this tortured exegesis reminds me EXACTLY of the Pharisees, who proclaimed Jesus a lawbreaker because He healed on the Sabbath! JWs need to meditate on this passage of Scripture, because they have no understanding of what Jesus meant:

Matthew 12:3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was NOT LAWFUL for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are BLAMELESS? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire MERCY and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Bottom line: in this case, Jesus' OWN WORDS tell us that a blood transfusion -- even *IF* it breaks the prohibition against eating blood -- IS LAWFUL because it GIVES MERCY.

Sadly, I wonder how many men, women and children have died needlessly because of faulty JW understanding of this basic Christian principle.

p.s. -- the fact that JWs don't insist on eating meat from animals that were completely bled out proves their misunderstanding. I know at least 20 JWs and all they do is over-cook the meat to ensure the blood is no longer red! They honestly don't care that the blood is actually STILL IN THE MEAT. How sad that they insist their sons and daughters die for lack of a blood transfusion, but they have no problem eating a steak with the blood still in it.

Answer 2

Many people other than Jehovah's Witnesses do not take blood transfusions because of the damaging health risks associated with Blood. These other people also include doctors and their families who only too well know those health risks. Jehovah's Witnesses, however, do not take blood into themselves as this is a bible command from Jehovah. Having said that, there are many safer alternatives to blood transfusions that the Witnesses do use (and which also the doctors and their families mentioned above also use). You can find out about all the blood transfusion alternatives by contacting your local Kingdom Hall. And Jehovah's Witnesses do source out the best medical care for themselves and their families.

Answer 3

The most basic reason that JW's refuse blood transfusions is because they blindly follow the WT leaders in New York. And currently the interpretation of these men is that the Biblical injunction not to eat animal blood along with food, pertains to blood transfusions.

This is a strict and narrow interpretation of the scriptures which totally overlooks the reason behind the giving of this command. The blood was to serve as a "stand in" for the life of the animal whose flesh was being eaten. By not eating the blood, the eater "returned" the life to God. None of which has anything to do with a blood transfusion where the donor's life isn't lost in the first place. The blood of the donor is only blood, not "soul", because after giving blood, the donor still has their "soul" or life. Their life wasn't lost or forfeited, so the symbolism doesn't apply any more than it applies to having blood drawn for a "blood test".

If the WT leaders in New York change their minds, you can bet that JW's will see what the Bible says in a whole new light. Until then, they will die and their children will die, because of their blind faith to their religious "organization".

Answer 4

Since you've already received some truthful and informative answers.
I'll go w/ a true personal story w/ medical facts.

No Dr. on the planet Will give u a guarantee
that it would save ur life. It could actually Kill YOU!
As a matter of fact both my daughter's have a very rare blood type.
Only 5% of the world's pop., has this blood type.
Neither 1 of them can take blood.
In fact, if blood were to be given, she would start dying.
The donor red blood cells *would start killing her own
red blood cells....Killing Her.
I learned this on-line in 04; after my daughter was preg.,
w/ my 1st grd-child; and we found out her blood type
from her Dr.
I'm SO thankful to Jehovah in His wisdom,
to "abstain from blood."
Regardless of how it gets into you.
When I couldn't eat during my c-sections
I was feed thru a tube.
I was ingesting substance, that was sustaining my life,
it's semantics.
We Do Accept Safer Methods, of Treatment.

To the Witness' , keeping integrity to God's Word,
is of the utmost importance.
To remain faithful, no matter the cost.
God will remember and repay you, 1000 fold.
A solider goes to war, dies for his beliefs, for what he felt was worth putting himself in harm's way for; sacrificing his most precious possession --his Life.
And he; a hero.
So isn't it of greater value when you are standing fast in your loyalty to your God, and Sovereign Lord and if you lose your life in the process?
Will we not see you in the resurrection? 1 Thess:4:13,14

p.s. My son was in the military during 9/11.
My earthly father, also, my husband served.
Last mth., my bro got killed, but saved the lives of 3 other ppl; is he any less a hero?

*would; Not could.

edit:esmeralda I take back my thumbs up;
I thought that was ur statement.
It is true, go do some research.k...

Answer 5

"Ironically, the fact remains undisputed that many MULTIPLES more have died as a direct or indirect result of a blood transfusion than have died from a conscientious decision to pursue other medical treatments."

It should be criminal to actually teach stuff like this!! Achtung, PLEASE state your source of authority for this. Other than the Watchtower, of course.

People are just dropping dead left and right from getting blood transfusions, huh? Right. That's why it's so widely practiced.

Edit: I'm not going to do the research, Bambi, because I'm not the one asserting such a ridiculous premise. YOU cite me a medical journal, or some other credible source which supports your claim that many more MULTIPLES have died from blood transfusions than have been helped by them.

Answer 6

The Bible says that we are not supposed to eat blood. So rare steaks ect, are a no no, but the way JW think is that it doesn't matter which way it gets in is still eating blood wheter by mouth (eating), or injection (transfusions). The thing is, IF what they teach is true, then God is the first sinner, because how is the baby receiving all of its nutrients, and blood? This is why this teaching is false, because GOD CANNOT SIN. Sin is everything that is against God. Email me if you have any other questions, I'll be happy to help any way I can.

Answer 7

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.

Act 15:20 - 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.

Note: Scriptures show that blood is for God's usage to create life. Also note that "ABSTAIN" does not mean it is ok to use something but not use it another way. "ABSTAIN" means to stay away from it, not use it at all.

>It says nothing about blood transfusions

God's law does not change but science does.

The approach Jehovah's Witnesses have taken toward the many varied forms of blood transfusions follows more closely the spirit embodied in the ancient Israelite Law.

Our view is that blood and its main components should not be infused under any circumstances. But, we do allow for the conscience of each individual to determine matters in regards to medical procedures that may use so-called blood derivatives of these components.

Just as the Hebrew man who ate an unbled animal had to acknowledge his uncleanness before God or else be put to death, our goal is to honor the Life-giver who long ago laid claim on the blood of every soul, while at the same time not allowing Pharisaic fanaticism and dogmatism to cheapen the very life that Jehovah highly values.

To be sure, reverencing God and balancing our own personal interests is not always an easy thing to do. Taking blood transfusions is no guarantee of life and neither does refusing blood mean certain death—as many naively believe.

Answer 8

If I remember correctly, they misapply the law of not eating the animal with the blood in Leviticus. In order to be kosher, the animal must be thoroughly bled first "For the life is in the blood."

“If you have reason to believe that a certain product contains blood or a blood fraction…if the label says that certain tablets contain hemoglobin…this is from blood...a Christian knows, without asking, that he should avoid such a preparation. - The Watchtower 11/01/1961, p. 669

Is it wrong to sustain life by administering a transfusion of blood or plasma or red cells or others of the component parts of the blood? Yes!...the prohibition includes "any blood at all." - Blood, Medicine and the Law of God, 1961, pp. 13, 14

Answer 9

They pick and choose what parts of the LAW they want to follow. Also I think their leaders got an "F" in basic biology.

What mechanism is in the vascular system for "feeding"? There simply is none.

Answer 10

Life is in the blood.