Jehovah's Witnesses...Why no blood?

Answer 1

How important is it for Cristians to "abstain from blood"? (Acts 15:28,29)

"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these ESSENTIALS ['these NECESSARY things' - RSV]: that you ABSTAIN FROM things sacrificed to idols and from BLOOD and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." [emphasis added] -Acts 15:28, 29 (NASB)

The wording of the scriptures here does not indicate that this is a relatively unimportant commandment. It says it is "essential".

For much more, see:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JWquestions-and_answers/message/976

Answer 2

Everybody's answered this question adequately, but I want 2 points 2...

And besides, it never hurts to back sum1 up.

Blood is sacred. Jehovah first directly forbade the consumption of blood after the Flood, stating that the soul (or life) is in the blood. He made blood sacred and already decided that the blood of one man (Jesus Christ) would be instrumental in our salvation.
Jehovah repeated a similar command to the Nation of Israel, instructing that once blood is spilled upon the earth it must be covered over with dust, returned to the ground.
We see this principle once again applied to the 1st Century Christian congregation, and the command to abstain from blood is listed in the same context as fornication.


Ultimately speaking, Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions because our Creator disapproves of any misuse of blood. In addition, there are numerous health risks that accompany the practice, and a blood transfusion is no guarantee that a patient will survive.

Answer 3

Blood holds special meaning in the Bible.It represents life and is viewed as sacred by our Heavenly Father.
Christians are instructed to 'abstain from blood' in the Bible.That is Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept blood transfusions. They adhere to the Bible as the standard for all their beliefs and have total faith and confidence in their God,Jehovah.

Answer 4

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?

In the case of a patient that refuses blood, are there any alternative treatments?

Often simple saline solution, Ringer’s solution, and dextran can be used as plasma volume expanders, and these are available in nearly all modern hospitals. Actually, the risks that go with use of blood transfusions are avoided by using these substances. The Canadian Anaesthetists’ Society Journal (January 1975, p. 12) says: “The risks of blood transfusion are the advantages of plasma substitutes: avoidance of bacterial or viral infection, transfusion reactions and Rh sensitization.” Jehovah’s Witnesses have no religious objection to the use of nonblood plasma expanders.

Answer 5

Blood had a special meaning to God...Jehovah.
It is sacred.
God has never changed His requirements regarding the use, misuse or not using blood. He has given specific & certain requirements regarding blood.

There is the blood of 1 man,
by which all the families of the earth can bless themselves.
His name is Jesus.

Answer 6

Acts 15:28 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 ask any honest Doctor they will tell you that a blood transfusion is not good.
That's why most hospitals now practice bloodless surgery.

You can get a disease from a blood transfusion. HIV, Hepatitis, and other diseases have been reported.

Answer 7

The Bible says to abstain from blood.


"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. If YOU carefully keep yourselves from these things, YOU will prosper. Good health to YOU!" -- Acts 25:28,29


"Hence my decision is not to trouble those from the nations who are turning to God, but to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood." -- Acts 15:19,20


"Only flesh with its soul—its blood—YOU must not eat." -- Genesis 9:4


"That is why I have said to the sons of Israel: “No soul of YOU must eat blood and no alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst should eat blood." -- Leviticus 17:12


http://www.watchtower.org/e/200608/article_01.htm

Answer 8

Because blood is very valuable and you can even die if you have a blood transfusion.

Answer 9

Well thk u 4 asking us, directly. (so to speak)
We follow Scripture,
as the final authority on all matters.

Blood--Vital for Life.
The linkage of life to blood was made long b4
William Harvey mapped the circurlartory system in 1628.
The basic ethics of major religions focus on a Life-Giver,
who expressed himself about life and about blood.
A Judeo-Christian lawyer said of Him:
"He Himself gives to all persons life and breath
and all things.
For by Him we have life and move and exist."------
Paul @ Acts 17:25,28
Ppl who believe in such a Life-Giver trust that his directions are for our lasting good.
A Hebrew prophet described Him as
"the One teachng you to benefit yourself,
the One causing you to tread in the way
in which you should walk."--Isa 48:17
In one early reference,
the Creator declared:
"Everything that lives and moves will be food for you...
But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it."
He added: "For your lifeblood
I will surely demand an accounting,"
and then He condemned murder.--Ge 9:3-6 NIV
He said that to Noah,
a common ancestor highly esteemed by Jews,
Muslims, and Christians.
All humanity was thus notified that in the creator's view,
blood stands for life.
This was more than a dietary regulation.
Clearly a moral principle was involved.
Human blood has great significance
and should not be misused.
The Creator later added details
from which we can easily see
the moral issues that He links to Lifeblood.
He again refers to blood when He gave the Law code to ancient Israel.
while many ppl respect the wisdom & ethics in that code,
few are aware of its serious laws on blood.
For instance: "If any1 of the house of Israel or of the strangers who reside among them partakes of any blood,
I will set My face against the person
who partakes of the blood, and I will cut him
off from among his kin.
~~~~~~~~For the life of the flesh is in the blood."~~~~~~~~~
(Lev 17:10,11Tanakh)
Scientists now know that the Jewish Law code
promoted good health.
While the law about blood had health aspects,
much more was involved.
~~~Blood had a symbolic meaning.
~~~It stood for life provided by the Creator.
~~~By treating blood as special,
the ppl
~~~~~~~showed dependance on Him for life.~~~~~~~~~
~~~Yes, the chief reason why they were not to take in blood
was, not that it was unhealthy, but
~~~~~~that it had special meaning to God.~~~~~~
Contrary to how some today reason,
God's law on blood was not to be ignored
just bc an emergency arose.
During a wartime crisis,
some Israelite soliders killed animals
and "fell to eating the blood."
~~~In view of the emergency,
~~~was it permissible for them
~~~to sustain their lives w/blood?
~~~No.
Their commander pointed out
that their course was 'a grave wrong.'--1 Sam 14:31-35
~~~Hence, precious as life is,
~~~our Life-Giver 'never' said
that His standards Could be ignored in an emergency.

the booklet "How Blood Can save Your Life?"
is 31 pgs long.
The material covered is:
Blood Vital For Life.
Blood Transfusions--How Safe?
Quality Alternatives To Transfusion.
You Have The Right To Chose.
The Blood That Really Saves Lives---
"By means of him {Jesus}
we have the release by ransom
through the blood of that one,
yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses."--Eph 1:7
You can receive a FREE copy
from your local Kingdom Hall.

to add to Jason W; or a transfusion reaction,
or did u know that most post-op infections are from the patient receiving transfused blood.
Or if u r like my dghtr's u may b Rh-neg and cannot
receive whole blood transfusions w/out the HIGH Probability of Actually killing them.
I learned this on-line after the Dr., told us she was, Rh-neg.

Ask about blood salvaging...
they re-circulate your own blood,
during surgery.
It's an option..?...

Answer 10

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjVTdLwWJnlcBZ.B7WCPxyPty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070710131728AAvriKf

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AluvGXaQ_8_Cn6x3QXo4GXLty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070712064729AALKCps
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Apr9H6XfdJlxf7dJtryn3ozty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070709160203AAsmrze

This heretical rule has cost the lives of many thousand of Christians world wide.....And what of those who gave their lives only for the families to find out, that they have changed their mind on what is acceptable and what is not....I lost a beloved Grandmother to this Crappy doctrine, only to find out that NOW blood parts were acceptable....What BS.