Jehovah Witness' Part 2?

Question

First I would like to thank all those who answered my question, now I must ask another "blood" question. I am not a vampire so relax.

Since Jehovah's Witness don't believe in Transfusions even if it's their own blood, what about Dialysis? Are you allowed to take part in Dialysis?

Answer 1

Yet another JW!

firstly JW's are not changing there views on blood transfusions, not sure where Suzi heard that.

Blood is very sacred so taking blood from another source is def a no-no. That doesn't mean we'll just 'die' as some say but there are other, more safer methods instead of blood transfusions and doctors all around the world are adopting these methods as they tend to be safer an more effective.

As for dialysis that's a personal decision. Some believe as it is not really 'leaving' the body and is only being filtered then it's not breaking any rule. Others believe that you should always try other methods instead.

To rule out all the usual remarks, the reason JW's may die in these situations has very little to do with taking blood or not, any experienced doc could tell you that.

BTW don't be put off asking questions, if you have any more let me know!

Answer 2

Physicians face a special challenge in treating Jehovah’s
Witnesses. Members of this faith have deep religious convictions against accepting homologous or autologous whole blood, packed RBCs [red blood cells], WBCs [white blood cells], or platelets. Many will allow the use of (non-blood-prime) heart-lung, dialysis, or similar equipment if the extracorporeal circulation is uninterrupted. Medical personnel need not be concerned about liability, for Witnesses will take adequate legal steps to relieve liability as to their informed refusal of blood. They accept nonblood replacement fluids. Using these and other meticulous techniques, physicians are performing major surgery of all types on adult and minor Witness patients. A standard of practice for such patients has thus developed that accords with the tenet of treating the “whole person.”

Witnesses believe that blood removed from the body should be disposed of, so they do not accept autotransfusion of predeposited blood. Techniques for intraoperative collection or hemodilution that involve blood storage are objectionable to them. However, many Witnesses permit the use of dialysis and heart-lung equipment (non-blood-prime) as well as intraoperative salvage where the extracorporeal circulation is uninterrupted; the physician should consult with the individual patient as to what his conscience dictates.2

Answer 3

--DIALYSIS IS THE filtering and circulating of our blood--My wife & I and many of Jehovah's witnesses have nothing against this technique because it is in line with the natural circulation and filtering that the kidneys do---as long as it is not stored!

*** g90 10/22 p. 13 Transfusions—The Key to Survival? ***
...........In June 1988, the Report of the Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic suggested that all patients be given just what the Witnesses have been requesting for years, namely: “Informed consent for transfusion of blood or its components should include an explanation of the risks involved . . . and information about appropriate alternatives to homologous blood transfusion therapy.”
--In other words, patients should be given a choice. One such choice is a type of autologous transfusion. The patient’s own blood is salvaged during the operation and recirculated back into the patient’s veins. Where such a process is simply an extension of the patient’s own circulatory system, IT IS QUITE ACCEPTABLE TO MOST WITNESSES (my caps). Surgeons also stress the value of increasing the patient’s blood volume with nonblood expanders and letting the body replenish its own red cells. Such techniques have been used in place of transfusions without increasing mortality. In fact, they can improve safety."

UPDATE #1
---THERE IS no change on our stand on refusing blood transfusions:

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

Answer 4

I am one of Jehovah's witnesses and I think its more of a personal conscious matter. If you conscious will allow you to than that's ok. I personally would do it if I needed. My blood is not being taken out of my body and stored elsewhere for a later use. Here is several articles from the Jehovah's Witnesses official website that I think you would like to read about this matter. http://watchtower.org/e/hb/index.htm

Answer 5

i think i just read something about jw's changing their idea of blood transfusions.

Answer 6

Please see my response to JW'S.... on my Blog / 360 Click onto my Avatar... [ Picture of the London Underground ]... and then 360.

Thanks, RR

Answer 7

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that blood must be continuously circulated in order to be acceptable for reintroduction. So-called "cell-saver" technology is acceptable to the consciences of most Witnesses. Each Witness decides for himself regarding minor blood fractions derived from plasma, platelets, or red/white cells, and so a Witness might choose to have one or several such minor blood fractions isolated from his blood draw in the days or weeks before some scheduled surgery.


Of course, 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/e/vcnb/article_01.htm