Witnesses; Receiveing a whole blood transfusion is forbidden, and receive an organ is a matter of cons.?

Question

please explain why

Adam's Rib. Your own statement speaks of the hypocrisy: That organ you will willingly receive has the donors blood in it ... If you actually believe that the bible forbids blood then you must believe that the bible forbids organ donations.. These issues are NOT mutually exclusive

So you must ask yourself why one and not the other ..

Adam's Rib I am sorry for your loss , but your argument is meaningless.. I could argue that bob ate a cookie and then bob died .. thus cookies are bad ...

Blood transfusions will never go away .. due to this crazy thing called facts.. blood transfusions are used to correct volumetric shock. the reason why bloodless surgery works is because it keeps the patients blood in their system .. good plan highly recommneded .. however when you rupture your spleen on a ski hill .. if you dont plug the hole and get more blood into your system you die it is that simple.. there is no matter of faith about it.

hess there is human blood in the organs so please explain how this is not the consuption of blood or in anyway different then a transfusion

Answer 1

Like many sincere Christians decades ago, Jehovah's Witnesses once believed organ transplants to be comparable to cannibalism, and thus unscriptural. Ironically, while other ostensible Christians simply ignored their religious convictions, Jehovah's Witnesses actually acknowledged their error and even recognized the blunt truth that the bible does not condemn cannibalism for Christians.

Only the Jewish Mosaic Law had forbidden cannibalism; Christians are not technically forbidden from "consuming" the flesh of humans (even so, of course, transplants are NOT comparable to cannibalism). By contrast, the bible's prohibition on misuse of blood was never limited to ingestion, and plainly spans many centuries before and after the Mosaic Law.

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

Answer 2

of direction, marrow used in human marrow transplants is from stay donors, and the withdrawn marrow could have some blood with it. subsequently, the Christian might could be sure for himself whether—to him—the bone-marrow graft might quantity to straightforward flesh or may be unbled tissue. additionally, considering that a marrow graft is a sort of transplant, the Scriptural aspects of human organ transplants could be seen. See “Questions From Readers” in our concern of March 15, 1980. ultimately, writing in Harrison’s concepts of inner drugs (replace I, 1981, website 138), Dr. D. E. Thomas observes that “notably much all marrow transplant recipients would require platelet transfusions” and many are given “packed purple blood cells.” So the Christian could evaluate what further subjects he might could face if he submitted to a marrow transplant.—Proverbs 22:3. inspite of the indisputable fact that a private determination must be made in this rely, the Bible’s comments approximately blood and marrow could help the guy to be sure. Sorry for the shrink and paste

Answer 3

It's interesting to note how closely individual JWs consciences act in line with whatever 'guidance' the Wt. Soc gives about medical matters. At one time innoculations against disease were taboo - now it's up to the individual (even though many vaccines contain blood!) From 1961 JWs could be disfellowshipped for receiving blood yet now all they have to do is go through the motions of repenting and they can stay in!

The 22 June 1987 Awake! mag reported a hemophiliac becoming a JW. Although he had previously received over 900 blood transfusions, he immediately stopped having them, deciding this would 'prove his integrity to Jehovah'. Factor VIII is 'permitted' but some 2,500 units of blood require to be stored for a SINGLE hemophiliac treatment yet the Wt.Soc warns against JWs storing their own blood! Did you say 'conscience'?

Answer 4

Adams Rib is correct.... There are now Bloodless Centers. This is ALL they do is bloodless surgerys.

She said it all very well... Nothing more I can add other than, Adams Rib.. I am sorry for your husbands passing. :( I a while back I was reading one of your post about him being sick. I am VERY sorry for the loss of your family. Agape Adams Rib! :))))

Answer 5

blood, among many other treatments, can save a life when it's the thing that's needed most. My doctor said they do, and I would believe him over Dr. JW.

not that your question is about blood transfusions, but if anyone wants to read what the medical professionals who post on this board say about blood tranfusions, go to this link for an unbiased discussion:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aio7g.O52dTR8ulEqZNB_vnty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070806225821AAG4QgR

Answer 6

Mark 7:14-16

reads: "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him..."

Answer 7

Organ transplants use to be against Gods law...God can't seem to make up his mind lately! It seems to me that the Watchtower called it cannibalism....Now it is okeydokey, and all those who gave their lives denying Cannibalistic organ transplants, well all the Watchtower governing Body can say to them is.....nothing....no comment...no apology