Jehovah's witness refuses blood transfusion - what the....?

Question

Emma Gough, 22 and of Jehovah faith died when she refused a blood transfusion. She had JUST given birth to twins and is also survived by her husband.

I just cant understand this. The blood transfusion could of saved her life. This is a life she is now going to miss with her new children and her husband. I know the Jehovahs argument is, well she wouldnt go to heaven if she broke this rule - but isnt it worth the risk? Surely you should live your life first and foremost and whatever happens after happens. There are NO promises to even say that there is heaven/paradise. It can't be proven.

I find one who puts there religion before their Childrens life, their loved ones life and more importantly, their own life - extremely selfish and down right stupid.

Discuss.

Cathy - Top contributor? I dunno how, your answer was ridicilous. It doesnt matter what we would rather die than do. She died for refusing to accept blood. Pathetic decision by a pathetic religion. Thats the scale of it.

Iron Serpent - Congrats on the most idiotic answer today.

Answer 1

Death is unnatural, and saddens every reasonable person. It seems crass, however, to turn a tragic death into a platform for one's opinionated rantings.

This tragedy occurred nearly two weeks ago, on October 25, 2007. Despite what pro-blood activists and anti-Witness critics might pretend, her doctors informed the family that Mrs. Gough would have died even if she had received blood transfusions.

That's little consolation, but it is unsurprising.

During a hemorrhagic event, artificial expanders almost always work better than blood itself at keeping veins and arteries from collapsing. In addition, targeted treatment of specific blood fractions is considered preferable to old-fashioned "throw everything at it and see what sticks" thinking of whole blood transfusions. Of course, Jehovah's Witnesses generally accept artificial products and fractions derived from plasma, platelets, and red/white cells.

Since Jehovah's Witnesses only refuse whole blood and its four major components, doctors still have many many proven products and techniques. In fact, many or most doctors have come to prefer these products and techniques for ALL their patients.


It is not Jehovah's Witnesses who decide that blood is sacred. It is Almighty God who declares it so, as the Divine Author of the Holy Bible!

As God's spokesman and as Head of the Christian congregation, Jesus Christ made certain that the early congregation reiterated, recorded, and communicated renewed Christian restrictions against the misuse of blood.

Jehovah's Witnesses are not anti-medicine or anti-technology, and they do not have superstitious ideas about some immortal "soul" literally encapsulated in blood. Instead, as Christians, the Witnesses seek to obey the very plain language of the bible regarding blood.

As Christians, they are bound by the bible's words in "the Apostolic Decree". Ironically, this decree was the first official decision communicated to the various congregations by the twelve faithful apostles (and a handful of other "older men" which the apostles had chosen to add to the first century Christian governing body in Jerusalem). God and Christ apparently felt (and feel) that respect for blood is quite important.

Here is what the "Apostolic Decree" said, which few self-described Christians obey or even respect:

(Acts 15:20) Write them [the various Christian congregations] to abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

(Acts 15:28-29) 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.


Quite explicitly, the Apostolic Decree plainly forbids the misuse of blood by Christians (despite the fact that nearly every other provision of former Jewish Mosaic Law was recognized as unnecessary). It seems odd therefore, that literally one Christian religion continues to teach that humans must not use blood for any purpose other than honoring Almighty God.

A better question would ask: How can other self-described Christian religions justify the fact that they don't even care if their adherents drink blood and eat blood products?


Jehovah's Witnesses recognize the repeated bible teaching that blood is specially "owned" by God, and must not be used for any human purpose. Witnesses do not have any superstitious aversion to testing or respectfully handling blood, and Witnesses believe these Scriptures apply to blood and the four primary components which approximate "blood". An individual Jehovah's Witness is likely to accept a targeted treatment for a targeted need, including a treatment which includes a minor fraction derived from plasma, platelets, and/or red/white blood cells.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/hb/index.htm?article=article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/vcnb/article_01.htm

Answer 2

She did not act in selfishness, for if she took the blood she would be disobeying Jehovah and risking her everlasting life!

Also even with the blood transplant she COULD of still died, the media just want to make the JW look bad. She acted right, and think about this-

To accept the blood transfusions and to live about till about 80? 90? who knows but if she did that she would be throwing away her everlasting life! What would you pick? Everlasting life or a couple decades more on your life?

Answer 3

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Answer 4

At the moment the hospital have not actually said why she died. All we know is she hemorraged after complications. Even if she had of been pumped with blood then she may still have died.
As usual the media are using it to sell a story, and everyone is falling for it.

For the mum to take this descision, which I am guessing was in no way lighthearted, she must have had no doubt in her mind that she would be later blessed for being obedient to God and doing what she felt was instructed in the bible.

At this time it might be worth remebering that Anita Roddick recnetly died after she had contracted Hepatitis C from a blood transfusion.

All Gods' laws are there for our protection!

Answer 5

Yes well shame a mother valued life so little by refusing a blood transfusion,obviousley not what I would call good motherhood material so I hope in future they either force a transfusion or remove the children from these illogical so called parents as for the reason,well they tried to convert me and my wife,which was hilarious,when my wife told them she was an insulin dependent diabetic and how did they view that,they said it was fine,then my wife pointed out what she used was human insulin,once again they said it was okay because it wasn't dirivertive of blood,we couldn't work that one out...a true mother will do anything to protect her kids and to remain by their sides to watch them grow,to me this is the highest insult to common sense and the value of life itself....
Peace

Answer 6

What I cant understand is that a doctor will stand by and allow this to happen as she has stated that she does not wish to have a blood transfusion ,so therefor chooses to take her own life due to RELIGIOUS BELIEFS,and yet a woman who is riddled with cancer who has know quality of life and wants to die is refused this.Where is the logic in that what is the difference.

Answer 7

There's nothing to discuss.They are so brainwashed over a period of time(by parents/grandparents).It's what they believe so why discuss it.
I personally think all Jehovah's are in cult like denial,are mad as hatters and incredibly selfish...but mostly I just think their mad.Problem is they truly don't care what us non believers think.

Added:Here's a thought for all the Jehovah's in here....This lady was an adult,she made an adult choice to get pregnant,she made an adult choice knowing the risks involved in child birth and was willing to die for a religion in which she strongly believed.What a selfish **** this women really was,by dieing for her belief she has left two children motherless,they don't know about religion yet,but they did not make a choice,they as newborns are incapable,in years to come it will be interesting to see exactly what her children think about them growing up without a mother who would rather die to go to the kingdom of heaven than spend an earthly life with them.She took away any choice they had in the matter....how is that God's will?

Answer 8

Jehovah's Witnesses do not consume, donate or transfuse blood, because God Himself consistently made it clear for humans to "abstain from blood". God began with commanding Noah and his family to abstain from blood. (Gen. 9:4) He repeated this through the Mosaic law (Lev. 7:26, 27; 17:10, 11, 13, 14) and He continued to remind us through the pages of the New Testament. (Acts 15:28, 29; Acts 15:19, 20) This is because God has obviously attached a highly important moral principle to blood. (Lev. 17:11)

Because this command went as far back as Noah, Andrew Fuller, viewed by some as "perhaps the most eminent and influential of Baptist theologians," wrote:

"This, being forbidden to Noah, appears also to have been forbidden to all mankind; nor ought this prohibition to be treated as belonging to the ceremonies of the Jewish dispensation. It was not only enjoined before that dispensation existed, but was enforced upon the Gentile Christians by the decrees of the apostles, Acts XV. 20. . . . Blood is the life, and God seems to claim it as sacred to himself." - The Complete Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller (1836), p. 751.

How Important is it to "Abstain From Blood"?

A close examination of the wording used at Acts 15:28, 29 shows how important it is for Christians to "abstain from blood":

"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." - 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".

"Don't Jehovah's Witnesses Want to Live?"

The fact that Jehovah's Witnesses want to live is evidenced by their closely following the advances made in the field of bloodless medicine and surgery. There are endless examples and much documentation of their utilization of this.

Some critics of Jehovah's Witnesses have made false accusations concerning Jehovah's Witnesses' motivations in abstaining from blood. But would Jehovah's Witnesses REALLY be so eager to find quality, medical alternatives to blood transfusions for themselves and their children whom they deeply love if their refusal of blood was tantamount to a form of suicide or a "right to die" as some opposers falsely claim?

Christians who truly follow God's command to "abstain from blood" do not decline all therapies. They reject just one therapy, which even many experts admit come with dangers.

Also see:

Why don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses accept blood transfusions?
http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jehovahs-witnesses-why-no-blood-transfusions/

Answer 9

Jehovah Witness is a religion based on works more than faith & scriptures are taken out of context & used to sway those not familiar with the Word.

True in the New Testament it says not to eat blood. Their reasoning is since you can be fed through a tube a transfusion is the same as eating blood. But if you get that technical then all poultry would have to be kosher & red meat would be forbidden. Yet it isn't. That's what I mean by picking & choosing what to follow.

It is sad and happens far more frequently than we realize. Just like there are those who won't receive a dr.'s treatment, meds, etc. because they believe God will or has healed them. I'm not disbuting God can & does heal. I've witnessed it. But to do it this way is almost like daring God not to heal. Plus I don't believe God would give dr.'s the wisdom & skills if it was wrong to use them.

It's really sad her blind faith in her RELIGION caused her to deny the healing God was offering. Why God chooses to heal some supernaturally, others through drs., meds, transfusions, etc. or not at all I don't claim to know. But love covers a multitude of sins. I honestly believe (no matter what her religion claims) that this would have been one of those covered under love. Those infants needed not only their mother, but her love. So I agree it was selfish.

Answer 10

This tragedy will have far-reaching repercussions. It would be comforting to think it might lead to some JWs thinking twice about their stance but, alas, that just won't happen. My concern is for Anthony Gough, the husband who supported his wife's decision (prior to giving birth) not to accept blood. Mrs Emma Gough was an adult capable of taking that decision for herself and she paid the price for that choice. Doctors cannot force treatments or medicines upon anyone who says 'No' to them. That is how it should be.

What should not be happening is the Watchtower Society getting off with their teaching on blood unchallenged. This is a doctrinal issue. If JWs could see how wrong their leaders' theology is, then they would think twice, but for as long as they remain convinced their leaders' interpretations are correct, there will be unnecessary deaths.

Their theology states that life is in the blood, it's a sacred gift from God, Jesus shed his blood to save us from sin and death, so to use blood to save life is to (somehow) undermine God's provision via Christ's blood. It's that last bit about using blood to save life which is faulty. You didn't ask for a theological treatise so I won't give it here but it can be shown from the Bible that the Watchtower's take on this is totally skewed. Only people who can get through to JWs at that level have any chance of getting them to think. (Even if there were no medical hazzards associated with blood, they would still refuse them, so it's not a medical issue.) All the hullaballoo about this tragedy will just make them think 'the world' is persecuting them for their faith. It's not persecution. It's genuine inability to understand.