law concerning JW's and blood transfusion?

Question

what exactly is it?

what about for underage children?

thanks.

i know and understand why JWs dont accept blood i just want to know what the state law is

Answer 1

Interestingly, both Jehovah's Witnesses AND more and more secular governments believe that so-called "mature minors" should be allowed to make educated decisions regarding their own medical care.

Otherwise, as long as the parents give clear evidence of studiously working to protect and prolong their child's life and best interests, the parents should be given the deference and respect befitting any other serious family decision.

It seems important to consider two facts.

1. Many MULTIPLES more have died as a result of a blood transfusion than have died from a conscientious decision to pursue other medical treatments.

2. Medical technologies exist to treat literally every illness and injury without resorting to the old-fashioned infusion of whole blood, plasma, platelets, or red/white blood cells.

Why should government or a handful of doctors insist that *IT* should have the only right to choose a course of treatment, especially when responsible parents are simply and thoughtfully requesting a different course of treatment? A Jehovah's Witness may accept all minor blood fractions, so if there is some targeted need then a Witness will accept a targeted treatment (the only objections are to those four components which approximate actual blood).


Incidentally, 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

Videos
http://watchtower.org/e/vcnb/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcnb_e.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/vcnr/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcnr_e.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/vcae/
http://jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcae_e.htm
http://jw-media.org/vnr/2253636331/734353.htm

Answer 2

since the blood is viewed as sacred.....tranfusions are not acceptable.....not only does it violate gods law, but tranfusions can be deadly...contain viruses, lead to infections...etc

the same goes for kids.......the parents should make the same decision not to get it ......until the kids r old enough to decide for themselves

jw's are paving the way for new medicine and safer healthcare practices...instead of the usual hack and chops of surgery.....the doctors are pushed to carefully operate using the methods which lead to less blood loss....if they tell u a transfusion is necessary..they r lying.....they just wanna do what saves time...but when it comes to ur life time shouldnt matter! search for good doctors who minimize blood loss using certain techniques...there r some!

before and after a surgery of any kind for an adult or child......iron is needed....if u take iron and eat foods containing iron before and after ......u help ur body reproduce blood.

its not only not getting transfusions...its also not eating blood....especially in foods....they make sure all food is properly cooked.....no bloody steaks!

Answer 3

Let me think, Do Harvard or Yale Divinity schools
have a JW section.

Answer 4

Why don't Jw's accept blood.?..First of all it is not a request but a command from God to ALL true christians...ACTS 15 V28+29...Why.?....(1)....LEV 17 V 11+12.(Isrealites,early christians and same principles apply to christians today).Only blood to be used for sacrficial purposes..as blood is sacred to God, containing the essence, life, of an individual....the using of anothers blood for any other purpose is like murder in Gods eyes....or the theft of another persons identity....animal flesh was permitted to be consumed but not its blood, animals had to be completely bled first or it was a serious sin...GEN 9 V 34..(2)...Christians are advised not to take blood by God because it is considered unclean, it carries infectious diseases, that cannot be screened for, it is defiling ones body, contaminating it, stealing the rights of another person....God considers blood a representation of a persons actual life, and it is precious..as all life to God is precious, as blood contains a persons precious life-force.... ACTS 15 V 28+29...(4) Jw's also consider these other reasons (a)..Jesus said it was better to loose your life and get a reward for your sacrifice, than to sin againt God..Jw's believe that death is not the end of their faith or their life, but that they will receive a resurrection to earthly life through their act of loyalty to God...this alone sustains them through their decision...MARK 8 V 35-38...JOHN 5 V 28+29...(b)...The risk of disease and loosing favour with God.(Medical studies show more people die within on eyear of ahving transfusions because of ths and blood rejection than those who survive...without Jw's bloodless surgery which is safe..could not have been pioneered and has led many to survive that would have normally died for these two reasons )..(c)...Love for God motivates their conviction...(d) Faith in what God promises for those who show obedience... (e) Ultimately parents are responsible for the medical decisions of their children under the legal age...but they also have faith that, that child will also be resurrected to perfect health along with everyone else who has been faithful, and draw comfort from Gods spirit and the fact that they have acted with faith.... the bible explains God remembers the faithful deeds of those who have died in faith...including those whose children have died through illness and suchlike....