Is Blood Forbidden Among Jehovah’s Witnesses?Free Mind Journal - vol.11, No5 sep/oct 1992The Watchtower objects to the eating and even the transfusing of blood, as most of our readers know. What many do not know, however, are the inconsistencies in their position on blood and blood fractions. I believe the following information will be effective in illustrating the serious inconsistencies in their policy regarding such a vital issue. Countless Witnesses and Witness children have died since the ban on blood took effect in 1945, under the direction of the Watchtower’s third president, Nathan H. Knorr. Since the time of Knorr, many difficulties regarding their stand on blood have come up for vote in the sessions of the Watchtower’s Governing Body, revealing their attempt to play God in this matter. The Watchtower of Feb.15, 1963 (P.124) told JWs that they could not receive anything derived from blood in medical treatment: “It is not just blood, but anything that is derived from blood and used to sustain life or strengthen one that comes under this principle.” Yet, six years earlier they had made exceptions in the case where blood serums might be injected in the form of inoculation. The Watchtower of 1958, p.575 said, “The injection of antibodies into the blood in a vehicle of blood serum or the use of blood fractions to create such antibodies is not the same as taking blood, either by mouth or by transfusion, as a nutrient to build up the body’s vital forces. While God did not intend for any man to contaminate his blood stream by vaccines, serums or blood fractions, doing so does not seem to be included in God’s express will forbidding blood as food. It would therefore be a matter of individual judgement whether one accepted such types of medication or not.” Several inconsistencies must be pointed out in this statement. First of all, their later statement of 1963 contradicts it. Second, they argue that the Bible connects the prohibition on blood with its use as a FOOD, and since vaccinations are not a food, it really doesn’t apply the same way. Consequently, they are making BLOOD AS A NUTRIENT the issue, rather than BLOOD AS SACRED (a religious issue). If they really believe that blood is still to be considered the same way as in Gen.9:4 and Deut. 12:23,24, they would not use blood for anything, but would always pour it out on the ground. In fact, they actually use this very principle in arguing against autotransfusions! The Watchtower of 1959 stated, “According to the method of handling blood prescribed by the Bible, blood when taken from a body was to be poured out on the ground as water and covered over with dust. (Lev.17:13,14; Deut.12:16,23,24; 15:23; 1 Chron. 11:18,19). This is because life is in the blood and such shed blood is held sacred before Jehovah God. The covenant regarding the sanctity of blood stated after the Flood is still binding today, and it covers both animal and human blood, whether one’s own or anothers’. Consequently, the removal of one’s blood, storing it and later putting it back into the same person would be a violation of the Scriptural principles that govern the handling of blood. - Gen.9:4-6 (p.640)“” So in one case, they say you can use parts of blood as long as it’s not used for “food”, yet elsewhere they say autotransfusions are wrong because blood should always be poured out on the ground! This is only the tip of the iceberg of inconsistency. As late as 1975, JWs who were hemophiliacs were not allowed to use blood particles in therapy, including blood plasma and derivatives containing blood factors (<i>Awake! 2/22/75, p.30) Not long thereafter, they changed their mind, but failed to put it into print for another three years, when the June 15, 1978 WT (P.30) revoked its earlier ban, allowing certain blood particles to be used. Only those hemophiliacs who telephoned WT headquarters between 1975 and 1978 found out they had changed their stand on this issue; others who failed to “phone home” were left to follow the old mandate until 1978. |