Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood,
Fornicating, Animals and Leeches
Most people when they talk of Jehovah's
Witnesses and the subject of medicine comes up they usually make this comment"
Oh, they are the ones that don't take blood".While true, most don't see
the problems that such a stand has giving this group.
Another problem that the group itself has is
explaining this radical stand.
The fact that any member of Jehovah's Witnesses
is willing to die for this stand is commendable, but do they have the facts
on this radical stand? One problem with this stand is the seeming contradictions
that it placesin the laps of each JW. For instance JW's can take SOME blood,
albumin, immune globulins Factor VIII, Factor IX, and their OWN circulating
blood.
They can't take, plasma, red cells, white cells,
platelets, or STORED blood. What isn't told or made known is the fact that the
things JW's can take are substances taken from whole blood to become those blood
fractions. Hundreds of liters of blood are used to squeeze out the small fractions
of these" can take substances". The question shows a bit of double
talk doesn't it? We don't take blood but we ACTUALLY do.
This brief article will deal with a
different side of the blood issue. But first the scriptures used for the defense.
Leviticus:
17:10
"`As for any man of the house of Israel or some alien resident who
is residing as an alien in YOUR midst who eats any sort of BLOOD, I shall
certainly set my face against the soul that is eating the BLOOD, and I shall
indeed cut him off from among his people.
17:11
For the soul of the flesh is in the BLOOD, and I myself have put it upon
the altar for YOU to make atonement for YOUR souls, because it is the BLOOD
that makes atonement by the soul [in it].
17:12
That is why I have said to the sons of Israel: "No soul of YOU must
eat BLOOD and no alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst
should eat BLOOD."
17:13
"`As for any man of the sons of Israel or some alien resident who is
residing as an alien in YOUR midst who in hunting catches a wild beast or
a fowl that may be eaten, he must in that case pour its BLOOD out and cover
it with dust.
17:14
For the soul of every sort of flesh is its BLOOD by the soul in it. Consequently
I said to the sons of Israel: "YOU must not eat the BLOOD of any sort
of flesh, because the soul of every sort of flesh is its BLOOD. Anyone eating
it will be cut off."
Now the scripture that JW's use to show the
New Testament view and their current stand on the use of this scripture
ACTS:
15:29
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!"
One question that needs to be asked is are we
dealing with LIVE animals or DEAD ones? Is not the context DEAD animals that
are to be eaten or sacrificed? To stretch the scripture to take in the use of
blood today for transfusions on LIVE subjects seems to be going beyond the context
of the scripture would you agree?
The extreme which JW's obey their law givers
at the Watchtower is that the blood issue doesn't stop at humans!! According
to the JW, PETS are forbidden to take blood! WT 1964 p.28 Now, I have a question,
who did Jesus die for? Was it Adams sins or animal kind?
Even angels are subject to certain commands
that earthlings aren't, e.g. Hebrews 2:5
" For it is not to ANGELS that
he has subjected the inhabited earth to come, about which we are speaking"
Even though animals could enjoy rest by benefiting
from the Sabbath rest.
20:10
But the seventh day is a SABBATH to Jehovah your God. You must not do any
work, you nor your son nor your daughter, your slave man nor your slave
girl nor your domestic animal nor your alien resident who is inside your
gates".
But as the Watchtower publication dictionary
INSIGHT ON THE SCRIPTURES Vol 1 p.112
" they ( the animals )...do
not share HIS hope (Gods) of the resurrection"
So how can an animal be bound to JW's laws of
interpretations?
It doesn't stop there. Even your garden and
yards are to obey this human JW law and not take blood in the form of blood
meal!!
See Watchtower 10/15/81 pp30-31
What about the laws of morality?
According to Acts:
15:20
but to write them to
abstain from things polluted by idols and from FORNICATION and from what
is strangled and from blood.
Since we have the animals applying the command
for blood in their lives according to the JW mind set we should also have the
animals obey the scripture telling them fornication is wrong, Right? I guess
all animals of Jehovah's Witnesses owners now should be cleaning up their acts
and lead more moral lives! No more fooling around with fido anymore!! No more
illegitimate litters in any JW's households for now own is my motto!!
This next scripture blows apart the viewpoint
that the JW animals come under the same decrees as humans:
1Kings 21:19
" And you must speak to him,
saying, `This is what Jehovah has said: "Have you murdered and also
taken possession?"' And you must speak to him, saying, `This is what
Jehovah has said: "In the place where the dogs licked up the BLOOD
of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your BLOOD, evenyours."'"
AND OF COURSE THIS WAS FULFILLED!
1 Kings 22:38
" And they began to wash off
the war chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs went licking up his
BLOOD (and the prostitutes themselves bathed there), according to Jehovah's
word that he had spoken".
Jezebel fate was the same blood eating end:
9:33
So he said: "Let her drop!" Then they let her drop, and some of
her BLOOD went spattering upon the wall and upon the horses; and he now
trampled upon her.
9:34
After that he came on in and ate and drank and then said: "You men,
please, take care of this accursed one and bury her, for she is the daughter
of a king."
9:35
When they went to bury her, they did not find anything of her but the skull
and the feet and the palms of the hands.
9:36
When they returned and told him, he went on to say: "It is the word
of Jehovah that he spoke by means of his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
`In the tract of land of Jezreel the dogs
will eat the flesh of Jezebel.
Now please take note, Jehovah's Witnesses
will not even use blood meal in their gardens because the high command at the
Watchtower has examined the Bible th roughly and say's so, the bomb to that
viewpoint, Next verse:
9:37
And the dead body of Jezebel will certainly become as MANURE upon the face
of the field in the tract of land of Jezreel, that they may not say: "This
is Jezebel."'"
YES, MANURE ON THE GROUND, and we know
what MANURE is used for!! SORRY WATCHTOWER 10/15/81 where fertilizer with blood
meal is forbidden for loyal JW's.
This is something to think about, blood is used
over 400 times in the JW Bible and finding out how it is used tells us about
how God views it.You would think from the JW point of view that blood is so
sacred that it shouldn't even be USED out of it's Biblical context of sacrifices
and dietary restrictions but that is not the case. If you use the example of
fornication the scriptures make this comment:
Ephesians:5:3
" Let fornication and UNCLEANNESS
of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among YOU, just as it
befits holy people.."
NOTICE, fornication is not to be even mentioned
in context not even as foolish talk, as the scripture goes on to say, but blood
is used out of it's context by GOD himself!! For instance:
The book of Revelation uses blood many
time out of it's context:
6:12
And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and a great earthquake occurred;
and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the entire moon became
as BLOOD,
If it was so sacred why use it as a description
as in this case? Other scriptures follow the idea:
7:14
So right away I said to him: "My lord, you are the one that knows."
And he said to me: "These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation,
and they have washed their robes and made them white in the BLOOD of the
Lamb.
Notice, they WASHED them in the blood of the
Lamb.
8:7
And the first one blew his trumpet. And there occurred a hail and fire mingled
with BLOOD, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was
burned up, and a third of the trees was burned up, and all the green vegetation
was burned up.
8:8
And the second angel blew his trumpet. And something like a great mountain
burning with fire was hurled into the sea. And a third of the sea became
BLOOD;
If it was so sacred to only be poured out on
the ground why is it used out of it's context by God?
14:20
And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and BLOOD came out of the
winepress as high up as the bridles of the horses, for a distance of a thousand
six hundred furlongs.
Then there's this scripture that was very hard
for me when I was a JW to understand because of the context in which the scripture
was used:
16:6
because they poured out the BLOOD of holy ones and of prophets, and you
have given them BLOOD to drink. They deserve it."
I always wondered why was this scripture used
this way if blood was so sacred?
Even Jesus "misused" blood according
to Revelation 19:13:
19:13
and he is arrayed with an outer garment sprinkled with BLOOD, and the name
he is called is The Word of God.
So was blood ONLY poured out on the ground?
Look at this scripture 1 Kings:
2:5
"And you yourself also well know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to
me in what he did to two chiefs of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son
of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, when he killed them and placed the BLOOD
of war in peacetime and put the BLOOD of war on his belt that was about
his hips and in his sandals that were on his feet.
It wasn't poured out here was it? In fact, this
wasn't even animal blood, it was HUMAN! As Jehovah's Witnesses know an individual
can be disfellowshiped from the cult if he or she takes blood and is unrepentant.
This is the Jw's prerogative but is there a BIBLE precedent for this?
Like most stands the JW take this one has support.
IT IS SUPPORTED BY SCRIPTURE.
Leviticus 17:10 17:10
"`As for any man of the house
of Israel or some alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst
who eats any sort of blood, I shall certainly set my face against the soul
that is EATING the BLOOD, and I shall indeed cut him off from among his
people.
A question comes up, was this ever put in force?
Why do I ask this? Because there are scriptures showing God following through
with what he say's. For instance, the Ten commandments talks about taking Gods
name in vain. Is there an account of some one taking God's name in vain?
Leviticus:
24:11
And the son of the Israelite woman began to abuse the NAME and to call down
evil upon it. So they brought him to Moses. Incidentally, his mother's NAME
was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.
24:12
Then they committed him into custody till there should be a distinct declaration
to them according to the saying of Jehovah.
24:13
And Jehovah proceeded to speak to Moses, saying:
24:14
"Bring forth the one who called down evil to the outside of the camp;
and all those who heard him must lay their hands upon his head, and the
entire assembly must pelt him with stones.
24:15
And you should speak to the sons of Israel, saying, `In case any man calls
down evil upon his God, he must then answer for his sin.
24:16
So the abuser of Jehovah's NAME should be put to death without fail. The
entire assembly should without fail pelt him with stones. The alien resident
the same as the native should be put to death for his abusing the NAME.
Also, with the same line of thought breaking
the Sabbath: Exodus
31:15
Six days may work be done, but on the seventh day is a SABBATH of complete
rest. It is something holy to Jehovah. Anyone doing work on the SABBATH
day will positively be put to death.
Fulfillment?
15:32
While the sons of Israel were continuing in the wilderness, they once found
a man collecting pieces of wood on the SABBATH day.
15:33
Then those who found him collecting pieces of wood brought him up to Moses
and Aaron and the whole assembly.
15:34
So they committed him into custody, because it had not been distinctly stated
what should be done to him.
15:35
In time Jehovah said to Moses: "Without fail the man should be put
to death, the whole assembly pelting him with stones outside the camp."
15:36
Accordingly the whole assembly brought him forth outside the camp and pelted
him with stones so that he died, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
What point am I making here? Let's look at this
account of some eating
blood.
1 Samuel:
14:32
And the people began darting greedily at the spoil and taking sheep and
cattle and calves and slaughtering them on the earth, and the people fell
to eating along with the BLOOD.
14:33
So they told Saul, saying: "Look! The people are sinning against Jehovah
by eating along with the BLOOD." At this he said: "YOU have dealt
treacherously. First of all, roll a great stone to me."
14:34
After that Saul said: "Scatter among the people, and YOU must say to
them, `Bring near to me, each one of YOU, his bull and, each one, his sheep,
and YOU must do the slaughtering in this place and the eating, and YOU must
not sin against Jehovah by eating along with the BLOOD.'" Accordingly
all the people brought near each one his bull that was in his hand that
night and did the slaughtering there.
My question is, here's an account of men "eating"
blood but what was the punishment? There is no account of a penalty for this.
So the point is Jehovah's Witnesses go a bit to far when THEY become the executors
of God when he himself may not even be thinking that way. Yet, Jehovah's Witnesses
who because of their conscience have taken blood are disfellowshiped and dealt
like Satan himself.
A point missed by some is what led to this
account of them eating blood in the first place?
14:24
And the men of Israel themselves were hard pressed on that day, and yet
Saul put the people under the pledge of an oath, saying: "Cursed is
the man that eats bread before the evening and until I have taken vengeance
upon my enemies!" And none of the people tasted bread.
14:25
And all those of the land came into the woods, when honey happened to be
over all the surface of the field.
14:26
When the people came into the woods, why, look! there was a dripping of
honey, but there was no one putting his hand to his mouth, because the people
were afraid of the oath.
14:27
As for Jonathan, he had not been listening when his father put the people
under an oath, so he stretched out the tip of the rod that was in his hand
and dipped it into the honeycomb and drew his hand back to his mouth, and
his eyes began to beam.
14:28
At this one of the people answered and said: "Your father solemnly
put the people under oath, saying, `Cursed is the man that eats bread today!'"
(And the people began to get tired.)
14:29
However, Jonathan said: "My father has brought ostracism upon the land.
SEE, please, how my eyes have beamed because I tasted this little bit of
honey.
14:30
How much more so if the people had but eaten today from the spoil of their
enemies that they found! For now the slaughter upon the Philistines has
not been great."
14:31
And on that day they kept striking down the Philistines from Michmash to
Aijalon, and the people got to be very tired.
14:32
And the people began darting greedily at the spoil and taking sheep and
cattle and calves and slaughtering them on the earth, and the people fell
to eating along with the BLOOD.
So do we see what happened here? Gods Anointed,
King Saul make a stupid command not to eat honey with a curse attached to those
who ate any. Jonathan seeing the stupidity makes this comment:
1 Samuel:
14:29
However, Jonathan said: "My father has brought ostracism upon the land.
SEE, please, how my eyes have beamed because I tasted this little bit of
honey.
What point am I making here? Jehovah's Witnesses
obey without question their high command at Watchtower headquarters, feeling
that not to obey would bring a "curse upon them" ( 1Sam 14:34 ) A
few people in the Watchtower organization seeing the stupidity of some of the
commands of these Saul like men at headquarters speak out like Jonathan vs.
29:
14:29
However, Jonathan said: "My father has brought ostracism upon the land.
SEE, please, how my eyes have beamed because I tasted this little bit of
honey.
By speaking out they have put themselves in
line with the vengeance of this Saul like organization, they become like Jonathan
and speak truth and except whatever comes:
1Samuel:
14:43
Then Saul said to Jonathan: "Do tell me, What have you done?"
So Jonathan told him and said: "I did for a fact taste a little honey
on the tip of the rod that is in my hand. Here I am! Let me die!"
14:44
At this Saul said: "Thus
may God do and thus may he add to it, if you do not positively die, Jonathan."
Of course the regular JW's who see the stupidity
speak up and defend these
" Jonathans" vss:
14:45
But the people said to Saul: "Is Jonathan to die, who has performed
this great salvation in Israel? It is unthinkable! As Jehovah is alive,not
as much as a single hair of his head will fall to the earth; for it was
with God that he worked this day." With that the people redeemed Jonathan,
and he did not die.
In real life with the Jehovah's Witness organization
this would not happen because if ANYONE sided with ones speaking their minds
and consciences they all would be disfellowshiped. So this account is excellent
for showing that "God's Anointed" can make mistakes, but most are
to scared to speak up against this group out of FEAR.
Do we see the hypocrisy here? The problem exist
to where a group such as Jehovah's Witnesses and others who start making up
these silly rules that become Biblically incorrect and as Jesus said:
Matthew 23:4
They bind up heavy loads and put
them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge
them with their finger.
All totalistic religions in order to keep hold
of their members have unique regulations that are
unique to the group.
For instance the Mormons won't drink "hot" beverages like tea or coffee.
Some cults are vegetarian, and some like Jehovah's Witnesses get so far into
a bind because of past interpretations.
The same scriptures that are used for blood
now were used for other viewpoints.
For example:
Vaccinations were prohibited during the 1930's
and 40's,
using the same scriptures that are used for
blood transfusions today. How many died as the result of this stand?
Organ transplants were banned from 1967-1980
, same scriptures were used, and the same results,
some went without kidney transplants, skin grafts, marrow and other possible
life saving treatments all because of a viewpoint by the higher ups in the Watchtower
high command to keep hold of it's members with it's unique interpretations that
were obeyed as from God. How far the Watchtower will go in the future to correct
this transfusion stand remains to be seen but on thing is sure they are not
going to give up their hold on their members and anything will be possible from
this group, ANYTHING
How far will the Watchtower go to get obedience
to it's commands is brought out in the final comment about blood and leeches.
Leeches are creations of God himself and thus being so must have their own niche
in society like fleas and mosquitoes. We may not like that niche or understand
it but the fact remains it's there.
To show the absolute absurdity of some
of their man made viewpoints we bring up leeches.
The Watchtower had a question from readers that asked, WT June 15, 1982 p.31
Would it be wrong for a Christian,
under medical treatment, to allow leeches to be applied to him to draw off
blood?
The Watchtower say's to do
this would
..."conflict with what the
Bible say's.."
par 1.
My question is where does it say that? Notice
what the last paragraph say's
.."even where this was urged
for medical reasons and the leeches would be disposed of, the use of leeches
would involve deliberately feeding blood to these creatures. That would
conflict with the Bible's indication that blood, being sacred and representing
life should be disposed of if it's removed from the body."
This is another perfect where the Watchtower
is applying God's law's to animals. Another good question that comes up is what
happens when Jehovah's Witnesses die and are embalmed? Isn't blood taking from
the body? How come this hasn't been addressed? This is another example of the
picking and choosing that the Watchtower does as the scripture say's at Mat:
23:24 Blind guides, who strain out the GNAT but gulp down the camel!
The Cult Information
Network
P.O.Box 1632
Framingham, MA 01701-0201
1-508-875-2043
|