Blood Transfusions and Vaccination:
A TRAGIC RECORD:
Some of the doctrinal changes of the Watchtower Society, are harmless. Some like the Men of Sodom have even been amusing. (Eight times the Society changed its mind as to whether they will be resurrected!)
However, when it comes to Medical Procedures the Society’s record is a tragic one involving its members in untold misery and death.
VACCINATIONS? - NO!
Some of the doctrinal changes of the Watchtower Society, are harmless. Some like the Men of Sodom have even been amusing. (Eight times the Society changed its mind as to whether they will be resurrected!)
However, when it comes to Medical Procedures the Society’s record is a tragic one involving its members in untold misery and death.
VACCINATIONS? - NO!
The earliest Society mention of vaccinations seems to be recorded in the Golden Age, Feb. 4, 1931 p. 293:
“Vaccination is a direct violation of the everlasting covenant that God made with Noah after the flood”. (See Below.)
“Vaccination is a direct violation of the everlasting covenant that God made with Noah after the flood”. (See Below.)
A few years later the Golden Age, April 24, 1935. Page 471. stated:
“... As vaccination is a direct injection of animal matter in the bloodstream, vaccination is a direct violation of the law of Jehovah God” (See below.)
“... As vaccination is a direct injection of animal matter in the bloodstream, vaccination is a direct violation of the law of Jehovah God” (See below.)
Many died as a result of this direction, especially children in epidemics such as diphtheria.
VACCINATIONS? - YES!
After World War 2 the Society was growing rapidly in foreign lands. In order for the leaders to attend assemblies in these places they had to be vaccinated or they were not allowed to attend.
Despite the deaths of faithful members and their children who were refused vaccinations, the leaders had them! Eventually The Watchtower, (1952) p. 764 was asked by a reader:
“Is vaccination a violation of God’s law..?”
Then came the admission:
“... all objection to vaccination on Scriptural ground seems to be lacking.”
(Read below.)
VACCINATIONS? - YES!
After World War 2 the Society was growing rapidly in foreign lands. In order for the leaders to attend assemblies in these places they had to be vaccinated or they were not allowed to attend.
Despite the deaths of faithful members and their children who were refused vaccinations, the leaders had them! Eventually The Watchtower, (1952) p. 764 was asked by a reader:
“Is vaccination a violation of God’s law..?”
Then came the admission:
“... all objection to vaccination on Scriptural ground seems to be lacking.”
(Read below.)
No apologies for all the needless deaths? - - None!
Faith on the March:
What made the change? A.H. Macmillan, one of the Society’s much loved leaders, gives a clue in his book, ( Read quote below. )
I told them, "We're wasting time talking about the evils of vaccination because much could be said both ways… I remind them, “and I bared my arm and received the shot. Furthermore, all of us who visit our foreign branches are vaccinated or we stay at home.” Now vaccination is not anything like blood transfusion. No blood is sued in the vaccine. It is serum. So you would not be violating those Scriptures which forbid talking blood into your system. Faith on the March, 1957. pp. 188-9:
Faith on the March:
What made the change? A.H. Macmillan, one of the Society’s much loved leaders, gives a clue in his book, ( Read quote below. )
I told them, "We're wasting time talking about the evils of vaccination because much could be said both ways… I remind them, “and I bared my arm and received the shot. Furthermore, all of us who visit our foreign branches are vaccinated or we stay at home.” Now vaccination is not anything like blood transfusion. No blood is sued in the vaccine. It is serum. So you would not be violating those Scriptures which forbid talking blood into your system. Faith on the March, 1957. pp. 188-9:
ORGAN TRANSPLANTS:
In The Watchtower, Nov.15, 1967 p.702-4 the question was asked if there was any Scriptural objection to organ transplants?
The answer: It was Cannibalistic!
“Those who submit to such operations are thus living off the flesh of another human. That is cannibalistic.” ( Read quote below.)
In The Watchtower, Nov.15, 1967 p.702-4 the question was asked if there was any Scriptural objection to organ transplants?
The answer: It was Cannibalistic!
“Those who submit to such operations are thus living off the flesh of another human. That is cannibalistic.” ( Read quote below.)
This was reinforced by Awake, June 8, 1968, p.21:
“There are those, such as the Christian witnesses of Jehovah, who consider all transplants between humans as cannibalism;” ( Read quote below.)
“There are those, such as the Christian witnesses of Jehovah, who consider all transplants between humans as cannibalism;” ( Read quote below.)
As a result of these statements Jehovah’s Witnesses refused all transplants. Some needing heart or kidney transplants needlessly died. Others continued to needlessly suffer.
In The Watchtower, March 15, 1980, pp. 17,18 below appeared an apology for the 1975 date. Then on page 31 the question was asked:
“Should congregation action be taken if a baptized Christian accepts a human organ transplant, such as of a cornea or a kidney?”
The answer: It was not Cannibalism!
“… organ transplants are different from cannibalism since the ‘donor’ is not killed ... The congregational judicial committee would not take disciplinary action if someone accepted an organ transplant.”
No apology for the needless deaths and suffering were given?
In The Watchtower, March 15, 1980, pp. 17,18 below appeared an apology for the 1975 date. Then on page 31 the question was asked:
“Should congregation action be taken if a baptized Christian accepts a human organ transplant, such as of a cornea or a kidney?”
The answer: It was not Cannibalism!
“… organ transplants are different from cannibalism since the ‘donor’ is not killed ... The congregational judicial committee would not take disciplinary action if someone accepted an organ transplant.”
No apology for the needless deaths and suffering were given?
BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS:
Like vaccinations and organs transplants, the Society’s opposition to blood transfusions depends upon its interpretation of scripture.
Read below the Bible Scripture the Society used to support their view on NO bloods transfusions. Best to read all Lev 17 to understand the context.
Gen 9:4. 2013 NWT. Only flesh with its life—its blood—you must not eat.
Lev 17:11. 2013. NWT. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have given it on the altar for you to make atonement for yourselves, because it is the blood that makes atonement by means of the life in it.
Lev 17:13-15.. 2013. NWT. “‘If one of the Israelites or some foreigner who is residing in your midst is hunting and catches a wild animal or a bird that may be eaten, he must pour its blood out and cover it with dust. 14 For the life of every sort of flesh is its blood, because the life is in it. Consequently, I said to the Israelites: “You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh because the life of every sort of flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it will be cut off. 15 If anyone, whether a native or a foreigner, eats an animal found dead or one torn by a wild animal, he must then wash his garments and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening; then he will be clean.
Acts 15:20. 2013. NWT. but to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.
Col 1:20. 2013. NWT. and through him to reconcile to himself all other things by making peace through the blood he shed on the torture stake, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/bible-about-blood-transfusion/
NOTE: It is interesting that the Watchtower Society puts medical quotes on their web site to support not using blood for their members but their half references are normally very hard to find when they could past a web link on their web site straight to the source.
After the Flood God allowed man to eat meat but not to eat blood. This was repeated for the Jews in the Law of Moses and confirmed for Christians when that Law was under review at Jerusalem. See Gen. 9:4, Lev. 17:13-15, Acts 15:1-6,20.
Today, faithful Christians and Jews still do not eat blood. However the Society interprets this as “not have a blood transfusion!”
TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES:
To EAT: Food is taken into the body by the mouth, masticated and swallowed. It is then eaten, changed and absorbed into the body. If this happened to blood it would destroy us it as such.
TO TRANSFUSE:
The blood is taken into the body by the veins. It is not eaten, but remains unchanged as blood with its corpuscles to fight disease and carry oxygen to the brain.
Read below the Bible Scripture the Society used to support their view on NO bloods transfusions. Best to read all Lev 17 to understand the context.
Gen 9:4. 2013 NWT. Only flesh with its life—its blood—you must not eat.
Lev 17:11. 2013. NWT. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have given it on the altar for you to make atonement for yourselves, because it is the blood that makes atonement by means of the life in it.
Lev 17:13-15.. 2013. NWT. “‘If one of the Israelites or some foreigner who is residing in your midst is hunting and catches a wild animal or a bird that may be eaten, he must pour its blood out and cover it with dust. 14 For the life of every sort of flesh is its blood, because the life is in it. Consequently, I said to the Israelites: “You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh because the life of every sort of flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it will be cut off. 15 If anyone, whether a native or a foreigner, eats an animal found dead or one torn by a wild animal, he must then wash his garments and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening; then he will be clean.
Acts 15:20. 2013. NWT. but to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.
Col 1:20. 2013. NWT. and through him to reconcile to himself all other things by making peace through the blood he shed on the torture stake, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/bible-about-blood-transfusion/
NOTE: It is interesting that the Watchtower Society puts medical quotes on their web site to support not using blood for their members but their half references are normally very hard to find when they could past a web link on their web site straight to the source.
After the Flood God allowed man to eat meat but not to eat blood. This was repeated for the Jews in the Law of Moses and confirmed for Christians when that Law was under review at Jerusalem. See Gen. 9:4, Lev. 17:13-15, Acts 15:1-6,20.
Today, faithful Christians and Jews still do not eat blood. However the Society interprets this as “not have a blood transfusion!”
TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES:
To EAT: Food is taken into the body by the mouth, masticated and swallowed. It is then eaten, changed and absorbed into the body. If this happened to blood it would destroy us it as such.
TO TRANSFUSE:
The blood is taken into the body by the veins. It is not eaten, but remains unchanged as blood with its corpuscles to fight disease and carry oxygen to the brain.
OF BEASTS AND FOWLS ONLY:
Lev. 17:12-14 Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’
13 “Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust; 14 for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
Blood of beasts and fowls only was forbidden. It did not include fish, strangled in nets, which they ate but did not bleed.
EATING MEAT - AND BLOOD! ( Meat Science ).
Even with effective bleeding , only 50 per cent of the total blood is removed.
(Read below.)
Lev. 17:12-14 Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’
13 “Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust; 14 for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
Blood of beasts and fowls only was forbidden. It did not include fish, strangled in nets, which they ate but did not bleed.
EATING MEAT - AND BLOOD! ( Meat Science ).
Even with effective bleeding , only 50 per cent of the total blood is removed.
(Read below.)
Meat Eaters:
Many Christians and Non-Christians eat meat oozing with blood as the taste is in the blood.
Many Christians and Non-Christians eat meat oozing with blood as the taste is in the blood.
Jewish practice of meat eating:
Strict Jews kosher kill their meat then soak it in brine, and squeeze the blood out.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/making-meat-kosher-between-slaughtering-and-cooking/
Note: I had one Witness say to me, you drink alcohol so why not eject alcohol into your veins. This is silly reasoning as a blood transfusion is like for like and not alcohol mixed with blood.
Some people such as Adventists prefer the bloodless diet of Eden.
SUICIDE:
When someone faces death and someone offers them life and they refuse to accept it then are they basically deciding to commit suicide? God's word tell us that in the last days knowledge would increase so why not use the knowledge that the Lord has given us and accept a blood transfusion instead of death?
Exodus 20:13. You shall not murder.
Daniel 12:4. knowledge shall increase
WHEN?
Yes! how long will it be before the Society will eventually admit:
“… all objection to blood transfusions on scriptural ground seem to be lacking.”?
Strict Jews kosher kill their meat then soak it in brine, and squeeze the blood out.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/making-meat-kosher-between-slaughtering-and-cooking/
Note: I had one Witness say to me, you drink alcohol so why not eject alcohol into your veins. This is silly reasoning as a blood transfusion is like for like and not alcohol mixed with blood.
Some people such as Adventists prefer the bloodless diet of Eden.
SUICIDE:
When someone faces death and someone offers them life and they refuse to accept it then are they basically deciding to commit suicide? God's word tell us that in the last days knowledge would increase so why not use the knowledge that the Lord has given us and accept a blood transfusion instead of death?
Exodus 20:13. You shall not murder.
Daniel 12:4. knowledge shall increase
WHEN?
Yes! how long will it be before the Society will eventually admit:
“… all objection to blood transfusions on scriptural ground seem to be lacking.”?
