Why Do Jehovah's Witnesses Reject Blood Transfusions?
Comments
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@BroRando, In simple, plain language, what is the JWs' current position on Blood Transfusions? Any bible texts or scientific references? CM
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A complete covering of blood inside and out is what JW’s need. To reject blood is to…I can’t bring myself to say it. Please…reconsider?
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To be clear:
To refuse life-giving blood is deeply symbolic and very telling. Of course we don't drink it, like the Bible says, like pagans did. But to refuse blood in a life giving way is to refuse life. That refusal is written all over JW's, which is why our hearts go out to them in hope that one day they will be both filled and covered by life-giving blood.
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In spite of our imperfections, we can joyfully serve Jehovah with a clean conscience. This is possible because “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) When you are discouraged about some imperfection, call to mind that Jehovah is willing, yes, eager to forgive a repentant sinner
AS Christians, Jehovah Witnesses accept the wonderful gift of the 'Blood of Christ'. Therefore, accepting *Blood* from another source or even themselves could be rendered a denial of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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I respect your choice not to receive transfusions if that is meaningful to you personally. However, the choice is based on extrabiblical teaching from the Watchtower--a well-documented source of untruth and proven false prophecy.
My point is substantiated upon your appeal above to the Watchtower's authority in your life. Your choice is deeply and disturbingly symbolic of refusing the blood of Jesus--the Jesus who is God. Instead, you accept a transfusion from an imaginary Jesus--a , little god invented by false prophets.
That is sad, but not without the remedy of the real Jesus whose blood can save you.
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I don't know why you keep using Jesus' Name since you don't beleive in him because his name starts with a 'J' which means 'Jehovah is Salvation'. Only the Blood of Jesus Christ can save lives.
The Bible’s theme revolves around the fact that Christ died as a perfect ransom sacrifice but did not remain dead. Following the pattern that God set on Atonement Day, Jesus was raised to heaven to “appear before the person of God for us.” He presented there the value of his sacrificial blood. (Hebrews 9:24) The Bible emphasizes that we must avoid any course that would amount to ‘trampling on the Son of God and esteeming his blood as of ordinary value.’ Only thus may we keep a good relationship and peace with God.—Hebrews 10:29; Colossians 1:20.
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The Blood Transfusion Issue:
- Choosing death rather than life in order to avoid a blood transfusion, the Witnesses are convinced that the Bible does not allow this practice. Select passages are appealed to.
Scripture:
- Genesis 9:3-5 -- “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. 4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.”
Response: Three primary points seem to be made in these verses:
- First, man was allowed to eat flesh, which was an enlargement of the original boundaries established in Genesis 1:28,29.
- Second, in eating flesh, the blood was to be removed, “for the life of all flesh is in the blood thereof” (Lev. 17:14).
- Third, if a man murdered another spilling his blood, the life of the man was to be required. But why the special attention paid to the blood.
While in itself blood is not harmful to the human organism, it is the heart and essence of the sacrifice—which is being anticipated in the days of Noah. The time was coming when the significance of a sacrificial substitute would speak of the coming Savior of the world who would give His life a ransom for many.
Scripture:
- Leviticus 17:14 -- ‘For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.’
Response: Because of the sacredness of the animal sacrifices, blood was never allowed to be part of the regular diet. (cf. Lev. 17:11; Gal. 3:24).
Scripture:
- Leviticus 17:11-- “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
- Galatians 3:24 -- “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
- Acts 15:28-29 -- “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.”
Response: The whole historical context of this passages teaches that Christians were to abstain from certain foods, not because there was anything wrong in the food itself, but in order to avoid the appearance of any evil—be that going back under the Law as a system of works or of offering scarifies to idols.
Witnesses of Jehovah need to repent of life's loss and re-examine the scriptures to see the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, especially when one is sick. CM
