{"id":2796,"date":"2017-09-07T21:41:23","date_gmt":"2017-09-07T21:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/?p=2796"},"modified":"2017-09-21T20:03:33","modified_gmt":"2017-09-21T20:03:33","slug":"the-jehovahs-witness-blood-issue-resolved-part-2-how-good-is-their-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/the-jehovahs-witness-blood-issue-resolved-part-2-how-good-is-their-word\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jehovah’s Witness Blood Issue: Resolved! Part 2: How Good is Their Word?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This is part 2 of a multi-part article. If you haven’t done so yet, please read part 1<\/a> first.<\/p>\n

In part 1 we began peeling the Watchtower’s onion: the many layers of assumptions that must be accepted in order to believe that blood transfusions are sinful. We saw that the first three\u00a0layers were: (1) belief in Jehovah; (2) belief in the Bible; (3) belief in the Watchtower’s interpretation of the Bible.<\/p>\n

A Question of Credibility<\/h3>\n

The next layer is: faith in the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses (for convenience we’ll refer to them by their publishing organization and chief publication: the Watchtower). This layer may seem optional; after all, we’ve written before about the fallacy of ad hominem attacks, and how even stupid people and liars can make valid points and tell the truth at times. \u00a0So, if the Bible really does prohibit blood transfusions, it little matters how reliable the Watchtower is.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>However, most Witnesses really haven’t used their own reason in deciding whether the Bible prohibits transfusions. Instead, they have simply adopted the thoughts of the Watchtower. This is quite obvious in how all Witnesses change their minds in unison as the Watchtower issues its “new understandings.” They remind one of a flock of birds following the leader and turning in sync.<\/p>\n

When the Watchtower changed from banning blood entirely to banning non-fractionated blood, all of the Witnesses (though supposedly studying their Bibles daily)\u00a0suddenly\u00a0all at once understood the Bible to state that fractionated blood was acceptable (despite the fact that the Bible says nothing at all about fractionated blood.)<\/p>\n

So, a word or two is in order regarding the Watchtower’s reliability when it comes to this issue. When a person’s life is at stake (or that of their child) I think it’s important that we know something about the record of an organization’s reliability. If you have an important medical question to decide, are you more likely to consult The Journal of the American Medical Association<\/em> or The Weekly World News<\/em><\/a>? Are you more likely to visit WebMD or JoesFaithHealingBeatsBastardDoctorsBlog.com?<\/p>\n

What if you discovered that a particular publication that dispensed medical advice had made fatally flawed and grossly incorrect statements in the past? What if you knew that by following such advice people had died, and afterwards the publication\u00a0admitted that their advice was incorrect (but took no responsibility and offered no apologies)? Would you be quick to entrust your life-and-death health decisions to the words in that publication? \u00a0Sure you would; if you had the mental capacity of a speed bump.<\/p>\n

It turns out that a look at the Watchtower’s history reveals exactly the pattern\u00a0we’ve just described. Let’s look at the evidence in two instances:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0From 1921 to 1952 the Watchtower organization banned the use of vaccinations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Vaccination is a direct violation of the everlasting covenant God made with Noah after the flood\u2026 Vaccination has never saved a human life. It does not prevent smallpox.
\n-\u2013The Golden Age, February 4, 1931, pp. 293-294<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 1952, after loyal Witnesses had suffered persecution for refusal to be vaccinated, had endangered their own lives and health as well as that of their communities, and after an unknown number of deaths had been caused by the above ruling for over thirty years, the Watchtower simply changed its mind:<\/p>\n

The matter of vaccination is one for the individual that has to face it to decide for himself… all objection to vaccination on scriptural grounds seems to be lacking.
\n-\u2013Watchtower, Dec. 15, 1952 p. 764<\/a><\/p>\n

There can be little doubt that vaccinations appear to have caused a marked decrease in contagious diseases, including \u201csmallpox\u201d and \u201cpolio.\u201d
\n-\u2013Awake!, August 22, 1965, p. 20<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. From 1967 to 1981 the Watchtower banned organ transplants as “cannibalism.”<\/a><\/p>\n

…removing the organ and replacing it directly with an organ from another human\u2026 Those who submit to such operations are thus living off the flesh of another human. That is cannibalistic. However, in allowing man to eat animal flesh Jehovah God did not grant permission for humans to try to perpetuate their lives by cannibalistically taking into their bodies human flesh, whether chewed or in the form of whole organs or body parts taken from others.
\n—Watchtower, 11\/15\/1967, p.702<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For thirteen years Witnesses who needed organ transplants and who listened to the Watchtower died<\/em>. Then the Watchtower simply changed its mind:<\/p>\n

Regarding the transplantation of human tissue or bone from one human to another, this is a matter for conscientious decision by each one of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses. Some Christians might feel that taking into their bodies any tissue or body part from another human is cannibalistic. . . . Other sincere Christians today may feel that the Bible does not definitely rule out medical transplants of human organs. . . . It may be argued, too, that organ transplants are different from cannibalism since the \u201cdonor\u201d is not killed to supply food.\u201d
\n\u2013Watchtower, March 15, 1980, p. 31<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let’s throw in a bonus third instance: Witnesses who listened to the Watchtower’s blanket ban on blood<\/a>, but who could’ve survived on a blood fraction, also died prior to the time when the Watchtower changed its mind and began allowing blood fractions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pop Quiz:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

1. If someone is in need of a medical procedure which comes under a current Watchtower ban, should they go ahead and have the procedure, or should they die waiting for the Watchtower to change its mind?<\/p>\n

2. If an organization\u00a0has a record of making mistakes in defining what constitutes God’s law, would it be smart to consider them a\u00a0reliable source of information regarding what constitutes God’s law?<\/p>\n

Scoring<\/strong><\/em>: Submit your answers in the Comments section, and we’ll let you know how you did.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is that history has proven that we can’t just take the Watchtower’s word for what is God’s law. They have a dismal record of always having been wrong in the past when it comes to medical issues. Yes, it was the same Watchtower organization that published all of the following ludicrous medical statements:<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Ad in The Golden Age, April 22, 1925 p. 479<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is no such thing as rabies!
\n(The Golden Age, Jan. 3, 1923, p. 214<\/a>)<\/p>\n

It has never been proven that a single disease is due to germs.
\n(The Golden Age, Jan. 16, 1924, p. 250<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Thinking people would rather have smallpox than vaccination, because the latter sows the seed of syphilis, cancers, escema, erysipelas, scrofula, consumption, even leprosy and many other loathsome affections. Hence the practice of vaccination is a crime, an outrage and a delusion.
\n(The Golden Age, May 1, 1929, p. 502<\/a>)<\/p>\n

A lady had been cured of malignant cancer of the breast by living on grape juice and taking every day a high enema of plain warm water…<\/p>\n

These cases offered such complete proof that cancer is curable, even in an advanced stage, that I supposed… that the attention of doctors everywhere would be called to these cures… But… I have never seen a hint regarding the grape juice or fruit juice cure.
\n—The Golden Age, April 2, 1930 p. 435<\/a><\/p>\n

By creating a radio vibration similar to that used by a disease in the human body it is possible to cancel or neutralize that disease.
\n—The Golden Age, April 22, 1925 p. 453<\/a><\/p>\n

Sleep on the right side or flat on your back, with the head toward the north so as to get benefit of the earth\u2019s magnetic currents.
\n—The Golden Age 1929 Nov 12 p.107<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The following table shows just how confident we all can be that the Watchtower’s pronouncements on blood policy issue from their “unchanging<\/a>” god, Jehovah, and that they are ever discreet in making sure of themselves before opening their mouths on such life-and-death medical issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
1909<\/strong><\/td>\nInitially blood could be eaten: “This prohibition was not extended to the Gentiles ever, because they were never under the Covenant of the Law” The\u00a0Watchtower<\/em> April 15, 1909, page 117<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1925<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong>A man is commended for having donated his blood 45 times without charging a penny.\u00a0Golden Age <\/em>1925 July 29 p.683<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1927<\/strong><\/td>\nBlood can no longer be eaten.\u00a0\u00a0(\u00a0The Watchtower<\/em>\u00a0\u00a01927 December 15 p.371<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1940<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong>Blood transfusions are<\/strong> acceptable: “one of the attending physicians in the great emergency, gave a quart of his blood for transfusion, and today the woman lives and smile gaily over what happened to her”\u00a0(Consolation<\/em>\u00a01940 Dec 25 p. 19<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1945<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong>Blood transfusions are not<\/strong> acceptable.\u00a0(The Watchtower<\/em>\u00a0\u00a01945 July 1 p.198-201<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1954<\/strong><\/td>\nBlood fractions should be treated as blood and are\u00a0not<\/strong> acceptable.\u00a0\u00a0(Awake!<\/em>\u00a01954 January 8 p.24<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1958<\/strong><\/td>\nBlood serum and fractions are<\/strong> acceptable.\u00a0\u00a0(\u00a0The Watchtower<\/em>\u00a0\u00a01958 September 15 p.575<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1961<\/strong><\/td>\nBlood fractions are not<\/strong> acceptable. (The Watchtower<\/em> 1961 September 15 p.559<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1972<\/strong><\/td>\nHemodilution is not<\/b> acceptable. (Awake!<\/em> 1972 April 8 p.29<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1975<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0Hemophilia treatments (Factor VII and IX) are not<\/strong> acceptable.\u00a0(Awake!<\/em> 1975 Feb 22 p.30<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1978<\/strong><\/td>\nHemophilia treatments (Factor VII and IX) are<\/strong> acceptable.\u00a0(The Watchtower 1978 June 15 p. 30-31<\/a>)<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1983<\/strong><\/td>\nHemodilution is<\/b> acceptable. (Awake!<\/em> 1983 March 22 p.16<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2006<\/strong><\/td>\nBlood fractions are<\/strong> acceptable. (Our Kingdom Ministry<\/em>, November 2006 page 4<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

So, instead of foolish blind trust in the\u00a0organization’s vacillating and dubious interpretations regarding blood transfusions, we will have to examine their arguments strictly on their own merits — quickly, before they change their minds again!<\/em> We will do that starting in part III.<\/p>\n

\"\"Part 3: Context, Context, Context!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is part 2 of a multi-part article. If you haven’t done so yet, please read part 1 first. In part 1 we began peeling the Watchtower’s onion: the many layers of assumptions that must be accepted in order to believe that blood transfusions are sinful. We saw that the first three\u00a0layers were: (1) belief … Continue reading “The Jehovah’s Witness Blood Issue: Resolved! Part 2: How Good is Their Word?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3vZ6t-J6","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2796"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2986,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2796\/revisions\/2986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}