They cite verses from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible to support their position, including Genesis 9 vs 3-4: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you. Only flesh with its soul—its blood—you must not eat.”

Acts 15:28-29 says: “For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favoured adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, 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!”

Source: Times Online

One reason why many people have become disillusioned with religion might be traced to the actions of some “religious groups” which often defy logic and common sense. The explanation or excuse usually offered is that the religious group followed the tenets of their faith. One such example is a story which appeared in the Times Online last week which highlighted the story of a 22 year old mother who died because her family (husband) refused to allow the hospital to perform a blood transfusion after a difficult delivery of twins. We should mention that the mother had signed a form prior to delivery refusing a blood transfusion in the event the doctors felt it was needed.

We know that we are stepping on the ‘corns’ of individuals who will be quick to say that all people should have the right to practice the doctrines of the religion of their choice. Isn’t it decreed in the constitutions of any self respecting democratic country? We respect all religions, but the ‘feeling’ we have always gotten when exposed to many of them is their healthy respect for human life, in fact human life is always attributed to the preserve of God or some higher being. It begs the question, why is it that the decision of a young husband and other family members can in such a whimsical fashion be responsible for the death of the mother of new born children? Ok, we will strike the word whimsical! Why is it, as in this case, a Jehovah Witness family could decree that a young member and mother of their flock should die, and as a consequence two children are ‘robbed’ of the presence of a maternal presence for the rest of their lives? We are sorry if we cannot compute what was allowed to happen in this case.

To provide balance to our opinion this is what the JW’s had to say at the funeral of the deceased 22 year old mother:

Jehovah’s Witnesses defended yesterday the decision of a young mother who died after refusing a potentially life-saving blood transfusion, having just given birth to twins. To agree to a transfusion would have been a transgression comparable to adultery or sexual immorality, a spokesman from the central office of the British community of Jehovah’s Witnesses told The Times yesterday.

Source: Times Online

We will stop at this point because we can feel a sense of irrationality starting to overcome our writing. We respect the right of ALL citizens to practice a religion of choice but in societies we have been known to implement rules to ensure that our moral compass stays ‘steady as she blows’.

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14 responses to “Why Do Jehovah Witnesses Allow Members Of Their Flock To Die In The Name Of Religion?”


  1. This will be a hot one no doubt.

    I personally do not believe when it comes to saving the life of a human being under normal circumstances that they should have the right to stop me. I think in some countries this religious right of this religious group was taken to court to save the life of one of its flock and the court ruled in favour of saving.

    Another issue I have with it is this. Why is it not considered attempted suicide which is not usually legal.

    But here is why I do not like getting into these contentious no-win moral situations. I am not sufficiently fluent in theology. But if memory serves me well is there not an equally contentious issue involving the Catholic faith when it comes to a pregnancy in trouble. Is there not some religious calling that the infants life take precedent over the mother.

    These religious matters are horrendously volatile and complex and where they ever came from God only knows.


  2. Misinterpreting the Old Testament prohibition against eating animal blood as a routine food item, the WatchTower Society began teaching in 1945 that receiving a blood transfusion was “eating human blood”. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that receiving an infusion of human blood into their body’s circulatory system is scientifically the exact same thing as eating or ingesting blood into their body’s digestive system. Paul Gilles recent comments during this tragedy in which he compared injecting alcohol into one’s veins (give me a break) to drinking alcohol proves that JWs still believe what the WatchTower Society published back in 1951:

    “A patient in the hospital maybe fed through the mouth, through the nose, or through the veins. When sugar solutions are given intravenously it is called intravenous feeding. So the hospital’s own terminology recognizes as feeding the process of putting nutrition into one’s system via the veins. Hence the attendant administering the transfusion is feeding the patient through the veins, and the patient receiving it is eating through his veins.” — The WATCHTOWER magazine, July 1, 1951.

    Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to acknowledge that when human blood is transfused into their body’s circulatory system that the transfused human blood remains to be human blood and continues to function as human blood. Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to acknowledge that if blood is eaten, then the ingested blood enters the body’s digestive system, where the blood would be treated by the body exactly the same as it would treat a hotdog, a potato chip, or any other food item. Ingested blood would be completely digested and broken down into proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and waste; which are then either assimilated or excreted by the body.

    The WatchTower Society uses scriptures which speak about the blood of slaughtered animals to teach Jehovah’s Witnesses that blood is “sacred” because blood is the “symbol of life”. Then, the WatchTower Society turns around and requires Jehovah’s Witnesses to sacrifice their own “life” to maintain the alleged “sacredness” of a “symbol” of the very thing they are sacrificing — their life. Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to acknowledge that the WatchTower doctrine on blood moronically places a higher value on the SYMBOL than it does on the THING SYMBOLIZED.

    In fact, the Old Testament scriptures permitted the eating of unbled animal meat, which the Bible treats exactly the same as eating animal blood itself. In isolated occasions, when humans needed to eat unbled meat in order to sustain their own human life, the Mosaic Law permitted such, but then required the eaters to fulfill the requirements of being “unclean” for a few days. Thus, the Bible recognized that the sustaining of human life was more “sacred” than maintaining the sacredness of animal blood. To do otherwise would be doing exactly what the moronic WatchTower Society does. It would make the SYMBOL more SACRED than the THING SYMBOLIZED.

    In fact, the WatchTower Society is leading Jehovah’s Witnesses to disobey GOD and violate the Holy Scriptures in one of the most serious ways possible. Because humans were created in GOD’s image, GOD considers human life sacred. A Jehovah’s Witness who sacrifices their SACRED LIFE in order to maintain the sacredness of a SYMBOL of that SACRED LIFE varies little from those who profane life by committing suicide. Those Jehovah’s Witness Elders who teach and police this moronic doctrine vary little from common accessories to murder. The Bible is fairly clear in how GOD views murder, and how He deals with Murderers.

    This moronic twisting of scripture would be laughable if not for the fact that it has lead to the pointless deaths of numerous Jehovah’s Witnesses in the past, and it will continue to lead to the pointless deaths of many more Jehovah’s Witnesses in the future.

    The following website summarizes over 315 U.S. court cases and lawsuits affecting children of Jehovah’s Witness Parents, including 200+ cases where the JW Parents refused to consent to life-saving blood transfusions for their dying children:

    DIVORCE, BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, AND OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

    http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com


  3. They could have used coconut water.


  4. Any parent that does not allow a blood transfusion for a dying child is a murderer. How come Jehovah’s Witnesses are so keen to invite everyone to their church but refuse to step foot in yours? – even for a funeral, cousins of mine in the UK drove 150 miles for my grandmothers funeral then sat outside in the car, duh……….
    How come when they come canvassing on my doorstep and I tell them – politely-I’m not interested they refuse to leave, I’ve even had to call the police.
    My religion is private to me, if you want to join it fine, if you don’t fine, I have respect for that, Jehovah’s – that I have met here – have NO respect for that.


  5. Jehovah’s Witnesses can not go back on this teaching. There would be a revolt. It would threaten the very survival of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Far too many people have died as a result this doctrine for them to suddenly say we were wrong about this teaching. So right or wrong they have to persist with it.


  6. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been wrong before. They predicted that the world would come to an end in 1975.


  7. God says a relationship with him is most important. To know him and love him. Live life to please him. This is the recipie for heaven, and a long and happy life. All the rest is just man’s with Satan’s guidance to making this life’s journey more complicated that it needs be.

    Once you love God (whoever he is to you) u will live by certain codes, that in my view is what is he expects more than, what you think of blood or other things that goes into the body.

    To cause the loss of a life because of a biblical interpretation is not a part of a loving just and pure God.


  8. JANET, a Canadian woman, explained to her son why she had AIDS. She had contracted the disease from her husband before he died. In turn, her husband, a hemophiliac, had likely got AIDS through a blood fraction. Nightmares like this are just one of the factors that have prompted the medical community to reconsider giving blood transfusions as standard practice. Indeed, a headline in The New York Times this year declared: “‘Bloodless’ Surgery Gains New Acceptance.”


  9. Blood issue at a glance: The Watchtower leadership of the Jehovah’s Witnesses say NO blood, BUT they actually DO ALLOW some blood “fractions”.
    Problem is this variance is so esoteric complicated that by the time special elders appear in the ER with the rule book, the JW patient is at the point of no return,bleeding to death.
    NOW,they blame the hospital staff for not having a “cell saver” machine instead of the Watchtower leaders who are responsible for making the rules.

    I was born a 3rd generation Jehovah’s Witness in 1957 and endured the Watchtower’s no blood commandment with longstanding bleeding Crohn’s disease.The Watchtower leadership expects followers to die for their dogma and many have.The medical staff get blamed and are ‘damned if they do damned if they don’t’.

    In 20 years there will be artificial blood for anyone who chooses it,putting an end to this drama.


  10. Danny H:

    Which drama is ending in 20 years?

    Transfusions, religious superstitions or, as we were told a few years back by these same elders,
    life on earth.


  11. Blood transfusions are only part of the problem with Jehovahs Witnesses. They have a sizeable problem with PEDOPHILES in their midst. Many people also see these PEDOPHILES as protected because, again, how the scriptures are interpeted by them. The victim must have two or three witnesses or they are not taken seriouly. Now I ask who child abuser would abuse a child in the presence of “two or three witnesses”?


  12. Non blood transfusions are taken by Jehovah’s Witnesses all the time and work very well and they are safe. “Saline solution, Ringers solutions, are volume expanders ,which is what is needed, and there are other means such as cell saver during operations that returns the blood right back into the patient.

    Re: Pedophiles-
    The victim has only to bring this to the attention of any one of the elders and action WILL be taken. Please be accurate on any statements before you make them.


  13. Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs:

    A) They are at your door to recruit you for enslavement to their watchtower corporation,they will say that “we are just here to share a message from the Bible” this is deception right off.

    B) The ‘message’ is their false Gospel that Jesus is ruling in heaven already since 1914.The problem with this is it’s not just a cute fairy tale,Jesus warned of the false prophets who would claim “..look he is here in the wilderness,or see here he is at the temple”

    C) Their anti-blood transfusion ban has killed hundreds if not thousands
    D) once they recruit you they will “love bomb” you in cult fashion to also recruit your family & friends or cut them off. There are many more dangers,Jehovah’s Witnesses got a bad rap for good and valid reasons.

    99% of the world has rejected the teachings of the Watchtower Jehovah’s Witnesses, the darker truth is they are a destructive and oppressive organization.

    Danny Haszard Jehovah’s Witness X 33 years http://www.freeminds.org

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