What Is Your Opinion?

Hi everyone,

How would you respond to the following statement:

No one was negatively affected or died by heeding past understandings on blood fractions, organ transplant, hemodilution, etc. Most of the past understandings on medical procedures existed when the treatments were not being used on a large scale.

I have even been stumped by this one. However, The AWAKE! 1965 4/8 P.18 does says:

Then there are reports of prevention

having. been realized by means of the use

of Rh-positive haptens. These haptens are

a blood fraction taken from Rh-positive red

cells and given orally or by injection to ,a

woman whose blood shows a high degree

or titer of immunization to the Rh factor.

In one to four months the titer is down to

zero, at which time a pregnancy is rec-

o'mmended. Upon conception treatment is

resumed. Those using this method have re-

ported perfect results. However, this in-

volves the use of blood fractions, which

s objectionable on Scriptural grounds.

Yet, medical history shows the Rh injection became commercially available in 1968. This date is given on Wikipedia and in the AWAKE!:

***g9412/8p.24TheRhFactorandYou***

It showed up in 1968. After years of research and frustrating attempts by doctors to treat these very sick babies, which met with limited success, an immunization was developed that was effective in preventing the problem of “Rh babies.” This was good news. But how did it work?

A book by Douglas Starr states "...and by the late 1960s this injection became commercially available" (Blood - An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce, P. 208).

Furthermore, in that same year (AWAKE! 8-22-1965 P. 18) the WTBTS seems to have toned down their "objectionable" response by saying:

The fact that serums are prepared from

blood makes them undesirable to Chris-

tians because of the Biblical law against

the use of blood. However, since they do

not involve the using of blood as a food to

nourish the body, which the Bible directly

forbids, their use is a .matter that must

be decided by each person according to his

conscience. Vaccines, on the other hand,

do not involve blood in their preparation.

Quite a toned down statement only a couple months afterward.

Obviously, whether or not someone was difellowshipped or not is irrelevant. What matters is whether the WTBTS told JWs that certain medical procedures were unscriptual when they could have benefited from such. However, to benefit from such, I think it would be reasonable that such methods were considered safe and available as non-experimental. It seems that the WTBTS started allowing many medical procedures right around, or a couple years after they became widespread. 

Any thoughts?

"No one was negatively affected or died by heeding past understandings......." 

This is not an opinion, this is a fact, that statement is a DOWNRIGHT LIE !

I have personal experience and proof that many many have died, and that many STILL DO even despite the present doctrine being watered down !!!

Who on earth came out with that despicable lie ?     The person that did is the lowest of the low, they do not respect even the memory of those poor individuals who have suffered needlessly at the hands of the cruel, heartless WT.

@ Phizzy,

If you have experiences/proof that many have died from the old "no fractions/organ transplant/etc." doctines, please share.

See the cover of Awake! magazine, May 22 1994.

yes god loves sacrifices, isaac, jephthahs daughter, defeated enemies and today unlucky kids. the truth is jehovah is moloch after all malkizadek is a priest to moloch and yet is said to also pray to yhwh.

Like GL Tirebiter said - er, posted...

Whip out a copy of that May, 1994 Awake magazine....

Dayyam, THAT edition should go into reprint; it's SO useful!!!

I take it, that you're unfamiliar with that edition????

The cover shows photos of all the Jehovah's Witness children who had DIED  -  up to that point  -  because they and/or their parents had refused blood transfusions...

The articles inside praised these youngsters for 'remaining faithful to Jehovah's edicts on blood, staying loyal to death'....

Check your local Kingdom Hall library - or the bound volumes - or the CD - which it would be interesting to see if THAT issue is faithfully reproduced on the literature CD - to bring to the attention of those who claim that "no harm" came of these edicts...

Zid

Try:

http://ed5015.tripod.com/JwDEATHS75.htm

http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/blood-transfusions.php

Thanks for that everyone. However, I was trying to get to evidence that people actually suffered from PAST blood doctrine of the WTBTS.

I don't know if everyone is understanding my point. Just for reference sake, I am trying to see if JWs were harmed while going along with PAST blood doctrine (for example: no albumin, other fractions, etc). Please lets not allow this to turn into an emotional thread. Just the facts please, ma'am. I understand, however, that emotions run high on this subject. Much thanks.

This is a case that involves a red cell transfusion; I know it doesn't involve fractions but it happened before the change in doctrine.

My disfellowshipped grandmother almost died because of a low blood count after surgery. My mom tried to fight, tooth and nail, not to let them give her the red cells she desperately needed, her reasoning was no one should be given any blood at any time. To make a long story short, my grandmother decided to take blood and the relationship between my witless family and my grandmother (and step-grandfather) was never the same.

My grandmother lived for about five years after this incident; she was grateful for the "medicine" that saved her life and I was equally grateful to have my grandma for that "extra" time.

However, since my step-grandpa was the one pushing for the transfusion and ultimately the deciding factor, my family treated him like garbage from then on.

So, yes I have “evidence” it affects peoples lives.

I am very, very shocked by the cover of that Awake.

Yes, I'm shocked too about that article cover... I kinda don't know what to say about that...