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A young Jehovah's Witness has died after giving birth to twins, amid claims that she had refused a blood transfusion because of her faith.
Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions because they believe that God has forbidden it in the Bible. They believe that accepting a blood transfusion is a sin.
I'll come out and say this right at the start, I'm an atheist, and therefore cannot understand how a Mother does not allow herself to see her twins grow up by simply allowing herself to have a bllod transfusions. I readily admit that my knowledge of the bible is shaky at best, but I am sure I have not read that it says that blood Transfusions are a sin. For me this is a throwback to beyond the dawn of civilisation; does this mean they don't take asprin? antibiotics? antacids? The list goes on and on of course.
This is not just a case of beliefs, but real life and death in that her children will now grow up without a Mother. The radio over here has been full of calls from Children who were not allowed to have transusions by their parents when they were children, with the added risk that involves; most are horrified that it was allowed.
Should someone's beliefs be allowed to decide whether their children live or die, or have a better chance of living? For me this is just horrific and certainly beyond my understanding of how a parent should act.
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| #11: Thou Shall Not have Blood Transfusions. |
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Philosopher8659
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Nov 6 @ 8:31AM
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What a silly question! Does anyone do what they believe or what they do not believe?
I use to be Agnostic, because I believe that if God existed, what ever it was could be found.
The problem is not that people do what they believe, but to get them to believe what is right in front of their face. j.c.
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blkfoot1954
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Nov 6 @ 8:40AM
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I have heard of them not getting or allowing family member transfusions if needed to save a life..Crazy huh
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eastham
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Nov 6 @ 8:46AM
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Christian Scientists don't "indulge" in antibiotics and other drugs and here as well as Germany parents who refused medical treatment for their children -- an action that resulted in the death of the child -- have been prosecuted.
Having lived in Brooklyn, the home of the Watchtower and the Jehovah's Witness church, I knew a few Witnesses and none were able to effectively convey to me why no blood transfusions.
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Kandykammy
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Nov 6 @ 8:49AM
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If it is a child of a Jehovah's Witness,t hen the state steps in and the child gets the transfusion. That has happened many times to save the child's life.
Jehovah's Witness' do not believe in giving gifts at Christmas. Their children do not get any gifts and no one is allowed to give them any.
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jelltex
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Nov 6 @ 8:50AM
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Surely your, or their, chlds life is more important than belief. Is that silly, it seems commons sense to me.
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bardnsage
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Nov 6 @ 8:55AM
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God made man.
God gave man inteligence.
God inspired man to learn.
God gave gifts to man, and man glorified God.
God made tranfusions, and gave them to man.
Man not taking tranfusion, proof that Darwin was right.
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ElohimInfernos
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Nov 6 @ 9:25AM
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Well, upon hearing how and why their mother died, the children will likely have one of two reactions. One, they will see their mother as a form of a martyr and continue on with the views of their community. Or, they will realize the stupidity of theses beliefs and walk away. The way I see it, the mother made her choice based on her own beliefs. In doing so, she harmed none but herself. It is unfortunate that the children must be raised without a mother, however, perhaps the children will, in fact, see the stupidity of such puritanical laws and create something better in their own life. I agree with the state stepping in when these dogmatic laws affect those that cannot make the choice for themselvs.
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RomanticLibra106
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Nov 6 @ 9:26AM
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Their belief about blood transfusions is absolutely BONKERS. NOWHERE as far as I know in the bible does it say you can't take prescription drugs or get a blood transfusion. People interpret the bible any way the choose and unfortunately therein lies the problem.
I believe that if God didn't WANT us to have prescription drugs when we need them OR blood transfusions, we wouldn't have them period. He's in charge - we're not - at least about things like that.
How absurd to risk ANYONE'S life that can be saved in the name of Jehovah or anyone else. Can we spell M O R O N?????????
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a1computerdoc
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Nov 6 @ 9:38AM
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"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants...." Deuteronomy 30:19
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Philosopher8659
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Nov 6 @ 9:46AM
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When you come to believe that another person would be better off under the control of your mind, your beliefs, then you have justified every criminal and criminal act in history.
The beginning of the crime of self-righteousness begins with the assertion of your will over the will of your fellow man.
What other's do is criminal--but as long as what they do to what is theirs, and yes their children is even by grammatical construction--theirs, is still theirs to travel life with.
If you seek to improve them, then do something really constructive, teach them how to think--which means learning it for oneself first. I trust that one cannot even say why one or more words can or cannot be predicated of another. . j.c.
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street
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Nov 6 @ 10:59AM
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Yeah I think there very GOOD and OUTSTANDING people !!!!! I dont see then in the new's LIKE the CATH/Priest raping kid's now do you ? It's what THEY bleive in ,,,So back The f*** off them !!!! (im now off my soapbox) ,,
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EternalFlame
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Nov 6 @ 11:18AM
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JWs don't accept blood because it's considered a form of cannibalism. You're taking part of another person's body into yours for nourishment. They believe the Bible's command that Christians must "abstain from blood" (Acts 15:28, 29)
Promulgating the rule in 1945, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (hereafter "the Society"), generated one the most controversial issues on the interface of religion and health care. Based on Genesis 9 verse 4, Leviticus 17 verses 11 and 12 and the Pauline New Testamentary reiteration in Acts 15, the Society declared that, irrespective of the mode of consumption, the eating of blood was an unscriptural practice. Besides the array of scriptural references the Witnesses have at their disposal legitimizing the regulation, they feel heavily supported by extra-doctrinal arguments. The second part of the 80s provided them, from their point of view, with a powerful secular ally: AIDS emerged as a macabre confirmation of the doctrine.
JWs DO take medications, antibiotics, etc.
JW's do NOT celebrate Christmas because Jesus Christ specifically said to celebrate his DEATH and not his BIRTH. JWs also recognize and accept what most other Christian based religions do not....Christmas is nothing but a stolen pagan holiday, switched up and turned around to make it look Christian. JWs recognize the Pagan origins of ALL Christian holidays, and do not celebrate any of them.
Any other questions about the religion? I'd be happy to field them for you, being a recovering Jehovah's Witness myself and all.
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EternalFlame
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Nov 6 @ 11:46AM
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I should also add...
I was a Jehovah's Witness from birth to age 12. I went to meetings and book study 3x a week from birth until age 9, when my mother died.
When I was nearly 31, I had a tubal pregnancy rupture. I had a lot of internal bleeding, and after I woke up from surgery, they told me that they would recommend that I have a transfusion of at least 2 units of blood to replace what I had lost.
20 years since I left the religion, and the first thing out of my mouth was, "Well, won't my body replace the blood all by itself? A transfusion isn't really necessary, is it?"
The brainwashing a JW receives from the Elders is total and complete.
It took the doctor about 10 minutes of debate to convince me to have the transfusion. In the end, I did take the blood, but it was not easy for me to overcome that brainwashing and accept what was best for my healing.
You can't hold them any more responsible for their actions when it comes to the question of blood than you can all those people that drank Jim Jones' Kool-Aid.
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jelltex
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Nov 6 @ 11:46AM
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AIDS emerged as a macabre confirmation of the doctrine.
My understanding is that most aids is spead through sex, hetrosexual sex at that. Should we take that as not to procreate as well?
This is no argumant as a confirmation.
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Josuha
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Nov 6 @ 11:52AM
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I have heard of them not getting or allowing family member transfusions if needed to save a life..
Now children without a mother.
And I was called uncivilized because I'm a pagan.
Blessings to the children
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEORCzwtIWM
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EternalFlame
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Nov 6 @ 11:54AM
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Jell, were you not around in the 80s when NOBODY was getting blood transfusions because AIDS was spreading like wildfire thru them? Once upon a time, AIDS was indeed in the blood supply. Things have changed.
I'm just playing Devil's Advocate here, and telling you the reasons why JWs don't take blood.
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enigmasrook
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Nov 6 @ 9:07PM
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Well...in the states, steps are taken to prevent this. But it doesn't keep people from doing it in the privacy of their own homes. I think there should be a blanket of protection for children......when they grow up, they can then make their own decisions about such things for themselves. Faith and religion are a tricky thing. Great blog as always jell. 
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sparechange64
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Nov 6 @ 9:28PM
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Thanks EF for all the comments and enlightening everyone ... 
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