Blood transfusion

Now about blood transfusions. This is also a topic for very serious research. Therefore, I will try to discuss this problem briefly this time. Jehovah's Witnesses do not transfuse blood because the Bible, which is undoubtedly true, forbids eating blood. For example, Leviticus 17:13,14 says: "If any of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, catches a beast or a bird that can be eaten, he shall let its blood flow out and cover it with earth, for the life of every body [is] its blood, it is its life; Therefore I said to the children of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any body, for the life of every body is its blood: whoever eats it will be cut off." See also Genesis 9:3, 4; Acts 15:28,29, 21:25. These are clear biblical instructions not to "eat blood." Why was this done? Because blood was used in Israel for sacrifices to Yahweh, and it symbolized life, and therefore showed how much people were aware that they were completely dependent on God. All this was regulated by the Mosaic Law, and it was strictly observed. The early Christians were also told to "abstain from things sacrificed to idols and to blood." But was it as mandatory? Probably yes! Historical evidence shows that Christians did not eat blood sausage (this was mentioned, for example, by Tertullian in his book "Apology" in Chapter 9). This was respect for God's foundational commandments. To summarize, we can say in the words of the English scientist Joseph Benson: "The prohibition to eat blood, given to Noah and all his posterity, and repeated to the Israelites... was never abolished, but, on the contrary, was confirmed in the New Testament, Acts 15, and was thus made valid for all time."

It should be emphasized that when Jehovah God forbade the use of blood, he was referring to the blood of animals, not human blood. Therefore, it is clear that this prohibition (for the use of animal blood) cannot be extended to the transfusion of human blood. Jehovah God could not have given such instructions to the Israelites, because then they would simply not have understood anything: "How is it possible to inject blood into a vein? How is it possible to get some kind of vaccines or red blood cell masses from it?" Therefore, there is a time for everything. When that time came, Christians had to put God's principles into practice in order to make a decision about using blood to save lives. And this principle is the most important: "God is love!" Everything else follows from it, but not vice versa. Therefore, no religious organization had the right to assume the responsibility of dominating the conscience of Christians, as the Watch Tower Society did. Here it is enough to recall that the Apostle Paul, in fact, did not even forbid eating meat sacrificed to idols (1 Cor. 8:10), but advised not to do it for the sake of the conscience of others. But already the apostles say: "Abstain from things sacrificed to idols" (Acts 15:29). What is this, if not a striving for unity, so that there would be no stumbling among Christians, although it is also said in the New Testament: "Nothing that enters into a man from without can defile him" (Mark 7:15). Therefore, Christians must decide for themselves, depending on the specific situation, whether or not to use blood to save their own life (or the life of another person).

In the book of Jehovah's Witnesses What Does the Bible Really Teach?, on page 131, the question is asked: "Would a Christian violate God's law in order to prolong his life a little in this system?" My conscience does not allow me to say that there is no call not to value one's life, which means that there is no urge to suicide. As an elder, I know of several occasions when Jehovah's Witnesses have told doctors: "If you give me blood, I will hang myself!" This shows that Jehovah's Witnesses do not understand what suicide is, and for them it is not a sin as grave as a blood transfusion. Therefore, if we look at the question of blood from the other side, it turns out that Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse a blood transfusion in the face of death are committing a sin, because in such a situation it can mean suicide. This is what I want to ask my brothers and sisters to think about. Therefore, there is a difference in eating hematogen (for pleasure) and transfusing blood to a hemophiliac patient. There's a difference when a doctor says, "Well, let's inject red blood cells to raise hemoglobin," or when you're unconscious, you don't have a blood substitute (like perfluororan), you have a leg blown off from a car accident, and the doctor says to your wife, "We need blood, this is the only chance. Do you have friends with the first blood group?" This should be a matter of your conscience, and not a matter of conscience of others, who are not at all concerned, because "God is love", and not prohibitions to save the lives of others, if there is such a possibility.

 That's all I wanted to say about it. The rest is up to everyone to decide. Especially since the Watch Tower Society is in a state of "war" on this issue with an entire world that they accuse of cruelty, and which cannot understand the cruelty of Jehovah's Witnesses themselves. Therefore, this "war" has already been lost, Jehovah's Witnesses are setting too negative an example of "love" for others. Nor can they prove from the Bible that God forbade the use of blood for medical purposes. Yes, in a number of Scriptures it is forbidden to eat blood, but not to use it to save life.

In addition, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses forbid transfusions, so to speak, of "the main components of blood." The rest, seemingly "not basic", can be used. But this position only complicates everything. After all, the main components can be from different points of view, different components.  Let me explain with an example: if we take the percentage, then the main component of blood is water. Will we refrain from using it? If, yes, we die in 5 days. Won't we be guilty of suicide? Undoubtedly! Therefore, the question arises about the groundlessness of dividing blood into basic or non-basic components, because we do not say: "I will, there are not the main components of blood, but I will not be the main ones." No one will say so. But why is there such a question regarding transfusion? Perhaps the point is that God really forbade us to eat blood, but left the use of blood to save our lives on our conscience.

One more thing. The fact that the Society has left the issue of the use of non-essential blood components on the conscience of each Jehovah's Witness shows the confusion of their leaders on this issue. And at the same time, this is an absolutely correct position, it remains only to transfer it to the so-called "main components". I think the Watch Tower Society will do this soon. This has not yet been done only because the Society does not know how to justify itself to the relatives of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses who have died because of this position over the past 50 years.

Attending Congregation Meetings

For Jehovah's Witnesses, the most important indicator of spirituality is not Christian qualities or good deeds for fellow believers and others, but attendance at all congregation meetings. I want to emphasize "everyone," because if your work schedule or family responsibilities do not allow you to attend the five weekly meetings of the congregation, you will certainly not immediately fall into the category of "apostates," but you will potentially be classified as apostates. And, of course, they will try to advise you to revise your life schedule so that "if possible" you can attend all meetings.

I have been serving as an elder for many years, and if, for example, because of a busy work schedule, I do not come to the meeting 2-3 times, then after the 4th I run the risk of seeing 2 elders with "loving" advice to "do not leave my congregation." Maybe only after that, someone will wonder if it's hard for me to stay alive at all with such tension.