Appendix B Blood transfusions in the media
 |
 |
[Each year media reveal drastic examples of losing life because of the refusal of blood transfusion by Jehovah’s Witnesses. We could cite many examples of such tragedies, but we will reduce them to the most characteristic from the several recent years].
After discussing several cases of losing life because of refusal of the blood transfusion by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Poland, we published the following Summary:
The above reports speak for themselves. We are convinced by them that the problem of refusal of blood transfusion by Witnesses is an issue related to medicine, law, ethics, sociology and religion.
Concerning medical perspective, it should be considered if doctors should gain better arguments in order to refute erroneous convictions of Jehovah’s Witnesses and their representatives – members of Hospital Liaison Committees.
As for the law, we should not expect significant changes and restrictions, because the present tendency is decidedly liberal and gives bigger rights to individual.
When we look at the discussed matter from the viewpoint of ethics and social sciences, the following questions arise: Does the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses really provide its members with full and reliable information, so that their refusal of blood transfusions is truly a decision based on solid foundations? Or maybe the issue is the fear of leaders of the Watchtower organization that they could be sued with many several million dollars compensations when facts would force them to reverse their strict position on the matter of blood? Could we suspect that in that organization we find a phenomenon of mind control, governing minds of the members by indoctrination based on selective citations from the Bible and scientific publications, aimed to force followers to act in definite ways? Is that true that an average Jehovah’s Witnesses refusing blood transfusion is in fact a person manipulated by a deceptive propaganda?
Looking at the matter from the religious viewpoint, readers could assess, if tragedies of Witnesses dying because of the ban on blood transfusions, are not a proof that extremely literal interpretation of the Bible, neglecting its spirit, may be a lethal thing. One may recall the words of the Apostle Paul: “for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6, English Standard Version). It is worthwhile to remind that God’s Law is in its nature a lifegiving thing, not a lethal one: “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 18:5, ESV, emphasis added, except the word am). In the purpose of Creator a man who obeys his commandments could live by doing this. Unfortunately, the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses organization interpret the message of the Bible in such a way, that many members of that community, because of obeying its bans still unnecessarily die.
|
|
