Transplants
 |
 |
One of the strange behaviors the Jehovah’s Witnesses were cultivating was the rejection of transplantation. The Watchtower Society had three positions in its history regarding this matter. Initially, they had accepted them, later on denied them and called “cannibalism”, and finally in 1980, the organization allowed its followers to undergo the transplants.
Until 1967, the Watchtower Society did not criticize transplants, what’s more, they had positively spoken about them, even mentioning Creator:
Just as a well-equipped repair shop carries stocks of extra parts for the machines it services, so the modern hospital has on hand not only natural spare parts but also many substitute materials with which to rebuild and fix up human machinery. (Awake! December 22, 1949 p. 19).
Replacing exterior parts of the human body is wonderful enough, but when machines can take over the duties of organs on the inside it is little short of a miracle. (Awake! December 22, 1949 p. 20).
Even a grafted kidney, although its nerves are cut, starts to work at once to give man efficient and unfailing service. Such marvels inspire praise to man’s Creator. (Awake! February 22, 1963 p. 18).
Is there anything in the Bible against giving one’s eyes (after death) to be transplanted to some living person? (…) The question of placing one’s body or parts of one’s body at the disposal of men of science or doctors at one’s death for purposes of scientific experimentation or replacement in others is frowned upon by certain religious bodies. However, it does not seem that any Scriptural principle or law is involved. It therefore is something that each individual must decide for himself. If he is satisfied in his own mind and conscience that this is a proper thing to do, then he can make such provision, and no one else should criticize him for doing so. On the other hand, no one should be criticized for refusing to enter into any such agreement. (The Watchtower August 1, 1961 p. 480).
At the end of 1967, Jehovah’s Witnesses changed their minds about transplants. Continuously, throughout the 1967-1980, the Watchtower Society criticized transplants, even calling them “cannibalism”:
Is there any Scriptural objection to donating one’s body for use in medical research or to accepting organs for transplant from such a source? (…) Humans were allowed by God to eat animal flesh and to sustain their human lives by taking the lives of animals, though they were not permitted to eat blood. Did this include eating human flesh, sustaining one’s life by means of the body or part of the body of another human, alive or dead? No! That would be cannibalism, a practice abhorrent to all civilized people. (…) Those who submit to such operations are thus living off the flesh of another human. That is cannibalistic. (The Watchtower November 15, 1967 p. 702).
But men today contemplate wholesale ‘cannibalizing’ of bodies. And even that seems too mild a term—for cannibals never maintained “farms” of human bodies to be “harvested.” This shows where things can lead once men begin to violate Bible standards, including its prohibition of taking the blood of another creature into one’s own body.—See Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28, 29. (The Watchtower November 15, 1974 p. 684).
The term cannibalism in association with transplants was used in several other publications:
Awake! January 22, 1968 p. 30;
Awake! June 8, 1968 pp. 21-22;
Awake! October 22, 1969 p. 4.
[Jesus] He used no human or animal donors for organ transplants. Instead he restored to health the very organs or body parts afflicted. (Is the Bible Really the Word of God? 1969 p.185).
It has long been known that heart-transplant patients have a higher-than-average amount of postoperative psychiatric problems. But it seems that the same is true with regard to some other vital organ transplants, such as kidney transplants. (...) A peculiar factor sometimes noted is a so-called ‘personality transplant.’ That is, the recipient in some cases has seemed to adopt certain personality factors of the person from whom the organ came. One young promiscuous woman who received a kidney from her older, conservative, well-behaved sister, at first seemed very upset. Then she began imitating her sister in much of her conduct. Another patient claimed to receive a changed outlook on life after his kidney transplant. Following a transplant, one mild-tempered man became aggressive like the donor. The problem may be largely or wholly mental. (The Watchtower September 1, 1975 p. 519).
The Watchtower Society spoke about the risks associated with transplants in their other publications:
Awake! February 22, 1974 pp. 30-31;
Awake! March 22, 1974 pp. 21-23;
The Watchtower November 15, 1974 p. 684.
During that period, Jehovah’s Witnesses could not even give their bodies to other people to save their lives:
What should be done, though, when a Christian is asked to provide an organ for use in another person or to allow the body part of a deceased loved one to be so used? We might ask, If a Christian decided personally that he would not sustain his own life with the flesh of another imperfect human, could he conscientiously allow part of his flesh to be used in that way to sustain someone else? Even from a medical standpoint there is some question as to the wisdom and ethicalness of some transplants. (The Watchtower November 15, 1967 p. 703).
The day before surgery was due the chairman of the kidney transplant team came in and asked if I would agree to making the kidney I was relinquishing available to a young patient whose kidneys had failed. It appears that though the artery leading to my kidney was not functioning, the kidney itself was in good shape. The doctor was keen to have my kidney, but I explained to him that as one of Jehovah’s witnesses I must abide by what God’s law indicates in such a matter. I told him he would get a frank and thorough answer to his inquiry after we had had a family discussion of God’s Word on the issue. Later that day we informed him of our Biblical position with respect to human flesh and its use and quoted the relevant passages of God’s Word. He asked if I could retain a good conscience after denying my kidney to his young patient. In reply I pointed out that my kidney was not mine to give, and must be used in harmony with the will of the One who created it. And he was compelled to admit that even with the kidney he could not guarantee the survival of his patient. (The Watchtower November 15, 1969 p. 701).
Transplants accepted again since 1980
In the 1980, the Watchtower Society accepted transplants, although it says that some of its followers still considered them to be “cannibalism”:
Regarding the transplantation of human tissue or bone from one human to another, this is a matter for conscientious decision by each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some Christians might feel that taking into their bodies any tissue or body part from another human is cannibalistic. (…) Other sincere Christians today may feel that the Bible does not definitely rule out medical transplants of human organs. (…) It may be argued, too, that organ transplants are different from cannibalism since the “donor” is not killed to supply food. In some cases persons nearing death actually have willed body parts to be used for transplants. (…) While the Bible specifically forbids consuming blood, there is no Biblical command pointedly forbidding the taking in of other human tissue. For this reason, each individual faced with making a decision on this matter should carefully and prayerfully weigh matters and then decide conscientiously what he or she could or could not do before God. It is a matter for personal decision. (Gal. 6:5) The congregation judicial committee would not take disciplinary action if someone accepted an organ transplant. (The Watchtower March 15, 1980 p. 31).
The Witnesses do not feel that the Bible comments directly on organ transplants; hence, decisions regarding cornea, kidney, or other issue transplants must be made by the individual Witness. (Awake! June 22, 1982 p. 26).
The Witnesses do not feel that the Bible comments directly on organ transplants; hence, decisions regarding cornea, kidney, or other tissue transplants must be made by the individual Witness. (How Can Blood Save Your Life? 1990 p. 28).
Interestingly, the new light wasn’t unconditional. Immediately after the formal permission was given, stipulations were added. The condition is to carry out the transplants “without using blood”, which often prevents them:
Of course, if a transplant should require taking in another person’s blood, undeniably that would be contrary to God’s command.—Acts 15:19, 20. (The Watchtower March 15, 1980 p. 31).
The conscience of some Witnesses permits them to accept organ transplants if done without blood. A report of 13 kidney transplants concluded: “The overall results suggest that renal transplantation can be safely and efficaciously applied to most Jehovah’s Witnesses.” (Transplantation, June 1988). (How Can Blood Save Your Life? 1990 p. 16).
Could a Christian accept a bone-marrow transplant, since blood is made in the marrow? (…) Of course, marrow used in human marrow transplants is from live donors, and the withdrawn marrow may have some blood with it. Hence, the Christian would have to resolve for himself whether—to him—the bone-marrow graft would amount to simple flesh or would be unbled tissue. Additionally, since a marrow graft is a form of transplant, the Scriptural aspects of human organ transplants should be considered.(…) Finally, writing in Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (Update I, 1981, page 138), Dr. D. E. Thomas observes that “virtually all marrow transplant recipients will require platelet transfusions” and many are given “packed red blood cells.” So the Christian should consider what additional issues he would have to face if he submitted to a marrow transplant.—Proverbs 22:3. Though a personal decision has to be made on this matter, the Bible’s comments about blood and marrow should help the individual to decide. (The Watchtower May 15, 1984 p. 31).
|
|
