Catholic teaching on blood transfusions

[do_justly_love_mercy]

The Traditional Catholicism subforum isn’t specifically for those who identify as “Traditional Catholics”. It’s described as a “Discussion of Catholic traditions and customs”.

Which makes it even stranger that somebody would post a question about blood transfusions in a forum about Catholic traditions and customs. I think it still suggests that the OP thinks that Catholic teaching on blood transfusions may have changed over time, e.g. after Vatican 2.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Out of curiosity, why did you post this in “traditional Catholicism” rather than “moral theology”? I do not imagine that traditional Catholics would have a different view of this subject than any other Catholics.

The OP just joined a couple of weeks ago. It’s not uncommon for new posters to not fully understand the category system and just post stuff wherever.

If you see a post in the wrong category, best to just state that the post fits better in category X and either move it yourself or post a request for someone with capability to move threads to put it where it belongs.

 

[AlNg]

Yet Judaism not only allows blood transfusions but REQUIRES them if they are necessary to saving a human life.

Can a Jew eat cooked beef liver? The beef liver I have seen in the market nearby is somewhat bloody. Gen9:4 and Lev 17: 10 seem to prohibit this.
Is there a difference between Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed on eating sausages or other processed meat which may have small amounts of blood.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Yet Judaism not only allows blood transfusions but REQUIRES them if they are necessary to saving a human life. The same goes for eating non-kosher food and working on the Sabbath or Yom Kippur. Saving or healing a human life supersedes these commandments.

So are you saying, for instance, that if a Jew were starving to death, and the only food available were pork, he could eat it? I have always wondered about that. (I am deadly serious. I am not the least bit anti-Semitic, indeed, I have met with the disapproval of anti-Semites before, because I would not agree with them or ratify them in their sentiments.)

And since we’re not under the Mosaic law, it’s also fine for us to eat blood if we wish.
Blood sausage with our full English breakfasts for example.

It may be “fine”, but I’m still not doing it — not for any religious reason, but because it’s gross. I suspect that I was “tricked” into eating blood sausage once — I fell for it that time, but it won’t happen again. I like a full English fry-up but hold the black pudding, please.

 

[Pattylt]

@meltzerboy2 is free to answer this, too, but as long as a bloody meat is cooked thoroughly, then it is acceptable as this removes the remaining blood. Medium rare isn’t a Jewish steak!

Is there a difference between Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed on eating sausages or other processed meat which may have small amounts of blood.

Once again, as long as the blood is cooked out of it, it’s fine. Kosher beef sausages are quite dry because of the removal of the blood. Reformed Judaism is very lax on the kosher rules and it varies with the members. Many will even eat pork products though many think that’s a step too far.

 

[Lysander]

The OP said they are new to Catholic Forum, why assume he is doing it for negative reason? He did not explicitly or implicitly attack Vatican II.
What I have observed that is some people read offence into practically anything posted on Traditional Catholism and try to stir things up.
Stop it
Now on the topic of the question. Another reason we are not under the law on Blood. Is because Jesus said drink my blood. We do this everytime we go to Holy Communion (Even if we only receive One of the Species).

 

[meltzerboy2]

Good question about beef (or poultry) liver. Since it is very bloody, salting alone is usually not sufficient. In this case, the liver must be broiled to drain out all the blood so that it is considered kosher for consumption.

Small amounts of blood, any blood whatsoever, must be avoided. My childhood Orthodox rabbi once said that when he ate roast beef in a deli or restaurant, he would always order it well-done, even though the restaurant was kosher to begin with. There is in Judaism kosher and glatt kosher. The latter may be translated strictly kosher, since it means that particular care is taken to drain ALL the blood from meat. In addition, certain nicks in the lung of a chicken, for example, would render it non-kosher according to glatt kosher standards even though it might still be considered kosher. It all depends on how orthodox one is: there are small differences even among Orthodox Jews regarding what they will eat and not eat, as well as other commandments.

Insofar as Conservative Jews are concerned, it also depends on how “orthodox” they are with regard to kosher dietary regulations; in other words, they too vary. There are official Conservative guidelines but Jews being what they are do not always lead their lives according to them. Still, you are much more likely to see a relaxing of the kosher rules among Conservative Jews than Orthodox Jews. Reform Jews are even less attentive to kosher regulations, but even here, it depends on the individual Jew. They may just avoid pork and seafood, and observe nothing else regarding kosher, or they may be more observant. Among Jews, it is certainly the case that one size does not fit all.

 

[do_justly_love_mercy]

You are telling me to “Stop it” when I was doing no such thing. If somebody posts a question on the Traditional Catholicism forum that has nothing to do with traditional Catholicism, I think it is reasonable to wonder whether it is because they think that traditional Catholicism and other kinds of Catholicism hold divergent positions. I am not suggesting that he is attacking Vatican 2 in any way. I am also not reading offense into it. I genuinely thought that the OP perhaps believed that this was a subject on which Church teaching had developed since the 1960s.

 

[meltzerboy2]

It is certainly the case that, if a Jew were dying of hunger (starving to death), not only could they eat pork or shrimp but they MUST do so to prevent death, including on Yom Kippur, a solemn fast day. Saving a human life, including one’s own, trumps almost all other commandments.

 

[Rau]

Small amounts of blood, any blood whatsoever, must be avoided.

What is the basis for these prohibitions these days?

 

[HomeschoolDad]

It is certainly the case that, if a Jew were dying of hunger (starving to death), not only could they eat pork or shrimp but they MUST do so to prevent death, including on Yom Kippur, a solemn fast day. Saving a human life, including one’s own, trumps almost all other commandments.

Thanks. It seems reasonable, and I always think of Jews as eminently reasonable people, but I had never known anyone of whom I could ask this question. This is very helpful to me.

 

[meltzerboy2]

Leviticus and the dietary laws are still in effect (for some Jews). Nothing in the Hebrew Scriptures has abrogated the law as it applies to Jews.

 

[Rau]

Leviticus and the dietary laws are still in effect (for some Jews). Nothing in the Hebrew Scriptures has abrogated the law as it applies to Jews.

I assume those laws had a tangible reason at the time they were given. Is that not the case?

 

[meltzerboy2]

Some Orthodox Jews say no: that some or many of the ritual, ceremonial laws cannot and need not be figured out based on culture or any other reason. I’m not so sure about that. I think that if one digs deep enough, one can find some rational argument for all the commandments, even what appear to be the least rational, such as not wearing garments that mix linen with other fabrics. One of the potential problems in doing so, however, is that perhaps some of the commandments can be found to be culture-specific or nation-specific and thus their validity in the modern world may not apply.

 

[Rau]

Some Orthodox Jews say no: that some or many of the ritual, ceremonial laws cannot and need not be figured out based on culture or any other reason. I’m not so sure about that.

I would tend to agree with you.

One of the potential problems in doing so, however, is that perhaps some of the commandments can be found to be culture-specific or nation-specific and thus their validity in the modern world may not apply.

I think this flows logically from the first point. I see no issue with that where it is the dietary rules etc that are the issue. The moral law however would be in a different category (at least Christians would see it that way).

 

[TheLittleLady]

Can a Jew eat cooked beef liver? The beef liver I have seen in the market nearby is somewhat bloody.

but as long as a bloody meat is cooked thoroughly, then it is acceptable as this removes the remaining blood.

The red juice that comes from the meat you see in the store or restaurant is not blood, it is a protein called myoglobin

Whoa! That Red Juice in Your Meat Isn’t Blood

Some people think that rare steak is still "bloody," but that red liquid has nothing to do with blood. Here's what it really is.

www.thehealthy.com

 

[Pattylt]

Yes, I know that but most Jews don’t and so always tend to overcook any red meat! Jews joke amongst themselves that There’s No Such Thing As A Good Jewish Steak! First, the only good steak that’s Kosher is a Rib Eye, then they grill the heck out of it! It makes chefs cry.