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Flos_Campi
Guest
Why do Jehovah’s refuse blood transfusions. ??
Where in scripture does it say that ??
Where in scripture does it say that ??
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Jaypeeto4
Guest
In the Torah, people are forbidden by God to “eat” blood.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that this applies also to
TRANSFUSING blood for medical purposes (although Jews
do not agree with their interpretation of this).
In Acts chapter 15, the apostles write to the gentiles,
telling them to “abstain from blood.” Jehovah’s Witnesses
believe that this applies also to receiving blood in a transfusion.
So they refuse blood transfusions.
Actually, Acts 15 was a concession to the Jewish members of the Christian community which also contained growing numbers of gentiles. The Law of Moses had been preached all over the ancient world. As a minimal concession to the Jewish community, the apostles considered it necessary to require the gentiles to restrain from fornication (which in this case means marriage in too-close degrees, for the other kind of fornication was ALREADY understood by ALL to be forbidden), from strangled animals, and from blood (eating meat from which the blood had not been sufficiently drained). Except for marriage in too-close of a blood relation (porneia, fornication), this set of disciplinary commands could be changed by any LATER duly-called Church Council. And the ruling at the Jerusalem Council only applied to eating the blood of animals as common food, not to saving a human life through a blood-transfusion, which really amounts to an Organ Transplant.
Jaypeeto4
+JMJ+
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that this applies also to
TRANSFUSING blood for medical purposes (although Jews
do not agree with their interpretation of this).
In Acts chapter 15, the apostles write to the gentiles,
telling them to “abstain from blood.” Jehovah’s Witnesses
believe that this applies also to receiving blood in a transfusion.
So they refuse blood transfusions.
Actually, Acts 15 was a concession to the Jewish members of the Christian community which also contained growing numbers of gentiles. The Law of Moses had been preached all over the ancient world. As a minimal concession to the Jewish community, the apostles considered it necessary to require the gentiles to restrain from fornication (which in this case means marriage in too-close degrees, for the other kind of fornication was ALREADY understood by ALL to be forbidden), from strangled animals, and from blood (eating meat from which the blood had not been sufficiently drained). Except for marriage in too-close of a blood relation (porneia, fornication), this set of disciplinary commands could be changed by any LATER duly-called Church Council. And the ruling at the Jerusalem Council only applied to eating the blood of animals as common food, not to saving a human life through a blood-transfusion, which really amounts to an Organ Transplant.
Jaypeeto4
+JMJ+
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Flos_Campi
Guest
Thanks for your interesting reply Jaypee,
I did also wonder about the Jews and blood transfusions ,you have given me the answer to that also.
But I am still puzzled as to why they were forbidden to drink blood of an animal, why did it have to be drained off before it was given as a sacrifice to God ?
Was God saying that blood is reserved to himself to be offered in sacrifice on the altar. ?
I did also wonder about the Jews and blood transfusions ,you have given me the answer to that also.
But I am still puzzled as to why they were forbidden to drink blood of an animal, why did it have to be drained off before it was given as a sacrifice to God ?
Was God saying that blood is reserved to himself to be offered in sacrifice on the altar. ?
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Daniel_Marsh
Guest
How does this text relate? And, why were the gentiles told not to eat blood? And, what exactly does the digestive system have to do with blood flow system?
Matthew 15
16"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17"Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’ "
Matthew 15
16"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17"Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’ "
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zerinus
Guest
The short answer to that is, Because of a terrible misinterpretation of the Bible.
The blood had to be drained from any slaughtered animal, regardless of whether it was to be eaten as food or offered as a sacrifice. The explanation given in the Torah itself is that the blood contains the “life” of the creature, and you are not supposed to eat an animal “with the life” still in it,—i.e. eat it “alive”.
Genesis 9:
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
Leviticus 17:
14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
Deuteronomy 12:
23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.
It was basically a law for the humane slaughter of animals. The reason for it is that among the Gentile nations this kind of thing was practiced. Animals were eaten (or cooked) alive rather than first being humanely slaughtered. Even today in some countries this kind of thing is practiced. Have you ever eaten crab meat? Did you know that crabs are boiled alive to cook them? In Korea, dog meat is considered a delicacy. The way they used to kill them was to torture them to death. It was thought to make the meat more tender and tasty. The dog would be hanged from the ceiling, with its head up and tail down, and slowly seared to death over a flame to cook it and make it more tender. I don’t know whether they still do that now; but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was still secretly practiced by some people. The Jewish law prohibits many of those abominable practices of the Gentiles. The abstention from blood was one of those rules. It has absolutely no bearing on relevance to blood transfusion.
Yes, that is also part of the theology. Since the blood symbolically represents the “life” of the creature, and since during a sacrifice it is the “life” that is offered up in sacrifice, hence the blood becomes the symbolic representation of that offering:
Leviticus 17:
10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood * that maketh an atonement for the soul.*
12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.
Hence in the New Testament, the “blood” of Christ, which symbolizes His “life” that He gives up for us, becomes the symbolic representation of that “eternal life” that He thus imparts to us:
John 6:
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
And this does not mean that one should literally “eat His flesh and blood,” I might add.
zerinus
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