The question has recently been raised: What is the reason why the members of the Governing Body forbid the use of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma when they allow the use of albumin, clotting factors, immunoglobulin, and hemoglobin?
THE REASON IS AN IDIOSYNCRATIC AND WEIRD INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THE WORD “EAT” BY THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY.
In Article (I) on the Governing Body’s view of blood, I stressed that what is forbidden is the use of the red fluid in the veins of humans and animals, and that blood components or fractions are not mentioned in the Bible. This means that there is no prohibition against the use of any blood components or fractions.
THE COMPONENTS OF BLOOD
Blood consists of 55% liquid plasma, of which 82% is water. It also consists of 45% cellular components. Of these, platelets and white cells make up less than 1%, and red blood cells make up 40-45%. Albumin makes up 4% of the plasma, which means that it makes up a little more than 2% of the blood volume.
Table 1.1 Forbidden and allowed blood components
| FORBIDDEN | ALLOWED | ||
| Blood plasma | 55% of blood | Albumin | 2%> of blood |
| Red blood cells | 40-45% of blood | Hemoglobin | 95% of the weight of red blood cells |
| White blood cells | >1% of blood | Clotting factors | |
| Platelets | >1% of blood | Immunoglobulins |
It cannot be the volume of a component that is the reason why one component is forbidden, and one is allowed, because white blood cells and platelets are not allowed, but each of them makes less than 1% of the blood volume, while albumin, which is allowed, makes a little more that 2% of the blood volume.
The fact that red cells make up 40-45% of the blood volume would seemingly be a good reason why they are forbidden. However, hemoglobin, which makes 95% of the dry weight of red blood cells, is allowed. We also note that blood plasma makes 55% of the blood volume, but it consists of 82% of water, which makes 45% of the blood volume.
THE REASON WHY SOME COMPONENTS ARE FORBIDDEN
There have been two schools of thought among Jehovah’s Witnesses in connection with blood. One school stressed that only eating of blood is prohibited, and the other stressed that any use of blood for any purpose is prohibited. The school stressing eating has dominated the Watchtower literature, and this was also the case of the three-day seminar in Arboga, Sweden, in 1990, for elders from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, when the Hospital Liaison Committees were instituted.
Seven years after the Arboga seminar, a refresher course was held in Norway and other countries. This course is the only instance I am aware of in which the reason why some blood components are allowed, and others are forbidden, was explained. The reasons are so strange that they are almost unbelievable.
I still have the documents from this course in my library, and I quote from the section: “Reasoning on the basis of biblical principles and medical procedures,” points 1 and 2:
- 1. Principle: Blood represents the life of a creature. It is wrong to eat it and by this sustain your life by the blood of life of another person, either blood from humans or from animals. “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh, because the soul [the life] in all kinds of flesh is its blood. Anyone who eats it, will be cut off.” (Leviticus 17.14)
- a) Application: It is wrong to accept a transfusion of full blood or one of the bigger blood components (like red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets or plasma). This is the same as eating blood. (w90 6.1, p. 30, 31; w89 3.1, p. 30, 31; w 78 11.1, s. 23; bq 17, 18)
- b) Application: Accepting immunoglobulins, coagulation factors, albumin, and other small blood fractions with the purpose of curing sickness and not with the purpose of nourishing the body is a matter of conscience (w94 10.1, s. 31; w90 6.1, s. 30, 31; w 78 11.1, s. 23; g 82 11.8, p. 23; g 82 11.8, p. 25)
- Principle: Blood that has been wasted must not again be returned to the body in order to nourish it. Wasted blood, as a symbol of life, must be “poured out.” It returns to the Lifgiver, Jehovah. (Leviticus 17:13; Deuteronomy 12:15, 16)
- a) Application: Pre-operative gathering of blood, storing the blood, and later infusion of the patient’s own blood cannot be accepted. (w89 3.1, p. 30, 31; w78 11.1, p. 22; g82 11.8, p. 25)
What is most bizarre in the standpoint regarding blood is that what is wrong is not taking blood components into the body, but the purpose of taking them in. If the purpose of taking a blood component into the body is to feed and nourish the body, this is wrong. If the purpose is not to feed and nourish the body, this is allowed.
| The Governing Body: Taking blood components into the body is allowed if you have the right purpose. |
The issue is whether to feed and nourish the body with the components you inject into it. Applying this to the forbidden components versus the allowed ones yields a contradictory or antithetical situation.
PLATELETS: The function of platelets is to form a plug that seals damaged blood vessels and stops bleeding. The view that injecting platelets is the same as eating blood and nourishing the body is completely wrong.
WHITE BLOOD CELLS: The purpose of injecting white blood cells is to treat severe infections in patients with critically low white cell counts or to combat cancer relapse following a stem cell transplant. The view that injecting white blood cells is the same as eating blood and nourishing the body is completely wrong.
RED BLOOD CELLS: Their function is to transport oxygen from the lungs to body tissues and carry carbon dioxide waste back to the lungs for exhalation. The view that injecting red blood cells is the same as eating blood and nourishing the body is completely wrong.
The most irrational side of the prohibition against the use of red blood cells, which make up 40-45% of the blood volume, is that hemoglobin, which makes up 95% of the dry weight of red blood cells, is allowed.
The claim of the members of the Governing Body, as expressed at the refresher course, that injecting red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma into the body is the same as eating blood, while infusing albumin, immunoglobulins, and clotting factors and hemoglobin is not the same as eating blood, is not only wrong but it is nonsensical.
I cannot think of any intelligent person in the world who would say that injecting platelets, white blood cells, or red blood cells into the body is the same as eating blood!
| The reason why the members of the Governing Body forbid the injection of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma, is that they say it is the same as eating blood, which is forbidden.
The reason why the members of the Governing Body allow the injection of albumin, immunoglobulin, and clotting factors, and hemoglobin, is that they say that this is not the same as eating blood, which is forbidden. |
NAVIGATING THROUGH THE BLOOD JUMBLE OF THE GOVERNING BODY
During the refresher course, when we discussed the points I quoted above, I expressed my disagreement, and a discussion followed. Because of my disagreement, the course instructor from the branch office could have punished me by removing me from my position as an elder. But he was a balanced person and did not do that. And I did not push the issue later in the course.
As I have shown, I did not accept the reason for the distinction between forbidden and allowed blood components. But because red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma are the primary components of blood, as far as the function of blood is concerned, my conscience did not at that time allow me to accept any of these components, even though the Bible does not forbid them.
Today, I will not accept full blood under any circumstances. But I have no objections to any of the blood components or fractions. However, because any blood component can transmit disease or have a negative influence on the immune system, I will only accept a blood component in a life-threatening situation.
The instruction to the members of the Hospital Liaison Committees was to help sick Witnesses in any way possible. But we should be careful not to influence sick Witnesses regarding their decision to accept or decline blood components. This was a good instruction, and I always supported the choices of the sick Witnesses whom I helped.
I would like to stress that there have been other leaders among Jehovah’s Witnesses who have understood that the Bible forbids any use of blood, and not only eating blood. I do not know whether these leaders have other reasons for rejecting the four mentioned blood components than those mentioned in the refresher course. In any case, the only reason I have seen in the literature of Jehovah’s Witnesses why red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma are forbidden is the reason given at the refresher course — taking any of these four components is the same as eating blood, which is forbidden.
CONCLUSION
It is almost unbelievable, but the reason why red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma are forbidden, while albumin, immunoglobulins, and clotting factors are allowed, is an idiosyncratic and weird definition and application of the word “eat,” a definition that no other person outside Jehovah’s Witnesses would make.
- No other person would say that injecting platelets in order to stop bleeding is the same as eating blood.
- No other person would say that injecting white blood cells to fight disease is the same as eating blood.
- No other person would say that injecting red blood cells to carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide waste is the same as eating blood.
THE REASON WHY THE INJECTION OF RED BLOOD CELLS, WHITE BLOOD CELLS, PLATELETS, AND BLOOD PLASMA IS FORBIDDEN IS AN IDIOSYNCRATIC AND WEIRD INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THE WORD “EAT” BY THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY. |
OVERSKRIFT 3
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CONCLUSION
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