Human Doctrines, Blood Transfusions and Death

Human Doctrines, Blood Transfusions and Death

Emma Gough was a young mothers. Religiously she was a member of the Jehovah's Witness cult. She because desperately ill and need blood transfusions to survive. Because of the teaching of her religion she refused and she died as a result. She left young twins behind.

We dare not question the sincerity of Ms. Gough, nor of those who taught her that it was sinful to receive a blood transfusion. We do challenge the correctness of their teaching on this subject and the blame for her untimely death can be laid on this faulty teaching.

Based on the divine prohibition that we should "abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled and from blood" (Acts 15:20), they conclude that blood transfusions must be rejected. James reference to blood is based on Genesis 9:4 "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." The prohibition was incorporated into the Law of Moses. "Ye shall ea no manner of blood, whether it be of bird or of beast...Whosoever it be that eateth any blood that souls shall be cut off from his people" (Lev. 7:25-26). God explained the reason for the prohibition in Leb. 17:11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls..." For the Hebrew, the blood of his animal was to be used only for sacrificial purposes. Why? Because God said so. Today we know that there was also an unspoken, practical reason for this prohibition. Since much disease is blood born, by throughly bleeding their animals to be eaten, they avoided many of the diseases common among their neighbors. Thus God promised them, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah...and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians..." (Ex. 15:26).

To understand why the apostles insisted on that we Gentiles must abstain from blood, we must understand that among the Gentile nations, eating or drinking blood was a common thing. It was commonly done as a religious rite as they offered their sacrifices to their pagan gods. It was also extremely offensive to Jews because of their law and upbringing. If Gentiles were to enter the church they would need to abstain from fornication, pollutions of idols and the eating of blood. One because God said do so, but also lest it be a stumbling block to fellowship with Jewish brethren.

But what has this to do with blood transfusions? A blood transfusion is a medical procedure, just as is surgery, administering of medicines through the blood, etc. The recipient is not eating blood. He is not participating in an idolatrous rite. Those religious leaders who made this law against blood transfusions did so upon a fallacious understanding of the Scripture. It was first forbidden to Jehovah's Witnesses in 1945 under the regime of President Nathan Knorr. In 1961 the reception of transfusions of blood products was declared to be a matter for disfellowship. Those consenting to blood-transfusions, even in the face of death, were said to do so at the cost of eternal life.

The tragedy is that many innocent people have died unnecessarily because of this human doctrine. It reminds us of the Judaizers who Paul described as trying to impose "a yoke of bondage" on the Gentile converts. (Gal. 5:1). Sinners of the world, focus on their destructive teaching and practice, and use it to belittle and speak evil of the true Cause of Christ (II Pet. 2:2).

Sincerely,

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