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The first example shown is one of the older versions of the blood card that Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) carried. You will note its clear and uncompromising statement about the use of blood. It says specifically "I demand that blood, in any way, shape or form, is NOT to be fed into my body..."

This statement is quite interesting for two reasons:

• We no longer hear the Watchtower Society (WTS) talk in terms of blood transfusions being a "feeding" on blood. This is because they now know that a transfusion is not a feeding on blood, but rather an organ transplant. The old view was based upon outdated medical views that were discarded nearly a hundred years ago. Today the WTS is forced to speak in terms of how it is wrong to "sustain one's life" by means of blood. As we have seen, however, the Bible no where talks about blood in this way.
• The other interesting thing about the wording in this card is that it would clearly prohibit a Witness from taking any blood components such as those now on the Society's approved list. It accurately reflects the position taken by the Society in the following quote:

Whether whole or fractional, one's own or someone else's, transfused or injected, it is wrong - The Watchtower 09/15/1961 p. 559

The current blood card, or "Medical Directive" is no longer able to make the same uncompromising statement. Why? Because the WTS has gradually modified its once firm position and now allows many parts of the blood to be transfused or injected in various forms.

A doctrine that made little sense to begin with, now makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Are you still carrying this document in your wallet? If so, why? It may well become a warrant for your untimely death.

Children of Jehovah's Witnesses, though not even baptized, are called upon to carry a similar card. It can be viewed in the section "A Parent's Perspective."