Jehovah’s Witnesses and Blood
This section addresses some of the issues that confront doctors who treat Jehovah’s Witnesses and their children – particularly the ethical issues. Physicians are often troubled by the beliefs and misinformation their Jehovah’s Witness patients have about blood as well as the shifting and irrational aspects of the Watchtower Society’s blood policy. Here you will find tools to help you better communicate with your patient, establish informed consent, provide for their welfare and help them make autonomous choices.
AJWRB can provide educational information and exhibits for medical conferences as well as presentations and Q&A sessions for Emergency and Anesthesia Departments. For more information please contact us.
Refusal of potentially life-saving blood transfusions by Jehovah’s Witnesses: should doctors explain that not all JWs think it’s religiously required? – Raanan Gillon, Editor – Journal of Medical Ethics
Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses: Part 1. Should bioethical deliberation consider dissidents’ views? – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics
Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses: Part 2. A novel approach based on rational non-interventional paternalism. – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics
Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses: Part 3. A proposal for a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy. – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics. – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics
Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses – Osamu Muramoto/British Medical Journal. Note: The responses to this article amount to a thorough debate of the issue among Jehovah’s Witness representatives and are very insightful.
Medical confidentiality and the protection of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ autonomous refusal of blood. – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics
Why some Jehovah’s Witnesses accept blood and conscientiously reject official Watchtower Society blood policy – Lee Elder/Journal of Medical Ethics
Click on the link below each excerpt to read the entire article.
Watchtower Policy on Vaccination
Most Jehovah’s Witnesses will be completely unaware of the Watchtower Society’s (WTS) once firm position against the “crime” of vaccination. During the centuries great plagues and illnesses have taken hundreds of millions of victims, sometimes even devastated...
Watchtower Policy on Organ Transplants
As with blood, the Watchtower Society (WTS) originally had no objections to organ transplants. In a Questions from Readers section in The Watchtower, Aug. 1, 1961, page 480, the question about organ transplants is answered pointedly: “• Is there anything in the Bible...
Blood, Vaccines and Organ Transplants
What follows is a collection of quotes from Watchtower Society literature.This information will help you understand the development of the blood doctrine, and document the many changes in policy through the years. Quotes are presented in chronological order. Our...
Blood Serum – Watchtower Quotes
Blood serum is the clear fluid that remains after the cellular components (red cells, white cells, platelets, clotting factors and fibrinogen are removed. It includes all proteins not used in the clotting process. What follows is a collection of quotes from Watchtower...
Science and Medicine – Watchtower Quotes
What follows is a collection of quotes from Watchtower Society literature.This information will help researchers understand the mindset that existed within the Watchtower Society regarding science and medicine at the time the blood doctrine was beginning to...
Questions for Those who Believe in the Watchtower Blood Policy
One of the most effective ways we have found in assisting other Witnesses to analyze the WTS blood doctrine is through the use of questions. The following questions have been used by AJWRB members and physicians in different parts of the world. If you are...
Straight from the Doctor
Dr. John Doyle, M.D answers questions Jehovah's Witnesses want to ask. QUESTION: These blood components allowed by the WTS, aren't really blood, are they? ANSWER: They are derived from fractionating blood, and so are blood products by definition. QUESTION: Aren't...
Outrageous Omission – Blood
The following article is republished from the Blog of Marvin Shilmer and demonstrates that the Watchtower Society (WTS) is continuing to quietly back down from their once firm position on the use of blood. Sadly, individual Jehovah's Witnesses are usually the last to...
Blood Transfusion: Letter of Understanding
The following article is republished from the Blog of Marvin Shilmer and demonstrates that the Watchtower Society (WTS) is continuing to quietly back down from their once firm position on the use of blood for Jehovah's Witness minors - particularly with respects to...
Watchtower Approves HemoPure
Watchtower Approves HemoPure (Bovine Hemoglobin) for Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses have long been known for their rejection of blood and blood-component transfusion, even when it is necessary to save life. In a remarkable change in policy, the Witnesses’...