Subject: Blood transfusions |
Bible Note: Greetings Bliss! The simple fact of the matter is that the Bible does not address human blood transfusions; not stating whether or not they are acceptable. The ingesting of blood spoken of in Genesis 9:3-4, Leviticus 7:26, and 17:11-12,14 that you mentioned is quite different when studied in light of the Biblical context then simply a matter of whether or not the blood goes through the mouth or the veins. Genesis 9:3-4 "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." Genesis 9:3-5 and Leviticus 7:26, 17:11-14 state that the reason the Lord required for abstaining from ingesting the blood of the sacrifice was because the blood was identified as being the actual 'life' of the sacrifice itself. The animal sacrifice was a sacrifice to God, and was therefore to be sacred to God, and all of the Old Testament verses that prohibit the ingestion of blood have to do with animals, not human blood. Jehovah's Witnesses and members of Christian Science will point out that when a person takes a blood transfusion, they are actually 'ingesting' the blood of another person, thereby going against God's commandment in Leviticus. However, Jesus had a very different point of view in regards to blood, stating, "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him." (John 6:56). Blood transfusion involves the saving of life. Even orthodox Jews who hold to strict Old Testament laws, and who certainly know how to translate the Old Testament more accurately than the Watchtower Society, accept the practice of blood transfusion. Under Jewish law, such a blood transfusion would been permitted in order to save a life, since to save a life is more important than to not eat blood. If internet reports are correct, then in recent years the Watchtower Society itself has apparently somewhat lifted its ban on blood transfusions. Perhaps those Jehovah's Witnesses who have lost their loved ones to Watchtower Society doctrine and then realized their error should begin considering taking the necessary steps to abolish the ban of blood transfusions. Blessings to you, Makarios |