Does the Bible say blood transfusion is against God's law?

[Justin108]

Jehovah's Witnesses believe blood transfusions are against God's law. The usual supporting scriptures for this are Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:14 and Acts 15:20. However, reading these verses, it's pretty clear that eating blood is prohibited. So why do Jehovah's Witnesses object to blood transfusions?

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 12 by onewithhim] I am going on biblical commentary that pagan sacrificial animals were sometimes strangled as opposed to being bled. For the sake of debate I will withdraw it. This still leaves meat sacrificed to pagan gods. Still part of prohibited items for the Gentile believers. Paul insists that the prohibition on this meat is only to prevent offence to the Jewish believers in their midst who being of weaker faith still clung to the dietary And ceremonial Law. These he believed had been completely nullified on the cross but in deference to the Jews he recommended discretion.

1 Corinthians 10:23-33New International Version (NIV)

The Believers Freedom

23 I have the right to do anything, you say"but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything"but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, The earth is the Lords, and everything in it.[a]

27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, This has been offered in sacrifice, then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 I am referring to the other persons conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by anothers conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God" 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Totally different issue than if the animals were strangled. We can't ASSUME that the animals you are referring to were strangled.


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[2timothy316]

Undisputedly? So you find your interpretation to be "abstain" beyond dispute

I find what is printed in a dictionary as beyond dispute. Why, are you disputing what the dictionary definition of "abstain" is?

It is also worth mentioning that those trying to keep God's commandments in our lives are not seeking ways to get around them. I'm completely with JW on this one. The Bible says abstain then that is what should be done. Taking blood into our bodies either orally or intravenously is not abstaining from blood it is the opposite, it's embracing blood.

[Justin108]

I'm not dealing with "interpretation" I'm dealing with definition.

Define "day", then tell me how Genesis 1 does not refer to 24 hour days since you are "not dealing with interpretation but definition"

What is offered as dictionary definitions of the verb is not disputable

Except when it comes to words like "day" and "made" in genesis, then the dictionary is open to all sorts of disputes.

[postroad]

[Replying to post 21 by onewithhim] I withdrew the strangled claim. Are you in agreement with Paul that it is not intrinsically wrong to eat the meat of animals sacrificed to idols? That this meat could be consumed without questioning its species or if it had been bled properly etc?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 23 by Justin108]

Because there are other uses in the Bible where the word 'day' refers to different amounts of time. (2Pe 3:8) But it always deals with time but never zero time or no time. There is no such other use for the word 'abstain'. Abstain is always dealing with embracing something or not. You're comparing apples to oranges here.

[JehovahsWitness]

I'm not dealing with "interpretation" I'm dealing with definition.

Define "day", then tell me how Genesis 1 does not refer to 24 hour days since you are "not dealing with interpretation but definition"

What is offered as dictionary definitions of the verb is not disputable

Except when it comes to words like "day" and "made" in genesis, then the dictionary is open to all sorts of disputes.

No, dictionary definition of both those words are always acceptable. Some words have various dfinitions provided by a dictionary, according to context but all those dfinitions can be found in the dictionaries themselves.

Are you suggesting a dictionary that has an alternative definition of "To Abstain". Feel free to link to the dictionary (as I invariably do in my posts) with this alternative meaning.

[onewithhim]

I'm not dealing with "interpretation" I'm dealing with definition.

Define "day", then tell me how Genesis 1 does not refer to 24 hour days since you are "not dealing with interpretation but definition"

What is offered as dictionary definitions of the verb is not disputable

Except when it comes to words like "day" and "made" in genesis, then the dictionary is open to all sorts of disputes.

Why must Genesis 1 be referring to 24-hour days? What is the rule on that? You make the Bible seem downright backward to people when you say that the creative days were 24 hours each. The Bible does not contradict Science in the creation account. Each creative day was thousands if not millions of years.

Tell me---how many hours are in the "day" mentioned in Genesis 2:4???

[postroad]

[Replying to post 27 by onewithhim] Are you saying that it took millions of years for the earth to make one rotation on its axis?

Genesis 1:4-5New International Version (NIV)

4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening, and there was morning"the first day.

[Justin108]

[Replying to post 23 by Justin108]

Because there are other uses in the Bible where the word 'day' refers to different amounts of time. (2Pe 3:8) But it always deals with time but never zero time or no time.

So God made the universe in 6000 years?

There is no such other use for the word 'abstain'. Abstain is always dealing with embracing something or not. You're comparing apples to oranges here

"Abstain" is very much open to context. In what way we should abstain from any given substance depends on that substance and the context with which we were told to abstain from it. God telling us to abstain from pork is very different from God telling us to abstain from prostitutes

[Justin108]

I'm not dealing with "interpretation" I'm dealing with definition.

Define "day", then tell me how Genesis 1 does not refer to 24 hour days since you are "not dealing with interpretation but definition"

What is offered as dictionary definitions of the verb is not disputable

Except when it comes to words like "day" and "made" in genesis, then the dictionary is open to all sorts of disputes.

No, dictionary definition of both those words are always acceptable. Some words have various dfinitions provided by a dictionary, according to context but all those dfinitions can be found in the dictionaries themselves.

Are you suggesting a dictionary that has an alternative definition of "To Abstain". Feel free to link to the dictionary (as I invariably do in my posts) with this alternative meaning.

I will again refer you to post 5