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?

[2timothy316]

I know that sometimes that blood is beneficial to prolonging life

It's not just "beneficial in prolonging life", it's sometimes necessary to save life.

Jehovah can give eternal life. Blood can't do that. To be abstinent from blood is to obey and to obey is to live forever.

Now with that established, let's get back to my earlier question.

Why would God want us to watch our children die in a car accident from blood-loss when our blood could save them? (assuming crystalloids failed)

Why would God frown upon the selfless act of donating blood to those who need it in order to survive?

God gave His Son for eternal life not another few years. Blood belongs to creature it came from. A creature's life is in it's blood. According to the Bible it is apparently important to Jehovah that one's blood is not to be given to anyone else or taken from anyone else. "Look! All the souls—to me they belong. As the soul of the father so also the soul of the son—to me they belong. The soul who sins is the one who will die." Ezekiel 18:4

So blood saves them but then they die 5 years later from liver failure. Then God sees that I don't care for His laws and sees that I disobeyed on purpose. He puts me to death forever. Did that blood really save anyone? No.

Your fear is that the life you have now is all you have right? Is blood your savior? I don't believe that way. Do you know what the FDA studies say about blood? No, you don't. Why? Because unlike other drugs that take years to get approval, blood has not been through any studies or process to even see if it is truly the best option.

So when you say is blood necessary to keep living or live again, because of my faith in the resurrection my answer is no. Where as a person that thinks this is the only life there is, then they might answer yes.

So you don't care about dying then? Why seek medical treatment at all if you have no fear of death?

You jump to extremes and assumptions. I have been explaining to you all the alternative treatments to blood and you know I'd take all of them, yet you still ask that question? I have consistently been saying I'm concerned with my eternal life. So, I'm not even going to dignify this with an answer that you should already know.

[Justin108]

So you don't care about dying then? Why seek medical treatment at all if you have no fear of death?

You jump to extremes and assumptions. I have been explaining to you all the alternative treatments to blood and you know I'd take all of them, yet you still ask that question?

Yes because when I demonstrated that blood is sometimes needed to save a life, your rebuttal essentially came down to "life on earth doesn't matter if you have eternal life in heaven". If that is your rebuttal, why would you ever bother trying to prolong your life on earth?

So, I'm not even going to dignify this with an answer that you should already know.

Evasion noted

[2timothy316]

Moderator, Once Convinced, removed one-line, non-contributing post. Kindly refrain from making posts that contribute nothing to debate and/or simply express agreement / disagreement or make other frivolous remarks.

For complimenting or agreeing use the "Like" function or the MGP button. For anything else use PM.

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 142 by Justin108]

If a doctor came to you and said, 'this treatment might let you live for another 20 years, it might kill you in hours, but if you don't take the treatment you may die now but you will live again soon and even forever.'

Which one do you choose? Faith determines the answer.

Luke 11:28 - "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

John 11:25 - "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life."

[Justin108]

If a doctor came to you and said, 'this treatment might let you live for another 20 years, it might kill you in hours, but if you don't take the treatment you may die now but you will live again soon and even forever.'

Are you suggesting that those who undergo blood transfusion go to hell?

[2timothy316]

If a doctor came to you and said, 'this treatment might let you live for another 20 years, it might kill you in hours, but if you don't take the treatment you may die now but you will live again soon and even forever.'

Are you suggesting that those who undergo blood transfusion go to hell?

There is no such thing as hell.

If a person knows and understands the commandment to 'abstain from blood' and they willfully rebel against that commandment. Here is what the Bible says:

Hebrews 10:26, 27 states that “if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and there is a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition.�

However, there is also the chance a person might have the want and mindset to follow God's law but lacks faith, willpower and fears death more than God. Thus the take the blood in order to try and live longer due to a lack of faith and understanding.

1 John 2:1 states, "My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not commit a sin. And yet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one."

So to answer your question, it comes down to what is in a person's heart. "For the Father judges no one at all, but he has entrusted all the judging to the Son." John 5:22

I have a great deal of understanding in abstaining from blood. So if I were to intentionally to toss away that commandment knowing full well it's disobedience, then I just might lose eternal life. Though there is no hell, there is eternal death. Even though I might not be killed off forever, it's something that I don't even want to risk period. One can't hide the intentions of their heart. The choice to abstain is a guaranteed blessing. So I choose the guaranteed blessing, even if it might mean my life, like Jesus Christ showed his faith knowing that he would die because he was obedient.

[Justin108]

If a doctor came to you and said, 'this treatment might let you live for another 20 years, it might kill you in hours, but if you don't take the treatment you may die now but you will live again soon and even forever.'

Are you suggesting that those who undergo blood transfusion go to hell?

There is no such thing as hell.

Fine, then are you suggesting that whoever undergoes blood transfusion will die/not be saved?

If a person knows and understands the commandment to 'abstain from blood'...

What if they don't know? What if they "misinterpret" it? Will they be excused?

[2timothy316]

If a doctor came to you and said, 'this treatment might let you live for another 20 years, it might kill you in hours, but if you don't take the treatment you may die now but you will live again soon and even forever.'

Are you suggesting that those who undergo blood transfusion go to hell?

There is no such thing as hell.

Fine, then are you suggesting that whoever undergoes blood transfusion will die/not be saved?

If a person knows and understands the commandment to 'abstain from blood'...

What if they don't know? What if they "misinterpret" it? Will they be excused?

Again, "For the Father judges no one at all, but he has entrusted all the judging to the Son." John 5:22

I can't say for sure as I am not anyone's judge if a person accepts blood in any circumstances. All I do know is that the Bible says that those that obey even to death will be blessed. Those that do not will be judged, if they are judged for eternal death or they get a pass I have no way of knowing that with 100% accuracy. So I don't spend time trying to figure it out. As far as I'm concerned I will never have to worry about being judged for using blood as I will never willingly accept it. That is the safest option for my future.

[onewithhim]

I know that sometimes that blood is beneficial to prolonging life

It's not just "beneficial in prolonging life", it's sometimes necessary to save life.

Now with that established, let's get back to my earlier question.

Why would God want us to watch our children die in a car accident from blood-loss when our blood could save them? (assuming crystalloids failed)

Why would God frown upon the selfless act of donating blood to those who need it in order to survive?

So when you say is blood necessary to keep living or live again, because of my faith in the resurrection my answer is no. Where as a person that thinks this is the only life there is, then they might answer yes.

So you don't care about dying then? Why seek medical treatment at all if you have no fear of death?

The whole bottom line is the respect for life. We would want to save a life, using the best options available. If someone said that we would save our life or our child's life by putting Dran-o in the veins would you do it?

If blood substitutes are no good, then blood wouldn't be either. Someday it will be told---more people died from blood transfusions than those people who didn't take blood at all. Wake up.

[Justin108]

As far as I'm concerned I will never have to worry about being judged for using blood as I will never willingly accept it. That is the safest option for my future.

This of course assumes God exists. If he doesn't, you refusing to accept life-saving blood would simply result in you losing the only life you'll ever have