Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Bible prohibits ingesting blood and that Christians should not accept blood transfusions or donate or store their own blood for transfusion. The belief is based on an interpretation of scripture that differs from that of other Christian denominations.“Its a pity that Nigeria is still backward even in the medical field, especially now that Doctors around the world can carry out successful treatment without blood transfusion, even complex surgeries.” People can now choose between blood and bloodless treatment and its not a problem but only few doctors Nigeria can handle it.
There are sound medical reasons to avoid blood transfusions. More important, though, God commands that we abstain from blood because what it represents is sacred to him.—Leviticus 17:11;Colossians 1:20
The Bible’s answer
The Bible commands that we not ingest blood. So we should not accept whole blood or its primary components in any form, whether offered as food or as a transfusion. Note the following scriptures:
*.Genesis 9:4.( Only flesh with its life, its blood you must not eat.) God allowed Noah and his family to add animal flesh to their diet after the Flood but commanded them not to eat the blood. God told Noah: “Only flesh with its soul—its blood—you must not eat.” This command applies to all mankind from that time on because all are descendants of Noah.
*.Leviticus 17:14.(For the life*of every sort of flesh is its blood, because the life*is in it. Consequently, I said to the Israelites: “You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh because the life*of every sort of flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it will be cut off.”) God viewed the soul, or life, as being in the blood and belonging to him. Although this law was given only to the nation of Israel, it shows how seriously God viewed the law against eating blood.
*.Acts 15:20.(But to write them to abstainfrom things polluted by idols,+from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.) God gave Christians the same command that he had given to Noah. History shows that early Christians refused to consume whole blood or even to use it for medical reasons.
“You may argue that the commands above may represent not eating or drinking blood besides transfusion is for a good course, “for saving life”. But we could also look at it this way: If a doctor tells a patient to abstain from drinking alcohol, will it be wise for that patient to take the same alcohol in the form of a drip?” I will say no because it’ll mean the same thing.
Jehovah’s Witnesses seek the best possible medical care for their selves and families. When we have health problems, we go to doctors who have skill in providing medical and surgical care without blood. We appreciate advancements that have been made in the medical field. In fact, bloodless treatments developed to help Witness patients are now being used to benefit all in the community. In many countries, any patient can now choose to avoid blood-transfusion risks, such as blood-borne diseases, immune-system reactions, and human errors.
At one time, the medical community generally viewed strategies for avoiding transfusions, so-called bloodless medicine, as extreme, even suicidal, but this has changed in recent years. For example, in 2004, an article published in a medical education journal stated that “many of the techniques developed for use in Jehovah’s Witness patients will become standard practice in years to come.”*
An article in the journalHeart, Lung and Circulationsaid in 2010 that “‘bloodless surgery’ should not be limited to [ehovah’s Witnesses but should form an integral part of everyday surgical practice.”Thousands of doctors worldwide now use blood-conservation techniques to perform complex surgeries without transfusions. Such alternatives to blood transfusions are used even in developing countries and are requested by many patients who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Chuks Odiah
From: jw.org