Posted by Liberal Elder [TheLiberalElder] on October 26, 1999 at 13:43:44 {c/rgKhj4Nc3RTTYCED4sw1IXqCKa5s}:
In Reply to: Wt says OK transfuse posted by own blood! on October 26, 1999 at 13:05:23:
As one can note from the dates of the quotes, these positions have been around for awhile. The WTS has given its blessing to most forms of autologous transfusion. Sadly, many Witnesses don't realize this and refuse potentially lifesaving therapies. Such was the case with
the sister who died in the TLC documentary earlier this month. And based upon the doctors comments at
the emergency physicians conference, I would say that most Witnesses as well as doctors have a poor
grasp of the WTS current blood policy.
On the other hand, you can't really fault the brothers and sisters with struggling to understand this policy. Why even the headquarters staff cannot answer many simply questions regarding the
obvious conflicts in the policy.
One HLC brother told me that he explained hemodilution by showing pictures of how it was done with one or more units of blood being gravity
fed into a plastic bag that hung below the patients bed before surgery and then hoisted above the bed and gravity fed back into the patient after the surgery. Witnesses would often object that they could not accept such a procedure, but after assuring them that the WTS approved of such
a procedure it was amazing to see how their conscientious position suddenly would change!
We have such a mess in the WTS on this issue. It will take a very long time to straighten this out.
In some ways I imagine that it will be much like the vaccine issue. The WTS dropped the ban in 1952
but I'm sure there were many like my grandmother who went to her grave convinced that God did not approve of the use of vaccines.
Brothers, if you're listening, it's a fine mess
that we've got ourselves into, and it's time to start getting out.
LE