This subtle hit-piece is sad, actually....

[janthonyg]

The article says this man was, at the time, a witness elder for 40 years. He was in critical condition, with over 60% of his body covered in burns. The doctors told him he had a 3% chance of living without a blood transfusion.

He accepted the transfusion.

I call it a hit-piece because the article makes it seem as if no one had been there for him, and even that his wife divorced him for accepting the transfusion.

In any event, he now works with the Baptist church and does volunteer work.

I don't want to see any of us have to make that kind of choice. But I hope and pray that we will lean upon Jehovah and trust in him when it matters the most.

When I thought about it, I felt a little saddened. Is extending your life a few years worth losing everlasting life?

Article about Mario.

[Blueyedchanel]

Taking blood is not grounds for divorce, something tells me there is more to this story that what is presented. I wonder what other circumstances were taking place around the time of the crash.

[janthonyg]

My thoughts exactly.

[TJ]

It's propaganda, 'news' written with an agenda and false implications, picking and choosing which facts to include and which not to. But ultimately, the entire blood issue is on its way out. The medical community is slowly distancing itself from blood transfusions as it becomes more and more apparent that bloodless procedures are the wave of the future. But don't think we won't continue to see such 'news stories' for some time to come.

[BlueRose]

The article says this man was, at the time, a witness elder for 40 years. He was in critical condition, with over 60% of his body covered in burns. The doctors told him he had a 3% chance of living without a blood transfusion.

He accepted the transfusion.

I call it a hit-piece because the article makes it seem as if no one had been there for him, and even that his wife divorced him for accepting the transfusion.

In any event, he now works with the Baptist church and does volunteer work.

I don't want to see any of us have to make that kind of choice. But I hope and pray that we will lean upon Jehovah and trust in him when it matters the most.

When I thought about it, I felt a little saddened. Is extending your life a few years worth losing everlasting life?

Article about Mario.

Shame on Mario! He really wonders why he lost his family and friends? Hello!

I do not dread the possibility of "making that kind of choice." I've already made it. What I dread is the ignorant, cruel attacks I might get from some doctors. Don't they realize that procedures involving blood are NOT NECESSARY and that refusing blood is the safest way to go---even doctors are saying this now! Blood is BIG BUSINESS, period. I can't imagine anyone, esp. a Witness, taking blood. That guy must not have really believed that blood was disgusting, ever. I would feel raped.

[barbara10]

Some doctors are ethical and respect your wishes...and then there are others who still try to give you blood against your stand for God's Word. Three years ago I had some major surgery. I made it known to my surgeon that I did not want blood under any circumstances (explained I am a JW, etc.) and he said "no problem." I then explained all this to my unbelieving husband and made him promise that I would not be given blood under any circumstances. My husband is a good man, encourages me in the Truth, and I knew he would not give in to the doctors. Well, guess what?! While I was under anesthesia, the doctors asked him if they could give me blood!! He stood firm and denied their request. I came out of the surgery just fine (I did have two complications - pneumonia and blood clots to the lung) but I was happy knowing I did not get blood.

[pnutts]

unfortunately there are apostates among us-some elders, who don't believe in our stance on blood-even with all the medical evidence. They even formed an apostate organization pretending to be the majority.

[Bro.David Drake DeLaurento]

I read a similar story a few weeks ago in the Internet news.

So, here is the question that burns in the minds of e people of this world.

If your old enough to refuse blood transfusion, your considered irrational.

If your young enough not to make those decisions and the court intervenes, it's called child neglect bordering on child endangerment.

Satan always lays an no- win sceneario to violate Jehovah's wishes.

Jehovah , the God of turning the improbables and the impossibles to possibilities through faith in him always has answers and a way out.

Doctors always worry about infection setting in after a major burn trauma, but introducing blood increases the chances of infection. Procedurally, Doctors always have antibiotics infused with blood transfusion to decrease the chances. So, why intoduce a medical procedure that would increase the probability? There is more to the story. The media loves spinning stories that stem from bias perception. That is why the Society has a media website to bring the truth.

A long time ago in the late between the late 80s and early 90s, a famous television personality Carol Burnett sued the National Inquirer for publishing a false story about her. Well she won the lawsuit, but in the court transcripts it specifically recorded that news media are not under any legal requirement to portray the truth. The media like all other companies are in existence to make money. Now in days, the media loves to spin a story to enhance their ratings.

From personal experience, when the news outlets become involved in many incidents involving civil servants, they always sensationalized the event thus contributing to the incredulity of the investigations. Public will always believe the news other than what actually occurred.

Honestly, we as witnesses are not highly regarded because of our belief system and the media knows that. Every chance that Satan gets to discredit Jehovah, he will jump on it.

[rbrown1205]

The sad thing is that no one among this complaining group wants to acknowledge that just about every ailment that people can have that doctors say requires blood has been treated without it. Hemophilia, leukemia, even sickle cell anemia, also blood loss due to accidents and internal bleeding, and operations such as organ transplants - all of these have been treated or performed without blood. Many of these ailments are not curable, but treatable, but when doctors just drop their hands and do nothing, like the case of the brother in Britain is that fair?

I personally know of a brother who was given odds similar to that which was given to this man in the article, and he still said no, and also worked with the HLC to get non blood treatments, and he is still living and doing fine. These situations that have positive results, and which undoubtedly run into the thousands, don't get the publicity that these shock articles get.

The brothers in the HLCs all over the world are trying to prevent that from happening by providing information to the doctors that has been provided by other doctors and health care professionals. As a result, many hospitals have a non blood management department (they have different names for it), and people's lives have been saved because everyone cooperated. There are even hospitals and clinics that have virtually done away with the use of blood, and their patients thrive. We also have to be willing to contact the HLC brothers so that they can help us when we are being told that there is NOTHING that can be done.

[tucker]

It's good to remember that our stand is not medical. Our God views blood as sacred, representing respect for life. If the powers that be override our objections and force transfusions on us, as long as we have done everything in our power to reject blood, Jehovah does not hold us accountable for what has been done to us. This can be compared to persecution, in that something was forced upon us. We all need to examine our depth of commitment to the principle of how we regard Jehovah's commandment about the sacredness of blood. This is what will give us the strength to refuse well-meaning persons who question our stand. The world in general has no understanding of the real issue. Since most people want to argue with us about the medical issue, my pat response has become, " I will not accept blood or blood products because God forbids it."

[Bro.David Drake DeLaurento]

The sad thing is that no one among this complaining group wants to acknowledge that just about every ailment that people can have that doctors say requires blood has been treated without it. Hemophilia, leukemia, even sickle cell anemia, also blood loss due to accidents and internal bleeding, and operations such as organ transplants - all of these have been treated or performed without blood. Many of these ailments are not curable, but treatable, but when doctors just drop their hands and do nothing, like the case of the brother in Britain is that fair?

I personally know of a brother who was given odds similar to that which was given to this man in the article, and he still said no, and also worked with the HLC to get non blood treatments, and he is still living and doing fine. These situations that have positive results, and which undoubtedly run into the thousands, don't get the publicity that these shock articles get.

The brothers in the HLCs all over the world are trying to prevent that from happening by providing information to the doctors that has been provided by other doctors and health care professionals. As a result, many hospitals have a non blood management department (they have different names for it), and people's lives have been saved because everyone cooperated. There are even hospitals and clinics that have virtually done away with the use of blood, and their patients thrive. We also have to be willing to contact the HLC brothers so that they can help us when we are being told that there is NOTHING that can be done.

In a world controlled by Satan, its hard to get anything positive for Jehovah's people.