2026 Governing Body Update #2

[Barbllm]

5 minutes ago, Ross said:

This is a welcome clarification and makes logical sense as Hemodialysis, Cell Salvage and Blood Patches (and others) are already a conscience matter where the blood leaves the body for a short of time (seconds or mins) storing blood just increases the time it's out of the body it's essentially the same thing.

As far as I can tell, the only reason why autologous transfusion wasn't accepted was because it was stored outside the body for over 24 hours (usually, you donate your own blood up to 7 days pre-surgery). 

[Bob]

I remember reading about this in the Enjoy Life Forever Book (I sat in on a Bible study for a few months with an elder in my congregation). I had to look this up. I found the reference. It's on page 255 under the heading: "Medical Procedures Involving Blood":

 

"There are medical procedures that make use of a patient’s own blood. Some of these—such as a person donating blood or having his own blood stored in advance of surgery—are not acceptable for Christians"

 

This, to me anyway, appears to be a major shift. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Bob

[LeolaRootStew]

54 minutes ago, pholmes38 said:

Now we are not taking the principles of the Mosaic Law as binding, can I now have a tasteful tattoo?

 

Tattoos are already a conscience matter. 

[LeolaRootStew]

1 hour ago, Abigail said:

Possible principle suggestion. Our own blood belongs to us for as long as we are alive. We can do what our conscience allows. This does not extend to any other creature's blood, living or dead. It belongs to them while alive and returns to Jehovah when dead.

 

Thank you, that is actually helpful. Our blood, our life, belongs to us until it returns to Jehovah. We cannot give it or take it from someone else because there is no arrangement where it would belong to someone other than those two parties.

[Abigail]

7 minutes ago, LeolaRootStew said:

 

Thank you, that is actually helpful. Our blood, our life, belongs to us until it returns to Jehovah. We cannot give it or take it from someone else because there is no arrangement where it would belong to someone other than those two parties.

 

Even better 🥰

[blanchard]

42 minutes ago, Bob said:

This, to me anyway, appears to be a major shift.

I agree "a major shift"

[Dhanyel]

18 minutes ago, LeolaRootStew said:

 

Tattoos are already a conscience matter. 

Hi, how are you? Who said that? 

[johnnyjw01]

7 minutes ago, Dhanyel said:

Hi, how are you? Who said that? 

Read carefully: https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=502013252&srcid=share

 

Obviously: All things are lawful, but not all things are advantageous. 

[AH173]

Looks like it made mainstream news. From ap news. 

 

https://apnews.com/article/jehovahs-witnesses-blood-transfusion-policy-change-3b01d3b095fe895a131633192a774e17

 

[Dhanyel]

This adjustment shows how Jehovah continues to care for us with love and balance. At the same time that he maintains his principles, he also allows us to understand certain matters more clearly over time.

This reminds us that we don’t need to feel insecure or allow doubts to grow. We also should not create different situations or draw conclusions about matters that have not yet had the proper time to be clarified.

Our part is to continue obeying with faith and humility, closely following the direction we receive from Jehovah through the faithful and discreet slave.

[AH173]

2 minutes ago, AH173 said:

Looks like it made mainstream news. From ap news. 

 

https://apnews.com/article/jehovahs-witnesses-blood-transfusion-policy-change-3b01d3b095fe895a131633192a774e17

 

Update, there are former JW's /possibly apostate comments in article. 

[Dré]

A very significant update.

Edited 45 minutes ago by Dré

[McKay]

Here's the critical detail, in what I can see:

 

Leviticus is clearly talking about animal blood.

 

Acts is clearly talking about human blood. 

 

It seems clear, from what we know about medicine in the first century, that drinking of blood for ailments was using either animal blood or another person's blood. Since a lot of medicine back then relied upon humorism, it doesn't appear that doctors of the day prescribed one's own blood to cure a problem with your own blood (other than bloodletting or topical application, according to Gemini); they used another person's blood (like the gladiators did) or blood from other organisms.

 

So as long as we avoid animal blood or blood from other people, we are not violating any scriptural principle because neither the Hebrew or Greek scriptures referred to one's own blood in the respective verse's context.

[Dré]

I understand that the focus was on The Watchtower of October 15, 2000.

 

Questions From Readers

In the light of Bible commands about the proper use of blood, how do Jehovah’s Witnesses view medical procedures using one’s own blood?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2000767

[Mike047]

Only use of your own blood could meet this revision presented by the GB. Some of the reasons are:

 

No two people have exactly the same blood

In reality, there are over 40 recognised blood group systems and more than 360 known antigens on red blood cells.

Examples:

•              Kell

•              Duffy

•              Kidd

•              MNS

•              Lutheran

•              Lewis

•              P

•              Diego

…and many more.

Each system has multiple variants. The combination of all these antigens creates a profile that is essentially unique.

Even siblings rarely match perfectly.

Genetic variation makes antigen patterns unique

The genes that determine blood antigens have:

•              multiple alleles

•              rare mutations

•              population‑specific variants

•              silent or weakly expressed forms

This means two people with the same ABO type can still differ in dozens or hundreds of antigenic details.

Your plasma composition is also unique

Blood isn’t just red cells. Plasma contains:

•              thousands of proteins

•              antibodies

•              hormones

•              metabolites

•              immune markers

These vary based on:

•              genetics

•              age

•              infections

•              diet

•              environment

•              microbiome

•              medications

•              even stress

So even if two people had identical red‑cell antigens (extremely unlikely), their plasma chemistry would still differ.

 Immune history makes each person’s blood distinct

Your immune system “remembers” what you’ve encountered:

•              viruses

•              bacteria

•              vaccines

•              allergens

•              transfusions

•              pregnancy

This creates a unique antibody profile.

For example, two O‑positive people will have different sets of antibodies depending on their life experiences.

Even identical twins don’t have perfectly identical blood

Identical twins share DNA, but:

•              epigenetic changes

•              somatic mutations

•              different infections

•              different environmental exposures

 

It appears that all people create subtle but real differences in their blood composition. 

 

Edited 12 minutes ago by Mike047

[LeolaRootStew]

29 minutes ago, McKay said:

Leviticus is clearly talking about animal blood.

 

Acts is clearly talking about human blood. 

 

I've never heard of that. Can you elaborate?

[McKay]

Just now, LeolaRootStew said:

 

I've never heard of that. Can you elaborate?

Thank you for catching that mistake. What I meant was, Leviticus was exclusively talking about animal blood. Acts is obviously repeating the same principle as Leviticus but adding human blood to the prohibition (although since the verse also mentions "things strangled" it could be talking about only animal blood but I'll leave that for the FDS to decide).