We haven't done the 'Being Too Religious' lecture yet, so I don't know what that will entail. But I do have experience of what I think is being too religious.
Does anybody remember this on the local news? Here's a quote to refresh your memory:
A 22-year-old mother died just hours after giving birth to twins because doctors were forbidden from giving her a blood transfusion as a Jehovah's Witness.Emma Gough's family, including her Jehovah's Witness husband, Anthony, 24, refused to overrule her wishes and she died after losing blood.
I know that in the Jehovah's Witness religion they think that the Bible tells them that blood transfusions are against God's will, but I still think this is going too far. I know it's a belief system and therefore the people involved in the religion will see this as the Right Thing To Have Done, but I can't agree. I cannot help but feel strongly about this, since my half-brother is part of this religion. As an outsider, all I see is a woman actually being very selfish. Why not sin, so your children can have a mother when they grow up?
Also, what if it had been the other way around? There were complications in the birth and the babies needed blood transfusions? Would you deny them that? Or let them die for God's will?
This website explains more about why Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood, and a bit about the ethics involved.
2 comments:
SUMMARIES OF OVER 1000 JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES MEDICAL LAWSUITS & OTHER COURT CASES
The following website summarizes over 500 U.S. court cases and lawsuits affecting children of Jehovah's Witness Parents, including 370 cases where the JW Parents refused to consent to life-saving blood transfusions for their dying children:
DIVORCE, BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, AND OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com
The following website summarizes over 500 Jehovah's Witnesses Employment related lawsuits, etc, including DOZENS of court cases in which JW Employees refused blood transfusions, and/or other cases involving Worker's Comp, medical, health, and disability issues:
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES UNIQUE TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESS EMPLOYEES
http://jwemployees.bravehost.com
This is awful. I agree with you, Becky, that Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse transfusions are going too far. I understand that it's a religious belief, and I do respect that... to a point. It's one thing for someone to refuse a transfusion for themself, it's their choice. But if that choice means that their children won't have a parent, or if a parent is deciding that their child shouldn't have a transfusion, this is wrong. Children have no say in this, and should not be subject to the negative consequences of this belief until they are old enough to understand it.
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