Why Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Avoid Blood Transfusions?

Christian Pure Team

/
PinterestReddit

Summary

  • Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that blood is sacred and represents life, leading them to refuse blood transfusions as a matter of faith.
  • Key Bible passages guide their stance on blood, including Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:10,14, and Acts 15:28-29, which they interpret as commands to abstain from blood.
  • While they strictly prohibit certain types of blood products, individual conscience allows for some acceptance of blood fractions and procedures using their own blood under specific conditions.
  • Accepting a blood transfusion can lead to disciplinary actions within the community, highlighting the seriousness of this belief in their faith and identity.
This entry is part 8 of 38 in the series Understanding Jehovah’s Witnesses

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
Bibliography (Click to show)

Bibliography:

  1. Jehovah's Witnesses and the Question of Blood – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/Jehovahs-Witnesses-and-the-Question-of-Blood/Jehovahs-Witnesses-and-the-Question-of-Blood/
  2. Jehovah's Witnesses—The Surgical/Ethical Challenge – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/How-Can-Blood-Save-Your-Life/Jehovahs-Witnesses-The-SurgicalEthical-Challenge/
  3. The stance of Jehovah's Witnesses on the use blood and Hospital Liaison Committee – PMC, accessed May 4, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3092969/
  4. A point of contention: the scriptural basis for the Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal of blood transfusions. – Carroll Collected, accessed May 4, 2025, https://collected.jcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1061&context=theo_rels-facpub
  5. Jehovah's Witnesses | Blood Transfusion: Bioethics & Law | JW.ORG …, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/medical-library/blood-transfusion-bioethics-medical-law/
  6. Transfusion-Alternative Health Care​—Meeting Patient Needs and Rights – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/medical-library/videos/blood-transfusion-patient-needs-rights/
  7. Medical Information for Clinicians of Jehovah's Witnesses – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/medical-library/medical-information/
  8. What Does the Bible Say About Blood Transfusions? – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/bible-about-blood-transfusion/
  9. Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions – Wikipedia, accessed May 4, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_and_blood_transfusions
  10. Why Don't Jehovah's Witnesses Accept Blood Transfusions? – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jehovahs-witnesses-why-no-blood-transfusions/
  11. Why do Jehovah's Witnesses abstain from blood? – The BMJ, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/28/why-do-jehovahs-witnesses-abstain-blood
  12. JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES – Kentucky Hospital Association, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.kyha.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CulturalGuidelines-JehovahsWitness.pdf
  13. Ethical and legal aspects of refusal of blood transfusions by Jehovah's Witnesses, with particular reference to Italy – PMC, accessed May 4, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3934270/
  14. Acts 15:28, 29 – Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY, accessed May 4, 2025, https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=Acts+15%3A28%2C+29%3B+21%3A25&fc%5B%5D=g&p=par
  15. In Leviticus 17:10-11, why do we refuse to accept blood transfusions? – Quora, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.quora.com/In-Leviticus-17-10-11-why-do-we-refuse-to-accept-blood-transfusions
  16. Jehovah's Witnesses and Blood Transfusions: Their Use of Scripture in Their Blood Doctrine, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.equip.org/articles/jehovahs-witnesses-blood-transfusions-use-scripture-blood-doctrine/
  17. Acts 15:29 You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. – Bible Hub, accessed May 4, 2025, https://biblehub.com/acts/15-29.htm
  18. God's Word on the Sanctity of Blood – EARLY CHRISTIAN BELIEFS, accessed May 4, 2025, https://earlychristianbeliefs.org/gods-word-on-the-sanctity-of-blood/
  19. Has the Watchtower Society ever approved of blood transfusions in the past? – Quora, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.quora.com/Has-the-Watchtower-Society-ever-approved-of-blood-transfusions-in-the-past
  20. Religious and Ethical Position on Medical Therapy and Related Matters – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/medical-library/medical-information/ret/religious-ethical-position/
  21. Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses – PMC, accessed May 4, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1119307/
  22. Jehovah's Witnesses and Blood Products, accessed May 4, 2025, https://profedu.blood.ca/sites/default/files/2022-03/Sickkids%282021%29%20TC%20Day%204.pdf
  23. How Do I View Blood Fractions and Medical Procedures Involving My Own Blood?, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/library/kingdom-ministry/km200611/How-Do-I-View-Blood-Fractions-and-Medical-Procedures-Involving-My-Own-Blood/
  24. Jehovah's Witnesses and Refusal of Transfusion, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/document/patt84/
  25. Minor Blood Fractions | Allegheny Health Network, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.ahn.org/services/medicine/bloodless-medicine/faq/minor-blood-fraction
  26. Blood Fractions and Surgical Procedures | God's Love – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/gods-love/blood-fractions-surgical-procedures/
  27. Quality Alternatives to Transfusion – JW.ORG, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/How-Can-Blood-Save-Your-Life/Quality-Alternatives-to-Transfusion/
  28. Saving a Thousand Lives a Year: Reforming Watchtower's Policy on Blood – Part One, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.openmindsfoundation.org/blog/saving-thousand-lives-year-reform-watchtowers-policy-blood-transfusions-part-one/
  29. T.H. BINDLEY, The Apology of Tertullian (1890), accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.tertullian.org/articles/bindley_apol/bindley_apol.htm
  30. The Apology of Tertullian: Then and Now – Modern Reformation, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.modernreformation.org/resources/essays/the-apology-of-tertullian-then-and-now
  31. Apology Chapter 40 – Tertullian – Logos Virtual Library: Catalogue, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.logoslibrary.org/tertullian/apology/40.html
  32. Acts 15 and the Apostolic Decree : r/Christianity – Reddit, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/l1ubm1/acts_15_and_the_apostolic_decree/
  33. How do modern Christians ensure this: "..that you abstain…from blood, from the meat of strangled animals.." Acts 15:29, Council of Jerusalem : r/OrthodoxChristianity – Reddit, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/OrthodoxChristianity/comments/kwyw8n/how_do_modern_christians_ensure_this_that_you/
  34. Decree of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) Part 2: The Decree's Purpose – GCI Archive, accessed May 4, 2025, https://archive.gci.org/articles/decree-of-the-council-of-jerusalem-acts-15-part-2-the-decrees-purpose/
  35. Book of Acts 15 | Passion For Truth, accessed May 4, 2025, https://passionfortruth.com/articles-2024/acts-15/
  36. Acts 15:29 Study Bible: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell." – Bible Hub, accessed May 4, 2025, https://biblehub.com/study/acts/15-29.htm
  37. Always Abstain from Food Offered to Idols? | Catholic Answers Q&A, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.catholic.com/qa/abstain-from-food-offered-to-idols
  38. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Acts Chapter 15, accessed May 4, 2025, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/acts-15/
  39. Can someone explain acts 15:29? : r/Christianity – Reddit, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/2zg0p7/can_someone_explain_acts_1529/
  40. Apologeticus – Wikipedia, accessed May 4, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apologeticus
  41. Tertullian's Apology: A Summary and Reflection – Boonstra Babble, accessed May 4, 2025, https://nickboonstra.com/2023/04/28/tertullians-apology-a-summary-and-reflection/
  42. CHURCH FATHERS: Apology (Tertullian) – New Advent, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0301.htm
  43. The apology of Tertullian, accessed May 4, 2025, https://ia801303.us.archive.org/33/items/apologyoftertull00tert/apologyoftertull00tert.pdf
  44. The Apology, translated by Wm. Reeve, (1709 reprinted 1889) – The Tertullian Project, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.tertullian.org/articles/reeve_apology.htm
  45. The Real Presence – Church Fathers, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.churchfathers.org/the-real-presence
  46. Early Church Evidence Refutes Real Presence | One Fold Blog – WordPress.com, accessed May 4, 2025, https://onefold.wordpress.com/early-church-evidence-refutes-real-presence/
  47. Early Church Fathers Upholding Transubstantiation in Their Own Words – Ascension Press, accessed May 4, 2025, https://media.ascensionpress.com/2018/03/08/heres-the-early-church-fathers-upholding-transubstantiation-in-their-own-words/
  48. Fathers of the Church on the Eucharist – The Real Presence, accessed May 4, 2025, http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/father/fathers.htm
  49. Did the Early Church Fathers believe the Eucharist was symbolic? : r/Catholicism – Reddit, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/70yl96/did_the_early_church_fathers_believe_the/
  50. Early Church Fathers, prior to Nicaea, did not believe in the physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist : r/DebateACatholic – Reddit, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/DebateACatholic/comments/wy1gop/early_church_fathers_prior_to_nicaea_did_not/
  51. Did the Early Church Teach Transubstantiation? – The Master's Seminary Blog, accessed May 4, 2025, https://blog.tms.edu/did-the-early-church-teach-transubstantiation
  52. What does Acts 15:29 mean? | BibleRef.com, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.bibleref.com/Acts/15/Acts-15-29.html
  53. Is It Wrong To Eat Blood (Acts 15:29)? – Jack Cottrell, accessed May 4, 2025, https://jackcottrell.com/is-it-wrong-to-eat-blood-acts-1529/
  54. Are Christians Forbidden to Eat Blood? – The Gospel Coalition, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/christians-forbidden-eat-blood/
  55. Acts 15: Two Laws? – R. L. Solberg, accessed May 4, 2025, https://rlsolberg.com/acts-15-two-laws/
  56. Explain Acts 15:29 : r/Christianity – Reddit, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/cvbocz/explain_acts_1529/
  57. Development of Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine – Wikipedia, accessed May 4, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_doctrine
  58. Factsheet: Jehovah's Witnesses – Religion Media Centre, accessed May 4, 2025, https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/jehovahs-witnesses/
  59. No Blood—Medicine Meets the Challenge – Online Video Library | JW.ORG Videos English, accessed May 4, 2025, https://tv.jw.org/#en/mediaitems/pub-ivnb_x_VIDEO

Discover more from Christian Pure

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

RedditWhatsApp
Share to...
CopyLinkedInMastodonPinterestPrintRedditSMSThreadsWhatsAppBlueskyVK