doctor1rJehovah’s Witnesses and Blood

This section addresses some of the issues that confront doctors who treat Jehovah’s Witnesses and their children – particularly the ethical issues. Physicians are often troubled by the beliefs and misinformation their Jehovah’s Witness patients have about blood as well as the shifting and irrational aspects of the Watchtower Society’s blood policy. Here you will find tools to help you better communicate with your patient, establish informed consent, provide for their welfare and help them make autonomous choices.

AJWRB can provide educational information and exhibits for medical conferences as well as presentations and Q&A sessions for Emergency and Anesthesia Departments. For more information please contact us.

Refusal of potentially life-saving blood transfusions by Jehovah’s Witnesses: should doctors explain that not all JWs think it’s religiously required? – Raanan Gillon, Editor – Journal of Medical Ethics

Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses: Part 1. Should bioethical deliberation consider dissidents’ views? – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics

Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses: Part 2. A novel approach based on rational non-interventional paternalism. – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics

Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses: Part 3. A proposal for a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy. – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics.  – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics

Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses – Osamu Muramoto/British Medical Journal. Note: The responses to this article amount to a thorough debate of the issue among Jehovah’s Witness representatives and are very  insightful.

Medical confidentiality and the protection of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ autonomous refusal of blood.  – Osamu Muramoto/Journal of Medical Ethics

Why some Jehovah’s Witnesses accept blood and conscientiously reject official Watchtower Society blood policy – Lee Elder/Journal of Medical Ethics

Click on the link below each excerpt to read the entire article.


Watchtower Policy on Organ Transplants

As with blood, the Watchtower Society (WTS) originally had no objections to organ transplants. In a Questions from Readers section in The Watchtower, Aug. 1, 1961, page 480, the question about organ transplants is answered pointedly: “• Is there anything in the Bible...

Blood, Vaccines and Organ Transplants

What follows is a collection of quotes from Watchtower Society literature.This information will help you understand the development of the blood doctrine, and document the many changes in policy through the years. Quotes are presented in chronological order. Our...

Straight from the Doctor

Dr. John Doyle, M.D answers questions Jehovah's Witnesses want to ask. QUESTION: These blood components allowed by the WTS, aren't really blood, are they? ANSWER: They are derived from fractionating blood, and so are blood products by definition. QUESTION: Aren't...

Outrageous Omission – Blood

The following article is republished from the Blog of Marvin Shilmer and demonstrates that the Watchtower Society (WTS) is continuing to quietly back down from their once firm position on the use of blood. Sadly, individual Jehovah's Witnesses are usually the last to...

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