Contrary to popular opinion, historically the membership of Jehovah's Witnesses has not universally assented to the WTS' blood doctrine, which forbids certain uses of blood for medical therapeutics. The same is true of the contemporary community of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Since 1945 the WBS has categorically disparaged accepting blood transfusions as a sacrilegious act. Notwithstanding this doctrinal teaching, in 1950 the WTS admitted it had received repeated requests from some of its adherent members asking that the medical practice of blood transfusion therapy be sanctioned (accepted). [1]

Despite more than a decade of religious teaching otherwise, in 1958 WTS literature admits some of its adherent members were conscientiously accepting blood transfusion therapy. [2]

Since 1961 the WBTS has published a policy whereby JWs must shun fellow believers who conscientiously accepted a blood transfusion. [3] Admittedly this change represented an “increased strictness” and the placing of “additional obligations” on each JW regarding blood transfusion therapy. [4] Despite this powerful coercive tool [5] some JWs have still chosen dissent with WTS policy by accepting blood transfusion therapy providing their acceptance is kept in utmost secrecy. [6]

In 2000 an official appointed by the WTS to a position of "elder" informed the WTS he could not enforce the WTS blood prohibition as required. [7] He went on to articulate his view that transfusion of donor blood should not be prohibited among Jehovah's Witnesses by WTS policy. [8] Knowing this member's dissenting view the WTS did not act to remove him from his position, but in 2003 he resigned his official appointment because of this specific disagreement with the WTS. [9] (The personal letters from R. Jensen are available for download here)

This internal historical record is verified by years of clinical experience with Jehovah's Witness members who were willing to accept blood transfusion therapy.

In a study reviewing all the JW oncology patients treated at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute from October 1986 through February 1994 Kaaran Benson, MD revealed that a full 10% of JW patients accepted WT forbidden blood transfusions or, in the case of minors, their JW parents accepted transfusions for them. Of the 58 JW patients six accepted and received allogeneic red blood cell transfusions, and two patients also received platelets. A finding of Dr. Benson states, "while most adult Jehovah's Witness patients were unwilling to accept blood for themselves, most Jehovah's Witness parents permitted transfusions for their minor children, and many of the young adult patients also were willing to accept transfusions for themselves." [10]

A chart review of all women (61) who presented to labor and delivery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and identified themselves as Jehovah’s Witnesses between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2002 found that whole blood was accepted by 9.8% of respondents, 39.3% agreed to accept some blood products, and 50.1% would not accept either blood or blood products. A finding of Drs Cynthia Gyamfi and Richard L. Berkowitz states, “This review refutes the commonly held belief that all Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to accept blood or any of its products.” [11]

In each instance above we find compelling evidence that at no time has there been universal assent to the WTS' blood doctrine from Jehovah's Witnesses.

References

[1] Letter published anonymously, Further on Blood Transfusion, The Watchtower, 1950 May 1: 143

[2] Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Questions from Readers, The Watchtower, 1958 August 1: 478

[3] Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Questions from Readers, The Watchtower, 1961 January 15: 63

[4] Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Assume Your Christian Obligations, The Watchtower, 1966 March 1: 142

[5] Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Expelling, Insight on the Scriptures Volume 1, 1988: 787

[6] Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Our "Kingdom Unity" Convention- Why 'the Best Yet!', The Watchtower, 1984 January 15: 28

[7] R. Jensen, personal letter to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, dated March 1, 2000: page 1

"…if a local [Jehovah's Witness] chose to accept white corpuscles to bolster their immune system then as an elder I would be expected to impose our stance, which prohibits acceptance of white corpuscles. Since I cannot explain scripturally the distinctions of our stance I could not impose that stance--I would be forced to recuse myself as incompetent to hear the case."

[8] R. Jensen, personal letter to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, dated March 1, 2000: page 1 of main text and page 4 of enclosure.

"…the apostolic decree does not require abstaining from medical transfusion of blood as practiced today."

[9] R. Jensen, personal letter to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, dated January 10, 2003.

[10] Kaaron Benson, MD, Management of the Jehovah's Witness Oncology Patient: Perspective of the Transfusion Service, Cancer Control Journal of the Moffit Cancer Center, Vol 2, No. 6 November/December 1995.

[11] Cynthia Gyamfi, MD, and Richard L. Berkowitz, MD, Responses by Pregnant Jehovah’s Witnesses on Health Care Proxies, Obstetrics & Gynicology, Vol. 104, No. 3, September 2004