Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian denomination founded by Charles Taze Russell in 1872, known as the Bible Student movement until 1931. They consider their religion a restoration of first-century Christianity and accept the Old and New Testaments as inspired by God. Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their door-to-door evangelism and their magazine, The Watchtower. While they generally have a positive attitude toward healthcare, they adhere to specific beliefs that impact their lifestyle, including dietary choices and medical decisions.
Core Beliefs and Practices
Jehovah's Witnesses base their practices on biblical interpretations, emphasize remaining "separate from the world," which they view as morally contaminated and under Satan's control. They hold meetings for worship and study at Kingdom Halls.
Members are assigned to a congregation based on their residence and are expected to attend weekly meetings, with content standardized by the denomination's New York headquarters. These meetings consist of hymns (Kingdom songs) and prayers. Kingdom Halls are functional and devoid of religious symbols.
Each year, Witnesses gather for assemblies and conventions. They also use literature from the Watch Tower Society, including books, magazines, and handbills, to spread their beliefs and as textbooks in meetings. These publications are available in many languages.
Individuals seeking baptism as Jehovah's Witnesses undergo a systematic Bible study course. All approved adherents are considered "ministers" and engage in formal evangelizing. They may be invited to receive specialized training at the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Members who commit themselves to evangelize for 600 hours per year are called regular pioneers. Those who commit themselves to evangelize for 30 hours for one month are called auxiliary pioneers.
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Dietary Guidelines and Restrictions
Jehovah's Witnesses have some dietary guidelines and restrictions. They abstain from eating blood and unbled meat.
Abstinence from Blood
Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that the Bible prohibits the consumption, storage, and transfusion of blood, based on their interpretation of scriptures such as Leviticus 17:10, 11 and Acts 15:29. This is a strict requirement, and violating it can lead to exclusion from the Jehovah's Witnesses community.
This belief has significant implications for medical treatment. Jehovah's Witnesses refuse transfusions of whole blood and its primary components: red cells, platelets, white cells, and unfractionated plasma. They cite the Old and New Testaments as the Biblical basis for refusing transfusions. They believe that it is God’s will to “abstain from blood” (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28,29) and that God has forbidden this. Accepting a blood transfusion willingly and without regret is seen as a sin.
To address the medical challenges posed by this stance, the organization has established Hospital Information Services (HIS) to provide education and facilitate bloodless surgery.
Acceptance of Blood Fractions and Other Medical Procedures
While forbidden to take blood, they are not specifically forbidden to take in tissue or bone from another human. Jehovah's Witnesses' religious principles do not absolutely prohibit the use of minor blood components such as albumin, immune globulins and haemophiliac preparations. Each Witness must decide individually whether he or she can accept these.
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Jehovah’s Witnesses have a wide range of views regarding the use of fractions derived from the primary components of blood. The religious understanding of Jehovah’s Witnesses does not absolutely prohibit the use of fractionated blood products.
Witnesses may accept autotransfusion techniques such as hemodilution, cell salvage, heart-lung machine, and hemodialysis are matters for personal decision. Pumps should be primed with nonblood fluids. Epidural blood patches, plasmapheresis, blood-cell tagging, and autologous platelet gel may also be acceptable.
Jehovah's Witnesses currently accept organ transplants, although any surgery would have to be performed on a bloodless basis. Some Jehovah's Witnesses may not wish to donate their organs because someone else's blood would then flow through them. In the case of organs that do not involve blood flow, for example corneas, they would have no religious grounds to object to donation.
Other Dietary Considerations
Jehovah's Witnesses abstain from eating blood and unbled meat. The Bible does not prohibit the moderate use of alcoholic beverages. (Deuteronomy 14:26; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Timothy 5:23) Scriptural principles of moderation and respect for one’s life and mental faculties would rule out substance abuse, such as the use of tobacco and recreational drugs.
Some Jehovah's Witnesses may be vegetarian and others may abstain from alcohol, but this is a personal choice.
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Historically, after creating Adam and Eve, God initially provided them with vegetation and fruits for food. After the Flood, Jehovah allowed man to add flesh to his diet, saying: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you.
Cereals, vegetables, fruits and nuts, spices and honey, flesh as food, dairy products and beverages were the main diet of the people of Bible lands.
Health and Lifestyle
Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) are known as a religious group compliant with the national laws in the case of smoking, but not-compliant when it comes to blood treatment. Their beliefs prevent them from taking part in a blood transfusion, which is widely included in standard methods of a life-saving treatment.
Compliance with Health Laws
JWs are compliant with national laws as long as these are congruent with their own group rules.
In the case of smoking, JWs are compliant with the law, and in the case of blood treatment, they are not.
There is no reference to the use of tobacco or other modern substances in the Bible. However, JWs follow some principles related to the protection of their life and health, such as respect for life, love of your neighbor or the need to control their minds. This belief originates in the belief that God does not approve of unhealthy and unclean habits, such as smoking or drug use. The second argument against smoking is that the Bible states that to please God, one must obey the secular authorities. In many places, the law strictly prohibits the use of certain drugs . Tobacco use was banned in 1973 and tobacco users are not to be accepted for JWs’ baptism.
Medical Decisions and Advance Directives
Most Jehovah's Witnesses have a positive attitude towards healthcare staff and are willing to seek medical help and advice when sick. Jehovah's Witnesses actively seek medical care when needed.
Many JWs carry a signed and witnessed advance directive card absolutely refusing blood and releasing doctors from any liability arising from this refusal .
Avoiding blood transfusion during medical care involves the systematic use of clinical strategies for managing hemorrhage and anemia. These transfusion-alternative strategies use appropriate combinations of drugs, equipment, and/or medical/surgical techniques to reduce or avoid blood loss and to enhance the patient’s own blood production.
Other Health Considerations
Jehovah’s Witnesses are not opposed to vaccination and view it as a personal decision.
They demand high standards of morality within their ranks. Their view of sexual behavior reflects conservative Christian views. Smoking, including electronic cigarettes, abuse of drugs, and drunkenness are prohibited. Alcohol is permitted in moderation. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently stressed. Entertainment promoting immoral, "demonic", or violent themes is considered inappropriate.
Family and Social Life
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority of family decisions, as the head of his family. Marriages must be monogamous. Husbands are instructed to treat their wives as Jesus treated his followers. He should not hurt or mistreat his family in any way. The father should be hard-working in providing necessities to his family. He must provide for them in a spiritual capacity. This includes religious instruction for the family, and taking the lead in preaching activities. Parental discipline for children should not be in a harsh, cruel way. Married couples are encouraged to speak with local elders if they are having problems.
Separation from the World
Jehovah's Witnesses are told they should remain "separate from the world" in harmony with Jesus' description of his followers at John 17:14-16. Watch Tower publications define the "world" as "the mass of mankind apart from Jehovah’s approved servants" and teach that it is ruled by Satan and a place of danger and moral contamination.
Witnesses manifest their world-renouncing beliefs in many ways. They avoid involvement in social controversies, remain politically neutral, and do not seek public office. They refuse participation in ecumenical and interfaith activities. They abstain from celebrating religious holidays, and reject many customs they claim have pagan origins. Witnesses are urged to minimize their social contact with non-members, even if they possess "decent qualities", because of perceived dangers of worldly association.
Celebrations and Holidays
JWs do not celebrate most holidays or events that people celebrate as non-religious holidays, such as birthdays, but they also do not celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
You shall not sing birthday songs, accept gifts or draw/paint such scenes. You should not sing christmas songs, accept gifts or draw/paint such scenes. You should not exchange gifts at Christmas or have a Christmas dinner, unless an unbelieving partner requests one and your conscience permits. You should not wish someone a happy christmas. You should not sing easter songs, accept gifts/easter eggs or draw/paint such scenes. You should not consume easter eggs on Easter Sunday. You should not sing halloween songs, accept treats or give treats on Halloween night.
You shall not celebrate birthdays. You shall not celebrate Christmas. You shall not celebrate Easter. You shall not celebrate Halloween. You shall not celebrate New Years Eve. You shall not celebrate Valentine’s Day. You shall not celebrate Flag Day. You shall not celebrate Hanukkah. You shall not celebrate St.
Discipline and Shunning
Formal discipline is administered by congregation elders. In the event that an accusation of serious sin is made concerning a baptized member, the elders will talk to the accused individual. Once the decision of expulsion has been made, a person has seven days to appeal, after which, if the person has not appealed, an announcement is made to the congregation that the individual is "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses". Members of the congregation are then expected to shun the individual. Exceptions include necessary commercial dealings or a shunned person living with baptized family members.
Reproof involves sins that could lead to shunning, but for which the individual is deemed repentant. Reproof is given "before all onlookers", based on their interpretation of 1 Timothy 5:20. If the sin is private in nature, the reproof would involve just the individual(s) involved. If the sin is known generally by the entire congregation or the community, an announcement is made informing the congregation that the person has been reproved. Reproved individuals have some congregation privileges restricted, until the elders decide that the member has regained "spiritual strength."[85] Restrictions may include not sharing in meeting parts, not commenting at meeting parts, and not praying for a group. The duration of restrictions depends on the elders.
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