Watchtower guidance has entered every facet of life. This includes areas in which the writers had little training, such as medicine. Some advice has been amusing, such as against the use of aluminium frying pans. Other issues have led to unnecessary death, where the Watchtower has invoked fear and the Name of God to convince people to follow these edicts. That the following decrees were later changed shows they had not issued forth from God.

A number of bizarre pieces of medical advice were issued during the days of the Golden Age. This was under the editorship of Clayton J Woodworth who was instrumental in the introduction on the laws against blood.

This article discusses changed Watchtower standards regarding:

•Organ Transplants
•Vaccinations
•Blood Transfusions
•Aluminium
•Bizarre Golden Age Health Advice
•Organ Transplants

Transplants are a relatively new procedure and the rise in popularity during the 20th century led to the Society needing to provide a ruling on whether this conflicted with God's Holy requirements. When the Governing Body prayed for Jehovah to guide them on his standard, what was their conclusion?

"Is there anything in the Bible against giving one's eyes (after death) to be transplanted to some living person?-L. C., United States. The question of placing one's body or parts of one's body at the disposal of men of science or doctors at one's death for purposes of scientific experimentation or replacement in others is frowned upon by certain religious bodies. However, it does not seem that any Scriptural principle or law is involved. It therefore is something that each individual must decide for himself." Watchtower 1961 Aug 1 p.480 Questions from Readers
It did not take long for the Watchtower to change their mind on this life saving procedure.

"Sustaining one's life by means of the body or part of the body of another human ... would be cannibalism, a practice abhorrent to all civilized people. ... It is not our place to decide whether such operations are advisable from a scientific or medical standpoint... Christians who have been enlightened by God's Word do not need to make these decisions based simply on the basis of personal whim or emotion. They can consider the divine principles and use these in making personal decisions as they look to God for direction, trusting him and putting their confidence in the future that he has in store for those who love him." Watchtower 1967 Nov 15 pp.702-704
This article used the full force of God's name mixed with a touch of guilt to persuade the followers. 'Look to God', 'love him', be 'enlightened by God's Word' and don't have a transplant. Any Witness that had a transplant had engaged in 'cannibalism' and was a person without 'trust' in Jehovah, somebody the congregations found necessary to disfellowship from amongst their midst. Scare tactics were used, such as that the personality can change with a transplant.

"A peculiar factor sometimes noted is a so-called 'personality transplant.' That is, the recipient in some cases has seemed to adopt certain personality factors of the person from whom the organ came." Watchtower 1975 Sep 1 p.519

This pronouncement meant that a Jehovah's Witness could not accept a kidney transplant, a cornea transplant, bone marrow, skin, or anything else taken from another person. This has led to loss of lives that simple operations could have saved. It was reiterated in 1968 Awake! June 8, in which almost the entire magazine was devoted to the Watchtower view of medical procedures.

This edict on transplants, a disfellowshipping directive enlightened by God's Word lasted only thirteen years.

"There is no Biblical command pointedly forbidding the taking in of other human tissue ... It is a matter for personal decision..." Watchtower 1980 Mar 15 p 31:

The Watchtower has gone even further now, commending transplants for the way they have "helped" people. (Awake! 1989 Aug 22 p.6) What is shameful in all this is that it was never stated that the view had changed. The Watchtower Index does not reference the 1967 article in regards to transplants. No apology has been published for the sake of those that were wrongfully disfellowshipped and those that unnecessarily lost their lives. How must this make a Witness feel that lost a loved one over the issue during the 1970's?

For an experience of life wasted during the transplant ban see http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/experiences/coffeeblack.php
The sad reality is that Witnesses as a whole do not even know that their teachings have changed. Many are willing to lay their lives on the line without an understanding of the issues at hand and how they differ from a not too distant past. The Society has blood on its hands when its incorrect use of the Name of God results in the death of misled members.

What ever is not planted by God shall not stand.

Vaccinations

From 1921 to 1952, the Golden Age presented information against vaccinations. To cement this viewpoint in the minds of followers, vaccinations were described as worthless, harmful from a medical standpoint, and morally wrong from a biblical standpoint.

"Vaccination never prevented anything and never will, and is the most barbarous practice...We are in the last days; and the devil is slowly losing his hold, making a strenuous effort meanwhile to do all the damage he can, and to his credit can such evils be placed. ... Use your rights as American citizens to forever abolish the devilish practice of vaccinations." Golden Age 1921 Oct 12 p.17
"Thinking people would rather have smallpox than vaccination, because the latter sows the seed of syphilis, cancers, escema, erysipelas, scrofula, consumption, even leprosy and many other loathsome affections. Hence the practice of vaccination is a crime, an outrage and a delusion." Golden Age 1929 May 1 p.502
"Avoid serum inoculations and vaccinations as they pollute the blood stream with their filthy pus." Golden Age 1929 Nov 13 pp.106-107
This was partially supported on the basis that blood byproducts could not be used.

"Vaccination is a direct violation of the everlasting covenant that God made with Noah after the flood." Golden Age 1931 Feb 4 p.293
"Of all the inventions that have been foisted upon mankind for their defilement the most subtly devilish is that of vaccination." Ibid p.295
The Golden Age 1931, February 4 issue devoted 10 pages to why vaccinations were not for Christians. The index page to the 1931 article claimed this as the viewpoint of the Creator.



A series of images further enforced the point.

Golden Age 1932 Mar 30 p.409


Golden Age 1939 May 31 p.5
The cartoon picture above shows dead and pock marked babies below a clergy like representation. In reality, it was vaccinations that practically eliminated small pox. With little medical knowledge, the society went about using scare tactics to convince the people that vaccinations were wrong. This resulted in some Witness children being barred from schools in America for refusing vaccinations.

Legal concerns seem to be a factor behind the Watchtower Society reversing its position and allowing vaccinations from the 1950's.

"The matter of vaccination is one for the individual that has to face it to decide for himself... And our Society cannot afford to be drawn into the affair legally or take the responsibility for the way the case turns out." Watchtower 1952 Dec 15 p.764
Did Holy Spirit direct the Society to decree vaccinations were unchristian for a period of time, and later say they were acceptable? For followers who are trained to accept everything coming from the Organization as food from Jehovah, this has potentially led to needless loss of Witness lives.

In 1993 the following was written, and whilst strictly correct it can be understood in light of what appears above to be quite misleading.

"Previous articles in this journal and its companion, The Watchtower, have presented a consistent position: It would be up to the Bible-trained conscience of the individual Christian as to whether he would accept [vaccinations] for himself and his family." Awake! 1993 Aug 8 p.25

http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/medical.php

Cc: goodnewscliff