Q. The Jehovah Witnesses use Acts 15:20 as one of the scriptures to justify that having a blood transfusion is a sin. Is it WRONG to have a blood transfusion? (Submitted by: LaVerne) A. Let's take a look at Acts 15:20 : "But that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood." It is widely recognized that a doctrine or belief cannot be based upon an only Scripture, as this would be the case if blood transfusions were the issue here named. Acts 15:20 is not referring to blood transfusions at all, but to eating or drinking blood, based upon Leviticus 3:17 : "This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall eat neither fat nor blood." You may notice that out of four items named in the Scripture you are referring to, three concern eating: things polluted by idols (meats sacrificed to idols, see 1Corinthians 10:18-28), things strangled and blood. The Bible says to abstain from them-- not eat them at all. Some people fry blood until it solidifies and eat it. Others, even more grossly, drink blood. This is what God forbids. It has to do with eating and subsequently passing it through the digestive system. Transfusion is an entirely different matter which the Bible doesn't specifically mention. In those days the medical technology was not available to perform blood transfusions. This medical practice isn't any more sin than having an operation, a root canal in your mouth, etc. |
