When David Koresh, a cult leader outside of Waco Texas caused the death of 54 adults and 21 children, many people tried to figure out why it all happened. Many were shocked and dismayed or outraged at what such a despicable person had done, a man claiming to be the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Perhaps the U.S. government and military had made mistakes in trying to deal with that volatile situation. They probably did, but I think that most people agree that David Koresh was a dangerous insane or evil man.
Jim Jones persuaded hundreds of his followers to drink poisoned cool-aid and had any who tried to escape shot along with visiting U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan just shortly after convincing Ryan that everything was just wonderful in Jamestown. 914 people were dead. It was hard to believe that such a horrendous thing had happened. There was no doubt that Jim Jones who claimed to be Jesus Christ was a dangerous insane or evil man.
In each of these situations, adults and children died, many of whom had put their trust in men who claimed to be Jesus Christ.
The blame for these atrocities rests solely with each of these men but Jesus Christ Himself warned us that there would be false teachers and false prophets coming in his name even claiming to be the Christ. (Matthew 24:5)
For many years now another atrocity has been going on without any mass outrage or even very much notice. The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Brooklyn New York, in 1945 banded blood transfusions for any of their members, Jehovah’s Witnesses. Why? They say that a transfusion is the same as eating blood which is against God’s law and anyone who receives a blood transfusion is guilty of disobedience to God and worthy of death. In Leviticus, the third book of the Bible in chapter 17, verse 14 we see that if a person ate of an animal that had died on its own or had been killed by a wild animal (its blood still in the flesh so he has eaten the blood), the offender must wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, then he remains unclean until evening. Nothing mentioning that he is worthy of death as the Watch Tower leaders would have it. The apostle Paul told non Jewish Christians that they should ‘abstain’ from meats offered to idols, and from blood and from things strangled and fornication. I was told by one of Jehovah’s Witnesses that Paul must have been inspired to use the word ‘abstain’ because it would include blood transfusions that would become an issue in the distant future. Beside the fact that Paul used the word ‘abstain’ in reference to several things including fornication, I think that Paul was simply saying that they should not eat or drink blood but by using the word ‘abstain ‘ Paul may have wanted to include rituals that involved blood other than consuming it.
A person could be thinking that “well maybe God’s law that does not allow eating animal blood would include not allowing blood transfusions”. Since the Watch Tower leaders (a dozen or so elderly men who are referred to as the ‘Governing Body’) have been changing the rules from time to time, where they now allow certain blood fractions but not others and not whole blood, the question should come to mind, “where does the Bible state that certain blood fractions but not others are allowed to be transfused? Another question might be “Why does God keep changing his mind about which fractions He is ok with and which ones He is not?”
Just in case you may still be thinking “maybe these men are very wise and understand things of God that we do not”, consider a couple of former teachings of these men. For a number of years the Watch Tower taught that organ transplants were “the same as cannibalism.” They later retracted that law of God. Prior to that, vaccinations were not allowed but God apparently changed His mind then as well.
While it is easy to make light of this nonsense, these men in Brooklyn, who claim to be the sole representatives of God on earth, have caused perhaps thousands of people many of them children, to willingly give up their lives thinking they are pleasing God.
In keeping with David Koresh and Jim Jones these men in Brooklyn claim to be part of the ‘Anointed Class’, which according to Watch Tower literature is another way of saying they are part of the ‘Christ Class’. If that doesn’t seem to make sense let the Watch Tower explain … “The Christ is not one member but is made up of many members, a multitudinous Christ.”
Jim Jones caused the death of and hundreds of people all at the same time and in the same place. The Watch Tower Governing Body has caused perhaps thousands of deaths including many trusting children but only one at a time in various places and so we as a society pretty much ignore it. Is that how it should be?
If you like, please let me know what you think. Please add your comments or e-mail me at edwardbrown@xplornet.ca
Edward Brown
I work for doctors at All Children’s hospital. I see how the JW try to stop blood transfusions, even if the child will die. My own daughter was willing to let her baby die. I have 3 children in the JW, my only daughter and 2 sons. One is an elder. They are extremly strong JW. I truely believe that if the tribulation gets too bad and the Watchtower starts to fall that if they were told to drink poison my children would be first in line. So sad!