Jehovah’s Witness Medical Professionals’ Emotional Extortion

Jehovah’s Witness Medical Professionals take note.

A few years ago, the Jehovah's Witnesses Governing Body implemented a major policy change that took effect during the summer of 2018.

This policy represents a drastic change regarding blood transfusions when a Jehovah's Witness medical professional is directed to do so by a superior, such as a doctor or hospital administrator.

Before this policy change, Jehovah's Witness doctors or nurses could administer a transfusion to a non-Witness patient as long as they did not request or order the transfusion, and if their conscience did not prevent them from doing so.

The Watchtower of April 15th, 1999, made it very clear that a nurse would be permitted to transfuse a patient under a doctor's orders, since they were not the person of authority calling for the transfusion of the patient.

 On June 15th, 2018, a letter was sent from Watchtower New York, United States Branch, Hospital Information Desk, to all Hospital Liasion Committees, informing those men that "it would not be appropriate for a Christian to administer a blood transfusion under any circumstance."

The letter stated that "The possibility that a penalty might be imposed for noncompliance with orders from a superior would not be justification for a Witness to break God’s law."

While the Hospital Liaison Committee Elders were instructed that they may inform doctors and nurses of this decision, this letter was not allowed to be distributed to anyone outside of HLC members.

As a result of the concealment of this letter, and by virtue of the fact that this information was only to be shared verbally with Jehovah's Witness medical professionals and others, confusion erupted across the United States and in other branch offices of Jehovah's Witnesses. Countless letters were received at Watchtower Headquarters in New York from concerned JW nurses, paramedics, and others who were instructed verbally on this new policy, which contradicted existing written policy that had been in effect for many decades.

In addition to letters from Witness medical professionals, Circuit Overseers in the field wrote to the US Branch and Hospital Information Desk in New York about the problems caused by this unreleased policy. For example, South Carolina Circuit Overseer Brandon Roberts reported to Headquarters that "The majority of the nurses in our circuit were not aware of this updated policy." This letter is shown below, forwarded by Carl Bruce to another HID member. Carl Bruce was the Overseer at that time of the Hospital Information Desk.

This letter was dated February 5th, 2020, more than a year and seven months AFTER the policy was made official by Watchtower Headquarters.

Additionally, branch offices in Poland, Belgium, Canada, and elsewhere wrote letters to the United States Branch expressing their confusion over this new policy. They directed questions related to the implications of this policy.

On March 8th, 2019, the Belgium Branch Service Department wrote to the US Branch, asking when this new policy would be transmitted to all Witness doctors, nurses, and Elders. The US Service Committee did not respond until the following month, informing Belgium that "There is no need for HLC members to search out Witness doctors and nurses to explain to them the new policy."

After multiple revisions of the Jehovah's Witness Elder manual were distributed to congregation Elders around the world, there was no indication of any written policy change on this subject, and no Watchtower article or other public notification of the policy change was announced.

An example of the secrecy surrounding this new policy became evident just three days after it became official. On June 18th, 2018, Carl Bruce notified the entire HID department that while the letter could be shown to someone, "NO copies, pictures, e-mails, text messages, letters, or anything in writing from the letter is to be given to anyone."

As expected, the policy change has created a great deal of anxiety for Jehovah's Witness medical professionals who have been transfusing blood for years, especially since June of 2018.

Some are experiencing great guilt for practicing something that is "so closely linked with an unscriptural practice that one unquestionably becomes an accomplice in a wrong practice."

It is incredibly disturbing to imagine how callous the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses must be to place members in this position, knowing very well how much guilt they will have for the transfusion of blood, even if just for the period from 2018 to the present.

As for non-Jehovah's Witness doctors and hospital administrators, this policy has created yet another obstacle to transparency and has constructed a dilemma for Hospital Human Resources departments and their staff.

When JW nurses or doctors become aware of this policy, they are required to immediately cease transfusing patients, which means they must contact Human Resources to explain their abruptly changed position on administering blood. This could result in termination from their jobs or be transferred to a position not involving blood transfusions. This has led to HR departments asking for the policy in writing- which the Jehovah's Witness Headquarters will not provide.

On December 20th, 2019, the US Branch Service Committee wrote a letter to the entire US Branch, explaining how inquiries from non-JWs are to be handled. After reinforcing the new policy, the direction states:

"Inquiries should be handled on a case-by-case basis. Responses should be brief and discreet and should be reviewed by your Legal Department. Approved responses should be provided orally by two brothers rather than in writing." The current Scriptural stance of Jehovah's Witnesses can be explained without discussing when the policy changed or how it was communicated to Jehovah's Witnesses. "

It is interesting to note that Jehovah's Witness leadership makes a point that the refusal to administer blood to a patient is based upon the conscientious stance of Jehovah's Witnesses based on Scripture. As we all know, the “conscience” of Jehovah’s Witnesses does not have anything to do with actual conscience, but instead, is based on whatever the Governing Body tells them to do. The penalty for not obeying is expulsion. That in no way represents a “conscience” matter.

HLC (Hospital Liaison Committees) are in fact death squads to enforce the Governing Body directed policy of “die not taking blood” or be expelled from everyone and everything you have known, including JW family.

As a brother or sister which death would you prefer?

It is not a matter of “conscience”, but instead emotional extortion of a weak and ill person fearing for their very life. This cold-blooded policy has murdered thousands of JW members who could be leading healthy lives today, if only they had been allowed life-saving blood. 

Now, JW Medical Professionals face HLC firing squads if they do not comply with the new Governing Body “conscience” guided emotional extortion directives that could destroy their careers.