Why do Jehovah's Witnesses "Abstain From Blood"?

Jehovah's Witnesses do not consume, donate or transfuse blood, because God Himself consistently made it clear for humans to "abstain from blood". God began with commanding Noah and his family to abstain from blood. (Gen. 9:4) He repeated this through the Mosaic law (Lev. 7:26, 27; 17:10, 11, 13, 14) and He continued to remind us through the pages of the New Testament. (Acts 15:28, 29; Acts 15:19, 20) This is because God has obviously attached a highly important moral principle to blood. (Lev. 17:11)

Because this command went as far back as Noah, Andrew Fuller, viewed by some as "perhaps the most eminent and influential of Baptist theologians," wrote:

"This, being forbidden to Noah, appears also to have been forbidden to all mankind; nor ought this prohibition to be treated as belonging to the ceremonies of the Jewish dispensation. It was not only enjoined before that dispensation existed, but was enforced upon the Gentile Christians by the decrees of the apostles, Acts XV. 20. . . . Blood is the life, and God seems to claim it as sacred to himself." - The Complete Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller (1836), p. 751.

How Important is it to "Abstain From Blood"?

A close examination of the wording used at Acts 15:28, 29 shows how important it is for Christians to "abstain from blood":

"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these ESSENTIALS ['these necessary things' - RSV]: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." - Acts 15:28, 29 (NASB)

The wording of the Scriptures here does not indicate that this is a relatively unimportant commandment. It says it is "ESSENTIAL".

"Don't Jehovah's Witnesses Want to Live?"

The fact that Jehovah's Witnesses want to live is evidenced by their closely following the advances made in the field of bloodless medicine and surgery. There are endless examples and much documentation of their utilization of this.

Some critics of Jehovah's Witnesses have made false accusations concerning Jehovah's Witnesses' motivations in abstaining from blood. But would Jehovah's Witnesses REALLY be so eager to find quality, medical alternatives to blood transfusions for themselves and their children whom they deeply love if their refusal of blood was tantamount to a form of suicide or a "right to die" as some opposers falsely claim?

Christians who truly follow God's command to "abstain from blood" do not decline all therapies. They reject just one therapy, which even many experts admit come with dangers.

More Information From the Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses:

Do Jehovah’s Witnesses accept any minor fractions of blood? (w04 6/15 pp. 29-31; Watchtower Online Library)

Do Jehovah’s Witnesses accept any medical products derived from blood? (w00 6/15 pp. 29-31; Watchtower Online Library)

In the light of Bible commands about the proper use of blood, how do Jehovah’s Witnesses view medical procedures using one’s own blood? (w00 10/15 pp. 30-31; Watchtower Online Library)

BLOOD (Insight-1 pp. 344-346; Watchtower Online Library)

Do You Value Life as God Does? (lv chap. 7 pp. 74-85; Watchtower Online Library)

I Accepted God’s View of Blood - A Physician Tells His Story g03 12/8 pp. 12-15; Watchtower Online Library)

Showing Respect For Blood (bh chap. 13 pp. 125-133; Watchtower Online Library)

The Growing Demand for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery - Blood and Jehovah’s Witnesses (g00 1/8 pp. 7-11; Watchtower Online Library)

Blood Transfusions—A Long History of Controversy (g00 1/8 pp. 4-6; Watchtower Online Library)

Blood Fractions and Surgical Procedures (lv pp. 215-218; Watchtower Online Library)

BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS (dx86-11; Watchtower Online Library)

BLOOD (dx86-11; Watchtower Online Library)

Blood (Reasoning From the Scriptures p. 70-p. 76; Watchtower Online Library)

Pages in Defense of Jehovah's Witnesses Stand on Blood

God's View of Blood

Jehovah's Witnesses - Setting the Record Straight

Search For Blood-Related Documents From Jehovah's Witnesses United


Links to Information About Bloodless Medicine

No Blood

Bloodless Medicine and Sugery Hospitals Directory

Network for the Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives
The University Hospital

Transfusion-Free Cardiothoracic Surgery - University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

Transfusion-free Surgery is a Treatment Plan for All Patients

Swedish Services Bloodless Programs


Legal and Medical Resources Concerning Blood Transfusions

Legal and Medical Resources Concerning Blood Transfusions

Blood Transfusion And Outcomes


Articles Concerning Bloodless Surgery and Medicine

'Bloodless' surgery avoids risks of transfusion - Techniques first used for Jehovah's Witnesses gaining popularity

Blood Transfusions - Safe Medicine? (Addressing Myths Surrounding Blood Transfusions About Safety)

Blood Transfusions Harmful When Guidelines Ignored

Bloodless medicine and surgery in the OR and beyond

Evidence in favor of bloodless surgery mounts

Jehovah's Witnesses leading education drive as hospitals adjust to No Blood requests

Medicine in a Different Vein: Reducing and Eliminating the Need For Transfusions - University Hospital, Newark, NJ

Meeting Life's Challenges Head On - Krystie's Operation Without a Blood Transfusion

News Video- Bloodless Medicine Makes Doctors More Efficient

The Problem With Transfusions

Treating patients like Jehovah's Witnesses could save lives: expert

Why blood transfusions could be killing patients