Customer Reviews

No blood!: A novel

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OUT-standing! is the rating for any printed matter that addresses this issue! According to the JWs, God directs the often confused (new-light, old-light?)machinations of their Governing Body who issues edicts to the members Papal-Bull style, obey or be excommunicated. Confusing because their prophecies and demands change seemingly randomly and immediately as soon as the prior belief has been proven false, machinations because they randomly mix Old and New Testament scripture to hash out a kind of Christian that has to obey Mosaic Law, but only sometimes and when the Leaders demand it.

Members are under tremendous pressure to obey; from literally birth they are instructed to not associate with "worldly-people", not even speak with them lest that lead to friendship (KM 4/2002)

The blood issue is even worse; JWs are in-fact permitted transfusion but only if they accept blood that has been separated to it's basic components. Even then it is called a "conciense matter" and frowned upon. Children who die are "glorified" by leadership by putting their photos in the JW magazine under the caption "They put God first". The fatal flaw here is that adult baptised JWs (you have to be baptised before you are considered to be a member) are sacrificing their minor children (JWs generally do not let children become baptised following the lead of Christ who was baptised when he was 30)at the behest of what is a best a splinter group of Christianity. Cult?

No Blood is about a young man named Travis Troulson who needed a blood transfusion to stay alive, but his Jehovah's Witness parents tried to block the treatment needed to save his life. The result was a court battle and a troubled young man who wonders "How could a religion that claims to be Christian do this to people?" This is in many ways a typical story that is acted out in various ways throughout the world thousands of times each year amoung the Jehovah's Witnesses. Many books tell of the holocaust caused by the Watchtower teaching forbidding certain blood products by giving the facts about what they believe. This book tells of the story in a real, human factual way that demonstrates the impact of the Watchtower blood prohibition doctrine on the lives of real people. In the medical field when one mentions the Jehovah's Witnesses to nurses and doctors, they typically cringe, and if asked they can usually tell a horror story like that of Travis. Because of this doctrine the Watchtower has alienated people not only from the Watchtower religion but from all religion. I can't tell you how many negative comments that I have heard from the nursing and medical students about the harm that this Watchtower doctrine has done to so many good people's lives. This book helps outsiders understand the feelings of anger and frustration of the medical profession due to religious objectors. If you have ever lost a loved one due to some religion playing both God and Doctor when they are neither, you will relate to this book. Since the Watchtower rules have changed recently, some of the story line may not be as relevant now, but other parts are more relevant then ever before.

I read through the first two chapters of the on line version of this book. If you really want to torture yourself you can try it that way as well, rather than wasting the money on the print version.

I'm trying to stay kind but I have be honest, this is one of the worst bits of propaganda fiction I've ever read.

Did anyone notice that this is a FICTION book? It isn't in the autobiographies? Has Mr. Reed been in this situation himself? If not, how can he presume to know what some KID is feeling. I don't think he knows JW as well as he think he does.