No More No Blood

Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses revealed that members can now have a blood transfusion comprised of its four main components without being punished and shunned. This comes in addition to a rule change earlier this year that allowed Witnesses to potentially store their own blood for medical procedures. I have a range of feelings, from shock, hurt, sadness, and happiness to rage and relief. From the age of six, I was trained like a parrot to recite Acts 15:29 and Leviticus 17:10 to 14, and coached routinely on how to talk to a doctor if we ever had an emergency and doctors tried to give me a blood transfusion. I also carried a card from the age of six that stated I refused a blood transfusion and would rather die than accept one, because that is what was required of my parents to remain in good standing in that religion. I carried a version of that card until I left the religion in my early thirties. While I am happy that there will be fewer people affected by horrible draconian rules such…