Cigarette Smoking - A Slow Form Of Suicide / Video PSA

[WeedGreenPowerRanger]

Or blowing up one's self in service of their religion.

Sometimes even refusing life saving treatment because their religion teaches that blood is really the soul.

[ChoofMonster]

Therein lies one difference between a religion and a cult; a religion will allow almost any measure to preserve life, whereas a cult will let its followers die from skinned knees, nosebleeds and childbirth when simple medical treatment can save them. The biblical prohibition is against consuming blood, not transfusing it.

Putting such a 'religion' on a hospital admission form could be a not-so-slow form of suicide.

[WeedGreenPowerRanger]

"The biblical prohibition is against consuming blood, not transfusing it."

Jehovas witnesses think that blood is the soul, and so transfusions are a no no.

Hell, Livin' just kills ya, doesnt it?

[ChoofMonster]

Most smokers can see the dangers, and genuinely want to stop smoking; it is an addiction, not a habit. Emphysema is not fun, nor is the smoker's cough or the smell, and it's expensive as well as socially unacceptable.

It is almost impossible to sue a tobacco company, but JWs have successfully sued hospitals for transfusing blood during childbirth, even though their baby would have been orphaned at birth.

[WeedGreenPowerRanger]

I heard a story about a month ago about this kid who refused a blood transfusion, because he believed it was someone elses soul.

So he died.

And I cant help but wondering, why do they not consider the refusal of life saving treatment as SUICIDE, and a sin?

[ChoofMonster]

That sounds like the case of Dennis Lindberg, whose prognosis was quite good. There is a difference between rejecting useless, painful treatment and refusing a simple life-saving measure with a great chance of success. The Watchtower keeps changing the rules on vaccinations and plasma.

Competent adults have the right to refuse treatment, but children and premature babies (who often require multiple transfusions) are innocent, and should be given every possible chance of survival.

[WeedGreenPowerRanger]

"That sounds like the case of Dennis Lindberg, whose prognosis was quite good. "

I'm not sure. I know he was 14, jehova's witness. I heard it on the radio, and the guy cited his sources, so I dont doubt him.

Either way, its messed up.

[ChoofMonster]

That sounds like the same one, of course there are too many similar cases. Ensoulment is a theological concept, the soul stays with the person for life (often beyond) but there is no physical proof of its existence. JWs only extended the consumption prohibition to transfusing blood in 1945.

The eating of blood was indeed an unscriptural practice for ancient Hebrews, but even they were allowed to break most laws and several commandments in order to preserve life.

[WeedGreenPowerRanger]

Well, I guess it's social darwinism that Jehovas witnesses have lost more members than any other religion in America.

[ChoofMonster]

The proportion of JW women dying during childbirth rivals that of some third-world countries, not to mention their infant and child mortality rates.

Every hospital seems to have different protocols for dealing with such issues, but it is a legal minefield. Even before 9/11, our blood bank head office had Fort Knox type security to keep "terrorists" from blowing the place up or tainting blood supplies.

[WeedGreenPowerRanger]

I suppose that could be it as well. But what I was referring to is that Jehovas witnesses have the lowest numbers of childhood members that actually retain the religion. Something like 37% continue into adulthood.

[ChoofMonster]

That is one reason they knock on doors looking for souls to "witness", the attrition and disfellowship rate is over 65%!

[Godzilla1985]

Other slow forms of suicide are eating the WRONG foods all the time, that is very much over looked.