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Blood doctrine · Claim record

In a 1981 JAMA article reprinted in Awake! (22 June 1982) and the 1990 brochure, the Society stated that Witnesses refuse 'whole blood, packed RBCs, WBCs, or platelets' but that albumin, immune globulins and haemophiliac preparations were for 'each Witness' to 'decide individually'.

Claim ID claim-blood-1982-jama-componentsConcerns 22 June 1982Explicit statement
Explicit statement · 22 June 1982 Verified

In a 1981 JAMA article reprinted in Awake! (22 June 1982) and the 1990 brochure, the Society stated that Witnesses refuse 'whole blood, packed RBCs, WBCs, or platelets' but that albumin, immune globulins and haemophiliac preparations were for 'each Witness' to 'decide individually'. Awake!, 22 June 1982How Can Blood Save Your Life? (brochure), 1990

Show the evidence (2 sources)
Primary JW publication Verified

Awake!, “Jehovah's Witnesses—The Surgical/Ethical Challenge”

22 June 1982 · pp.25-27 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Medical and Research Departments (reprint from JAMA 27 Nov 1981, 246(21):2471-2472) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“Techniques for intraoperative collection or hemodilution that involve blood storage are objectionable to them.”

Witnesses refuse 'whole blood, packed RBCs, WBCs, or platelets'; 'many Witnesses permit the use of dialysis and heart-lung equipment (non-blood-prime) as well as intraoperative salvage where the extracorporeal circulation is uninterrupted'; albumin, immune globulins and haemophiliac preparations: 'each Witness must decide individually if he can accept these.' Par. 8 (p. 25) states that Witnesses view the biblical prohibitions 'as ruling out transfusion of whole blood, packed RBCs, and plasma, as well as WBC and platelet administration' — the earliest verified naming of all four primary components.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened on WOL. The brief's 'Watchtower 15 Jun 1982 pp. 25-31' is a mis-citation: the 15 Jun 1982 Watchtower articles at those pages do not contain this material.

Corroborated by. src-hb-1990-surgical-ethical-challenge

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-g-1982-0622-surgical-ethical-challenge

Primary JW publication Verified

How Can Blood Save Your Life? (brochure), “Jehovah's Witnesses—The Surgical/Ethical Challenge (JAMA reprint)”

1990 · pp.27-29 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“Witnesses' religious understanding does not absolutely prohibit the use of components such as albumin, immune globulins, and hemophiliac preparations; each Witness must decide individually if he can accept these.”

Reprint of the JAMA 27 Nov 1981 article inside the 1990 brochure.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened on WOL; the brochure's year is supported by WOL index references to km 9/90 and km 1/91 and by the lead's the 1990 brochure record.

Corroborated by. src-g-1982-0622-surgical-ethical-challenge, src-hb-1990-quality-alternatives

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-hb-1990-surgical-ethical-challenge

Claim page

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