Major Shift: Jehovah’s Witnesses Allow Members To Decide On Four Blood Components

The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has revised its position on four major blood components, allowing individual members to decide according to their personal conscience whether to accept or donate them.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the change was announced in a statement issued by the organization’s World Headquarters in Warwick, New York, and published on Friday. Under the revised position, members may personally decide whether to accept red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood.

The organization stated that decisions concerning these four blood components are now considered matters of personal conscience. Members may also decide whether to donate blood specifically for the purpose of producing components or fractions for another person’s use.

However, the organization clarified that the adjustment does not alter its long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions on religious grounds. Jehovah’s Witnesses said their teaching based on the biblical command to “abstain from blood” remains unchanged.

Paul Gillies, an international spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses at the organization’s World Headquarters, said the group continues to regard blood as sacred while recognizing that decisions involving individual blood components should be made personally by each member.

Gillies explained that medical decisions involving blood components are considered matters of conscience between individual Witnesses and their God, Jehovah. He also emphasized that local congregations would not interfere with members’ personal decisions concerning the use of blood components.

The organization said the latest adjustment follows previous changes regarding blood fractions and the use of a person’s own blood during medical procedures. It explained that the Bible does not specifically address decisions involving the four major blood components, leaving such matters to individual conscience.

Jehovah’s Witnesses also stated that their members seek medical treatment rather than practise faith healing, provided such treatment is consistent with their personal wishes, values and religious beliefs.

According to the organization, Jehovah’s Witnesses have more than nine million members across more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.