14 year old Jehova’s Witness turns down treatment and dies
December 18th, 2007These sorts of stories really bother me. This kid, raised as a Jehova’s Witness, decides to turn down a blood transfusion that would have saved his live, on the grounds that it would make him “unclean and unworthy.”
Of course, when I say “he decided,” I’m simplifying things a bit. There’s no way a young teenager could make this sort of decision rationally. He was influenced by the adults around him who instilled his deep religious faith, and he interpreted this faith (with help from his aunt) to mean that he should kill himself rather than accept medical treatment.
His birth parents, who no longer had custody of him, flew to the hearing to advocate that he should receive the treatment, but ultimately a judge ruled that he could refuse treatment if he wanted to. While it’s easy to blame religion and faith for this tragedy, and they certainly aren’t blameless, we shouldn’t forget people like this judge. He applauded the kid’s maturity in the decision, rather than doing what he should have done: explaining that he was too young to make such a decision, and that respecting crazy religious belief isn’t as important as saving lives.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
the aunt should be arrested for murder
December 20th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
This is without a doubt an absolute tragedy for one so young to die, but I think you’re being very patronising here. He was 14 - whilst at that age it is easy to argue he didn’t know what he was signing up to and he was impressionable, death is not that hard to understand. One of the pivotal points of any religion is the belief of what happens when we die, and if you force a person to take an action they believe will deem them worthy of hell, then you’re asking them to carry on with a life they believe will only lead to eternal condemnation.
December 24th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
I would have made the same decision at 11, and still now. Jehovah’s witnesses don’t just say “Don’t take blood”, they show him the scriptures in the bible, and explain why. And if he did, they wouldn’t treat him differently anyways.
I’m not saying that many children aren’t influenced by the adults that raised them, because they are. What I am saying is that many DO know the reasons why, and it isn’t just a case of being too young to know.
December 25th, 2007 at 1:08 am
I know they did more than simply tell him “don’t take blood.” No doubt they gave him all sorts of “evidence” from their sacred book. That has nothing to do with my point.
He was extremely impressionable and only got one side of the story. Most reasonable people would not have made the decision he made, but he had formed his world view almost exclusively with the input of extremists (especially his aunt), and thus made an irrational decision.
December 25th, 2007 at 1:12 am
I say its too easy to blame the judge. This crap wouldnt happen if people didnt believe crazy things. The problem is that fighting all of religion is harder than just fighting the craziest ones on the edge, so we dont usually do it.
February 3rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
[...] 14 year old Jehova’s Witness turns down treatment and dies [...]
February 27th, 2008 at 2:41 am
where is this boy?parents of this litle one might have asked. there after is found in the temple with the teachers of the law . At only 2 years younger than the boy in discusion,Jesus demostrated how knowledgeble he was.Others may think Jesus was difrent from our boy.Yet did you know how old was king Josaiah meshioned in the bible when he first reighn? just as Jesus was when he was found in the Temple.At that age he made big time dicitions for the Land he ruled. Bible the word of God teaches to train the child from infancy, so much so that even when he grow will never turn from the truth.The faith demostrated by this Young person is comendable.
February 29th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
The sad part of this discussion is that doctors and the medical community keep secret and never discuss how many people are killed by blood transfusions. Even if they are not killed their recovery is extremely set back and complicated. They cover it up and do not want to admit it! The fact is blood is classed as an organ! How many people would have a heart or liver or kidney transplant and argue that they do not need antirejection drugs or even expect to survive with out taking them and the needed therapy. The truth is that blood is never actually needed in practically all operations in order to save a life. There are other things that they can do which is actually better for your recovery. Blood is BIG MONEY bussiness. Doctors are BIG MONEY people. The main problem with medical treatment now days is SKY Rocketing prices, according to the news media. Every body has the wool pulled over their eyes.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:26 am
Bloodbasher: LOL… You remind me of another commenter that was here a while ago. He claimed cancer was just a vitamin deficiency and that it was easily cured, but the cures were covered up by The Man.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
And nothing of value was lost
Darwin award
April 10th, 2008 at 1:59 am
And then let us all laugh at Bloodbasher for a while.
Does this person really think that the doctors would let a fourteen year old child die if there were other treatment options, just because they are “BIG MONEY people”? I know plenty of doctors and I’d say that all in all they’re pretty moral people who want to, you know, help people…
Besides, here in Sweden we have socialized medicine, which means that doctors don’t earn all that much money (sure, they earn much, but no extreme amounts) and they cant’ skin people for what they’ve got. And you know what? They still argue that blood transfusions is a pretty damned good thing, even though there’s no apparant financial gain in it for them. Funny that. Seems to poke a hole in your conspiracy theory, somehow.
Of course.. The Swedish doctors (and the Canadian, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Japanese, et cetera), who don’t have much money to gain from perpetuating such a lie, might all be bribed by the “blood companies” (who consist of “BIG MONEY people”, as we’ve just learned) to use more blood. Never mind that there’s usually a shortage of blood…
May 14th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I corroborate with the decision of Darwin Award to Bloodbasher. This person needs a good dose of skepticality.
“There are other things that they can do which is actually better for your recovery.” Could you please explain what the heck you are talking about?