The
commission, which operates under the authority of the World
Court, received a false and misleading application from the
Watch Tower Society regarding the government of Bulgaria’s
decision not to grant it legal recognition.
In a press release issued by the commission, it soon becomes
clear, to anyone familiar with the Watch Tower Society, that its officials have
lied. Here is one key paragraph regarding children and the blood issue:
“As regards the alleged involvement of children the
applicant association submits that children cannot become members of the association
but only participate, together with their parents, in the religious activities
of the community. In respect of the refusal of blood transfusion, the applicant
association submits that there are no religious sanctions
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for a Jehovah’s Witness who chooses to accept blood
transfusion and that, therefore, the fact that the religious
doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is against blood transfusion
cannot amount to a threat to “public health”.
Emphasis ours. It is not unheard
of for children to be baptised, and to become members of
the association before reaching the age of ten.
As for a Witness who accepts one of the banned blood products,
or a whole blood transfusion, the society’s position has been quite clear. “...the
receiver of a blood transfusion must be cut off from God’s people by excommunication
or disfellowshiping...if in the future he persists in accepting blood transfusions
... he must be cut off therefrom by disfellowshiping.” - The Watchtower
15/1/1961 pp. 63, 64 .
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