Jehovah’s Witnesses are now allowed to accept most types of blood transfusion after a reevaluation of a Bible verse.
The religious sect’s governing body said on Friday that it would now allow members to decide for themselves whether to accept donated red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets.
The Bible verse that instructs believers to abstain from blood; Acts 15:20, had previously been understood to prohibit transfusions.
While the change includes most modern transfusions, believers are still prohibited from accepting whole-blood transfusions.
Earlier this year, the governing body loosened restrictions on blood to allow members to have their own blood removed, stored and returned to their body before medical procedures.
But this is the first time treatments involving the transfer of blood from another person have been permitted.
In a statement, the governing body said: “The decision to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood is a matter of personal conscience.
“Likewise, each Witness must decide whether or not to donate blood for the clearly expressed purpose of providing components or fractions for use by another person.
“The long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions on religious grounds, a core teaching based on the command to ‘abstain from blood’, is unchanged.”
Paul Gillies, an international spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, said that blood remained “sacred”.
“We recognise that medical decisions involving blood components are a matter of conscience between each Witness and their God, Jehovah,” added Mr Gillies.
“Congregations do not involve themselves in personal decisions that rest with the individual conscience. We will continue to respect and support the personal decisions of our fellow believers.”
Its a well known fact that adherents do not celebrate Christmas or their birthdays and can be “disfellowshipped” for transgressing strict moral codes on sex, drinking, swearing, gambling and other lifestyle issues.
