Blood transfusions and Christianity?

Question

Inspired by this question, if we choose to allow a doctor to heal us, how far is too far?

In Lev 17:13-14:

13 “‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, 14 because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.”

Some groups have gone far enough to say that they won't take blood transfusions or even transplants. Does the preservation of life supersede this verse?

And, although a bit Sci-Fi, does the above verse conflict with the idea of artificial blood?

I think it's fine, but I've been wrong about stuff before.

Answer 1

In Mark 3:1-6, Jesus heals a crippled man's hand on the sabbath:

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.

I believe this sets a precedent that law wasn't created to destroy life but to give it.

Answer 2

When you read the Old Testament and find restrictions like this one what you need to realize is that most of these types of restrictions are reactions to what the other inhabitants of the land were doing. God didn't want His people to copy the pagan rituals that were going on, and some of it is just preventing the spread of desease. So if you have a doubt, look at the command and try to find out if it's in response to one of the pagan rituals, or if it's to keep them from danger.

Answer 3

This idea assumes that having a transfusion is equivalent to eating blood. I find that idea a bit strange. If I were to take my food, put it in a blender for a while so it becomes nice and liquified, and then inject it into a vein, it would most likely kill me, even though the food itself, taken properly, is good for me, because I'm bypassing the digestive system entirely. So clearly there's a huge difference between eating something and injecting it.

Answer 4

The way I read that verse is, "If you're going to hunt animals for food then drain the blood and cover it with dirt" - essentially to honor its life. Transfusing blood is not an act of killing an animal for consumption, therefore it doesn't technically conflict with the verse.

Answer 5

ACTS 15:19-20 (KJV)

"Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God. But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood."

Just remember that this was not the life that was meant for us. Sin came into the world and along with it death, disease and imperfection. We need to prove we are worthy of eternal life here on earth as perfect human beings by following Jehovah's word the Bible.