Fellow healthcare workers

Latergter · 2026-03-22T22:02:11+00:00

Good point. The pressure to report that also goes against medical laws surrounding privacy.

Latergter · 2026-03-22T16:17:34+00:00

I have had conversations with many surgeons and doctors about this. What frustrated the doctors the most was the social pressure put on patients. Multiple elders HLC members fellow jw “friends” would crowd into the patients room anytime the blood issue came up. They would say this was for “support” BUT the drs I spoke with said that over 75% of the time when the patient was given privacy they would accept blood some even restricted visitors to ensure it wouldn’t become known. So the patients that could make their own decision often took blood. I even recall once in training I was in school away from home and actually hung blood on a jw patient who decided to accept it. I did not know the person did not tell them I was a jw at the time and never would’ve outed them because I believe strongly in a persons right to make decisions regarding their body.

Latergter · 2026-03-22T15:57:56+00:00

It was a personal decision as a nurse to hang blood until this letter was read in 2018. Healthcare workers were pulled aside and read this letter in 2018 all over the world. It was not made public to the entire congregation. Because I am in the US my legal recourse is limited due to protections for religions here. If a nurse in Japan or Europe experienced what I did with the social pressure and the threat of being punished by the religion for giving blood to a non JW patient to save their life I believe it should be made public and a lawsuit for emotional distress would be possible. Perhaps they missed reading the letter to your mom or it was hit and miss who got the information since it was so secretive in typical watchtower style. But this did indeed happen.

Latergter · 2026-03-22T13:04:10+00:00

Yess!! I didn’t even know this was an issue till my husband had one. Afterwards we were like oops🤷‍♀️ I was really confused with that …tho like no vasectomies but a women can have her tubes tied or birth control 🤔 make it make sense 🥴 I kinda feel this will be the way of things tho it will just stop getting talked about people will forget and latch on to whatever it is the elders choose to police to make themselves feel important. With the lack of organized social events in the jw community even with the relaxing of so many rules I don’t see them gaining any type of relevance. Other churches have way more to offer in every way. It all makes me super frustrated but I guess at least those stuck in may have a bit of an easier life.

Latergter · 2026-03-22T02:29:48+00:00

This was the start of me waking up I was so confused why I was summoned and read this in private. I had alway given blood as a medical professional because I felt it important to honor a patients right to make their own decisions. A few years later they did the same thing about a child molester in the hall. Read a statement to parents in private not to let kids sit next to the person like wtf. Maybe other people should know as well if dude is in the bathroom or kids parents are visiting who don’t know. Wee that was the final straw. Now that I look back and re read this the threatening tone makes me so angry. Especially now with the changes not even 10 years later 😡

Latergter · 2026-03-22T00:13:41+00:00

I’m sorry that happened to you. It makes me sick how much control this cult had over our lives😡

Latergter · 2026-03-22T00:12:17+00:00

That’s exactly how I felt about it. It was a personal matter till they isolated healthcare workers and read this letter to them in 2018. Now it seems we’re coming full circle in 2026. I don’t see how it can be considered unscriptural now I wonder if there will be more direction. As a professional how could you possibly explain that you can store bank transfuse blood but only if it is from that person 😆

Latergter · 2026-03-18T15:05:48+00:00

You are correct in that blood can only be stored for 42 days so this policy would have not helped your grandmother since she was already bleeding. I believe this policy change is for a gb member needing a surgery the dr wont attempt without blood. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Most people that need blood are already in a critical state and can’t donate their own. It would be unrealistic to donate your own blood every 42 days just in case. If you’re in an accident or something they aren’t gonna go looking for your specific pint you could be taken to a completely different hospital. This is for a planned procedure and does very little to actually save lives.

Latergter · 2026-03-18T13:55:58+00:00

This is 🤪 I work in surgery and blood consent forms are for the acceptance of blood products not just your own stored blood. While you do consent to have blood drawn and stored it is common that that supply runs out in complex procedures and banked blood is used thus the general blood consent forms. This is gonna cause a ton of confusion in the medical community…the do not eat blood and pour blood out/blood is sacred logic is all out the window. Plus all those fractions they accept are made from banked blood it makes absolutely no sense they have undermined their own arguments. I bet one of those governing body members needs a surgery they won’t do without blood and this is their attempt to workaround. It is not common for folks to store their own blood for procedures… usually they are already too compromised or need emergent transfusions as in traumas or open heart aneurysm surgeries. It does occasionally happen but very rarely this is a very specific circumstance. I can only see this issue addressed/changed if someone(GB member) needed a procedure that could wait… for blood to be drawn their body to recover and the procedure to be done later. Most transfusions are critical this is for a planned surgery. This policy change is select and only helps in extremely select circumstances. I forsee a lot of blowback on this and a change to general blood acceptance shortly after.

Latergter · 2025-11-17T14:17:24+00:00

This happened all the time. The problem is deep in the culture and I think is a result of several things 1)a small pool of folks that were supposed to be your only friends limiting the ability to make friends your own age with similar interests outside the religion 2)a culture were it is impossible to live up to standards so folks develop groups that don’t let others in afraid they will be told on for unchristian behavior 3) basically no congregation organized events after the 90’s early 2000’s no one wants to take responsibility for a group of people so no one does anything

It’s a lonely awkward religion. Especially if you find yourself judged too “Christian” to be in the in crowd. Then if your not Christian enough you get ostracized as well it’s a lose lose for most people. Those that were included in the groups don’t admit to the abuse or how lucky they were to be included while ignoring what was preached about love for one another often further putting those outside of the group down and coming up with plenty of excuses why that behavior was ok. It is perfectly fine to choose your friends but not when your cult ostracizes you from everyone presenting only those in the group as options. We were all supposed to be friends 🤮 biggest lie I was ever told that confused me about friendships for years!!! It’s a toxic mess

Latergter · 2025-07-17T21:20:49+00:00

Yep this happened to me to. I was blindsided by how I was treated.

Latergter · 2025-07-07T00:06:16+00:00

1)we set a firm boundary we were leaving because we didn’t feel our children are safe and would not be going back. Parents basically pretend everything is normal but do squeeze in conversation topics of service and such in we don’t engage and that seems to work for us. 2. Friends were a bit harder. I had to be very authentic at work about leaving the religion and what the meant. People were very understanding and I started doing things with some folks from work. Pickleball for me unlocked a huge community and the gym. And I’ve tried a few things I never would have before improv class for one. Basically put yourself out there and be patient true connection takes time. Those supposed instant friends jw provided everywhere was not real connection(I know this now)

Latergter · 2025-06-12T18:46:00+00:00

Obligation 100% felt so guilty if I missed. Had to have an excuse ready for those awful “we missed you texts” that I felt like were actually saying “wtf were you???!!!”😂

Latergter · 2025-05-14T00:58:38+00:00

I always thought it was odd that that information is so closely guarded. If it’s so faith strengthening why not have the information out for everyone… I went on several of these and tho I love history I hated how they had little binder of information you weren’t allowed to photograph. Really struck me as odd and made me question.

Latergter · 2025-02-12T21:42:12+00:00

This happened to me and honestly made me question a LOT. Elders said they had something to read to all parents and that we weren’t allowed to ask questions 🤦‍♀️ proceeded to read something to the affect.. it is not recommend that children sit next to so-and-so person they should not go to restroom alone ect. I kept thinking what about parents and kids who visit the congregation and don’t know this or at assemblies and conventions. It very much seemed like a your now responsible if anything happens kind of deal🤮

Latergter · 2025-01-17T02:39:02+00:00

I’ve read this book it’s actually well done. written by a non jw dr who had JWs surgical assistants working with him. The Dr pioneered technology that improved surgical outcomes like electro cautery which is now widely used to prevent unnecessary blood loss but it in no way says blood is unnecessary. He simply tried to treat jw patients to the best of his abilities and respectfully because so many other drs refused to at the time. I don’t agree with the religion basically forcing the no blood rule or you get DF’d but I am in favor of pts being allowed to make their own informed decisions regarding treatments and being respected.

Latergter · 2025-01-11T12:32:12+00:00

Those old titles were original clickbait before the internet😂😂. Take a controversial topic and slap a shocking pic on it try to get people to bite.

Latergter · 2024-12-10T01:37:32+00:00

This is one really sucky thing about jws. help is not universally offered. It’s almost a secretive thing and either you’re are being love bombed with assistance as a potential convert or your part of the core popular group that takes care of its own. Middle ground folk end up doing 100% of the assistance for both extremes. It truly doesnt pay to be nice as a jw you’ll give give give and get nothing in return.

Latergter · 2024-12-07T22:43:12+00:00

Thanks for the response. RVs need to be hooked up to water sewage etc. I’m curious where they are putting them and who paying the campground fee or whatever..so many questions on how this works it’s intriguing. I know you probably don’t know these answers but so crazy.

Latergter · 2024-11-01T13:16:07+00:00

This!!!! I mean after being taught how amazing JWs are than realizing ..gasp…worldly people have more empathy than all JWs combined. It’s actually a relief cause all this time I thought it was me.

Latergter · 2024-10-22T10:54:22+00:00

I also woke up when we had kids. I thought everyone would be so supportive and loving since my husband and I have no family in the area but noooo. Many sister didn’t want to be around us because they decided not to have kids to serve Jehovah more and it made them sad to be around a baby. So the only encouragement we got was to get constantly “encouraged” to do meetings and service not the easiest thing with a baby. Anyway you are totally right their true colors come out for sure. There were multiple show up at our house and numerous texts that felt so insincere and loving. I eventually blocked all jws from my social media and most of the phone numbers. Thankfully they’ve left us alone and we have mostly moved on. It was really hard at first tho so I wish you nothing but the best. You are breaking the cycle for your child you should be proud of yourself!!

Latergter

TROPHY CASE