Why do Jehovah's Witnesses believe that receiving a blood transfusion is sinful?

Because their "Watchtower" told them so. And that is the end of it.

Opinion is divided on the subject among the Witnesses'.

They have dietary laws that prevent the Consumption of blood. It does not say eat so transfusions are out as well.

However their own personal blood would not technically be consumed so a Witness could be transfused with their own blood that they can give before a planned operation. Sad thing about the child case however

They think that sins can be passed through the blood. So the donors sins will become theirs and they might become unclean.

I used to not give 3 gits about this unless it was denying children blood transfusions. Recently, I read an article where a JW mother and her unborn child died after a c section because she refused to receive blood. It's funny how easy blood loss can be treated with modern medicine yet people deny it for such silly reasons.

Here's the article in case you're interested.

http://www.lifenews.com/2015/04/08/pregnant-jehova...

Never have I seen in the news a Jehovah's Witness child dying because the parent denied a blood transfusion. The Bible says to abstain from blood. Abstain means to reject, decline or stay away from. Jehovah our creator is so wise and he knows what is best for us. People who receive blood transfusions often die because the body doesn't accept it or they even contract diseases. Doctors are starting to realize blood transfusions are not the way to go thanks to Jehovah's Witnesses. There's so many other ways of saving a life without having to do a transfusion.

Lets say what it really is. People feared blood transfusions when they first were started including other medical treatments. Midwives would deliver babies in unsanitary conditions and germs passed from mother to baby until people started getting picture the from all the deaths that happened to the baby or the mother and the smart helpful advancements that we have now.

It's one persons fear that is being kept alive and not something that is in the bible but what a human being came up with out of the blue It does not say in the bible this is a sin it is referring to eating blood even a blind person would agree.

I have said the same thing you have and like Sunshine they bring up that analogy that belongs ins some AA meeting probably took it from one. You know they do steal quotes from people.

I just start thinking of Carries nutcase mother in Carrie by Stephan King.

In hospital, when you are too ill to eat solid food, what do they do? Answer: They feed one by transfusion into the blood supply. Do you still want to claim blood transfusions are different?

Both at Genesis 9:2-5 where humans are first allowed to eat animal flesh, it was with the order to treat blood as sacred. Never consuming it.

The same with the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

Then with Christians, the question of what Gentiles were required to do to become Christians equal to circumcised Jews, there were only three requirements. One was from things strangled, which would still have its blood inside. Two was to "abstain from blood".

Since Jehovah also knew about germs and bacteria 5,000 years before man did and put in dietary and sanitary laws to prevent their spreading diseases then. It follows with the command to "abstain from blood", Jehovah would know about today's transfusion urges.

There are many hospitals today "blood free". The military is putting in place all forward military hospitals to be blood free. Why? JWs number only 8 million. So it is non-JWs pushing for this also. Why?

Fewer diseases passed along that are never tested for. Quicker recovery. Less time in hospital stays. Fewer side effects without blood. Cheaper hospital visits. AND it does require surgeons to be on top of their profession. No slackers willing to pawn failure off on blood or covering up their errors.

The real reason JWs refuse blood is because that violates Jehovah's law. Even if their was no other benefit than obedience, we would still do this. Why? Only Jehovah can restore us to perfect human life on earth. No doctor can.

Well, the powers of the holy spirit were bring up the dead, healing, curing ailments etc

Better then today's medicine better then blood

Was Stephen resurrected? Was Peter? any of them? After his disciples were beaten and almost left for dead.

Did they use those powers to cure themselves?

At some point our faith has to be tested, Do any of you believe in the resurrection?

Or is that something that something you just wear on your sleeve?

It's quite natural to think they way some of you do.

You people really don't know: immortal souls? limbo? hell?

Seriously, With this I can honestly say. Who are you to judge the house of another?

We show respect for blood by not eating it. In the Law that Jehovah gave the Israelites, he commanded: “If one of the Israelites . . . is hunting and catches a wild animal or a bird that may be eaten, he must pour its blood out and cover it with dust. . . . I said to the Israelites: ‘You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh.’” (Leviticus 17:13, 14) God’s command not to eat animal blood, first given to Noah some 800 years earlier, was still in force. Jehovah’s view was clear: His servants could eat animal meat but not the blood. They were to pour the blood on the ground—in effect, returning the creature’s life to God.

Does the command to abstain from blood include blood transfusions? Yes. To illustrate: Suppose a doctor were to tell you to abstain from alcoholic beverages. Would that simply mean that you should not drink alcohol but that you could have it injected into your veins? Of course not! Likewise, abstaining from blood means not taking it into our bodies at all. So the command to abstain from blood means that we would not allow anyone to transfuse blood into our veins.

No idea, but I don't understand how blood transfusions are sinful in any way.

Because it gives them a reason to feel a shared sense of persecution and danger. They think it's honorable to "die" for their cult.

What does God's Word the Bible say?

(Acts 15:20) but to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

(Acts 15:28, 29) For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to You, except these necessary things, 29 to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If You carefully keep yourselves from these things, You will prosper. Good health to You!”

We believe what God's Word the Bible says. Do you? (does your Religion?)

Thank You.