Jehovah's Witness mother dies after refusing blood

[BBK]

off topic

I think a test must be completed with your voting slip - those who don't pass, shouldn't get their vote counted

(Let the flaming commence!)

basically you are suggesting "voting eugenics" then? Should we extend this to not allowing religious people the right to give birth? I mean on the plus side, if we do that then pretty quickly we eradicate the "problem" wouldn't we.

[-AMO-]

but again now you are saying that someone who is religious has been brainwashed, and therefore unable to decide their own mind. So where do you draw the line? "You've been brainwashed therefore you cannot vote?"

Well evidently, in this case, her religion had enclosed her mind to the point where she was prepared to honour its values in favour of her own life and the lifes of her two children having to go on without a mother.

So yes, it would be more than fair to say she was brainwashed by her religion. Unless you can think of a more reasonable deduction as to why she needlessly died, I can't.

[BBK]

Unless you can think of a more reasonable deduction as to why she needlessly died, I can't.

I believe they call it faith.

I'm just wondering where you would realistically draw the line. Personally I have no time for religion at all, I think its the root of so many problems in the World throughout history, but then again I've seen first hand the good it has done invidivuals as well, and I don't believe I have the right to take this away from them. And many religious people are undoubtedly intelligent, so who am I to take this away? I'd much prefer a society without god, but the fact is we live in one, and whether or not we think people's choices are utterly ridiculous or not those of us who are not religious do not have the right to deny someone their belief.

[CzarJunkie]

Fruit cakes like this should be entered into the annual Darwin awards. I can't think of any genes I'd prefer to have removed from the gene pool than those pre-disposed to religious fanaticism. She deserves some kind of award.............I'll have a word with him upstairs and see if I can't at least arrange a tin of quality street and a big card.

[4me2]

Blind sighted, incapable of logical reasoning, bordering on insane. Yes, she is one to be admired.

So are you for reading this sections rules .

If I'd seen this thread earlier I would have deleted it.

To find out why read the section rules in particular " How not to post"

[Freddy]

Why must we do everything we can? What if someone is ill, and wishes to choose their own way out before they lose the ability to consciously decide, or indeed before the pain gets intolerable? What if someone breaks their neck and decides they don't want to live a life without the use of any limbs, thus denying them the ability to live the life - or any semblance of - the one they had before?

It's natural to be at your lowest point after a major accident. Your mindset would be dark. A year after the accident you probably have a different outlook.

I honestly think that people need protecting from themselves during this time. Once you have recovered (as best as possible) and have talked it through, then make a decision. This decision is then yours to make IMO.

[-AMO-]

So are you for reading this sections rules .

If I'd seen this thread earlier I would have deleted it.

To find out why read the section rules in particular " How not to post"

Sorry, i did attempt to place the article in the post, but it was just better structured and made for easier reading via the originating link.

I believe they call it faith.

They may call it faith, but in this case I would call it insanity, and I'm sure anyone else with the smallest bit of sense will find it difficult to disagree.

[BBK]

hey may call it faith, but in this case I would call it insanity, and I'm sure anyone else with the smallest bit of sense will find it difficult to disagree.

I would say its quite clearly not insanity, she obviously made her decision with a sound mind. Its simply a case that you cannot accept that she has different standards to you.

[Kushty]

I wonder if the husband questions his faith now that he has no wife because of it.

[Robbo]

It was her choice, her belief and her death. Maybe she's happy at gods side now or maybe there is no afterlife.

[Cenus_]

They may call it faith, but in this case I would call it insanity, and I'm sure anyone else with the smallest bit of sense will find it difficult to disagree.

Far more intelligent people than anyone in this thread (as far as I know ) have debated this before us.

The important point here is that it was her choice, she wasn't asking for someting to be done to her but for something not to be done.

Some people have likened this euthenasia but it simply isn't. That's asking for someone to actively take your life, this was just asking for not to have something done to them. We all have the right for someone not to do something, anything to us that we don't want to happen, missguided or not, she excersided that right and paid the ultimate price.

[-AMO-]

Article from todays paper...

Jehovah girl: My mistake

A former Jehovah's Witness who refused a blood transfusion while giving birth to twins has called for radical reforms after a woman died in similar circumstances.

Rachel Underhill wants doctors to be able to snub the religious wishes of patients to save their lives.

Jehovah's Witness Emma Gough, 22, died giving birth to twins at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital last month. The children survived.

Rachel said: "Hospitals can override parents' wishes when it comes to treatment of Jehovah's children. The same should be true of adults." The mum, of Brighton, refused a transfusion when she gave birth eight years ago.

The General Medical Council is drawing up guidelines for doctors on when they can treat patients against their wishes.

Medics are expected to have a greater say in cases when a patient is deemed unfit to make decisions about how they should be looked after.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstor...9520-20067673/

[BBK]

Wow, of the 7 million (approx) current Jehovas Witnesses in the World the Mirror manages to find one ex-JW who disagrees. Journalism at its best.

[yankee]

I hope for her sake there's a heaven and she made it there.. otherwise these children have been left motherless for no good reason.

[Eddie101]

I have been in similar circumstances ,i am not a jehova ,nor particularly religous ,but my gf had a stroke not long after she had my kid ,went through operations etc ,managed to survive the initial brain surgery and was on the mend .She then pulled out her main lifelines entering her chest ,and internally bled for about 2 hrs (until they noticed her slipping in and out of conciousness) ,she had a transfusion and survived .

During the time above if i was asked for anything (even a kidney) ,due to the nature and speed of what was happening ,i would have agreed to anything ,loss of blood leads to what i could only describe as being like nitrogen narcosis (very groggy and not making a lot of sense) and causes brain damage (which it did to my gf) .But during this time no-one asked my gf if she wanted a transfusion ,it was me they asked ,so in retrospect i would say the boyfriend/husband is going to have a lot riding on his conscience as the buck would have stopped at him and or her parents ,having seen someone nearly at deaths door due to loss of blood i can guarantee she wouldnt have the faintest idea what was going on .