Jehovah’s Witnesses: Why They Follow Biblical Commands More Consistently Than Other Religions
Quick Answer
Jehovah’s Witnesses are known worldwide for their strict adherence to biblical laws. They distinguish themselves from other religions, for example, through their absolute political neutrality (e.g., resistance against Hitler) and their strict refusal of blood transfusions, as they view biblical commands as binding divine laws for everyday life.
In Germany, as well as worldwide, Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for keeping God’s commandments in the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses differ from most or all other religions in the world through their obedience to several commandments in the Bible. For example, when it comes to killing humans in wars. In Germany, Jehovah’s Witnesses were the only religion that refused obedience to Hitler because they would not kill other humans (Exodus 20:13 “You must not murder”). Jehovah’s Witnesses also did not support Hitler’s war machine in any other way during World War II and refused the Hitler salute out of religious conviction. In Hitler’s concentration camps, there was a symbol for only one specific religious community: the Purple Triangle for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Resistance Against Hitler: The Only Religion with the “Purple Triangle”
In Germany, Jehovah’s Witnesses were the only religion that collectively refused to obey Hitler.
- No Killing in War: Based on Exodus 20:13 (“You must not murder”), they refused military service.
- Refusal of the Hitler Salute: Out of religious conviction, they did not pay homage to any human as a “savior.”
- Stigmata in the Concentration Camp: As the only religious group, they wore their own identification mark – the Purple Triangle.
Blood Transfusions and Biblical Laws
Also in connection with the refusal of blood transfusions, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a religious community that differs from most or all other religions. Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions or the eating of blood (for example, blood sausage). Jehovah’s Witnesses desire the best possible medical treatment for themselves and their family members. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not seek medical treatment without blood transfusions because surgeries or other medical treatments without blood often lead to better medical care. Nor is it solely due to the positive results of treatments without blood transfusions (through alternative methods in bloodless surgery, by which practically all operations—including on the heart and veins—can be performed without the use of blood). Medical reasons are not the primary reason for Jehovah’s Witnesses to forgo a blood transfusion. Jehovah’s Witnesses choose treatment methods without blood primarily because God had this recorded several times as a law in the Bible. And as Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses want to follow the example of Jesus Christ by always observing God’s biblical commandments.
What the Bible Says About the Use of Blood (Blood Transfusions)
The first prohibition against taking in blood (and thus a blood transfusion) is found right in the first book of the Bible: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. Just as I gave you the green vegetation, I give them all to you.” However, there was a restriction that God imposed on humans: “Only flesh with its life—its blood—you must not eat” (Genesis 9:3, 4). This law of God still applies to all humanity today because God never rescinded this law. On the contrary, it was repeated several times. For example, God said to the nation of Israel over eight centuries later: “You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh…Anyone eating it will be cut off ‘” (Leviticus 17:14).
In the first century, God still used humans to record his laws. And even then, he commanded several times to abstain from blood. This can be read, for example, in the Bible in Acts chapter 15, verses 28, 29: “For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to you except these necessary things: to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!”.
Does the Biblical Command to Abstain from Blood Also Include Blood Transfusions?
When the Bible says that one (every human) should abstain from blood, and this is repeated several times both in the Hebrew Scriptures (the so-called Old Testament) and in the Greek Christian Scriptures (New Testament), does this include a blood transfusion? Well, how would you understand it if a doctor said, for example, that you should abstain from alcohol? Would you understand this to mean thatyou should not drink (or eat) alcohol, but is allowed to inject it through the veins?
Jehovah’s Witnesses are Convinced of the Benefit of the Creator’s Guidance
Jehovah’s Witnesses successfully use alternative methods of bloodless surgery and are grateful for them. Jehovah’s Witnesses are convinced that the Creator of humans and blood knows best what is ultimately best for people. In the Bible, it says in Isaiah 48:17-19: “This is what Jehovah, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One guiding you in the way you should walk. If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. …”
Information About God’s View Regarding Blood
Answers to Questions
Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses not accept blood?
It is a religious decision. The Bible explicitly commands in Genesis 9:4 and Acts 15:29 to abstain from blood, which for Jehovah’s Witnesses also includes blood transfusions.
What does the Purple Triangle mean?
The Purple Triangle was the identification mark in Nazi concentration camps for Jehovah’s Witnesses who consistently refused military service and the Hitler salute due to their faith.
Do Jehovah’s Witnesses seek medical help?
Yes, they desire the best possible medical care. They only refuse blood transfusions and instead prefer modern alternatives such as bloodless surgery.