Fifty-eight-year-old Bruce Huff believes it is a sin to receive any blood or blood products. When his wife, 58-year-old Candy Huff, became unconscious several weeks ago and was rushed to Clark Memorial Hospital, he wrote a letter to the staff telling them not to give her blood transfusions.
The hospital filed a petition in Clark County Circuit Court asking that someone be appointed to make medical decisions for Candy Huff, alleging Bruce Huff was unable to make decisions in her best interest. Bruce Huff believes the decision to not allow him to make medical decisions for his wife is because of his religious beliefs.
The hospital flatly denies that claim. […]
Bruce Huff was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness several decades ago, and although he only sometimes attends church now for health reasons and does not consider himself a member, he still shares the beliefs of the church. According to the official website of the church, www.watchtower.org, the belief is based on their interpretation of the Bible, especially Acts 15, which reads to “keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood” and Leviticus 17 which reads to “not partake of the blood of any flesh.”
There have been numerous court rulings across the country dealing with Jehovah’s Witnesses and blood transfusions, mostly whether they can refuse on behalf of their children. […]
Pamela Thompson, an attorney for Clark Memorial Hospital, said Bruce’s religious objections were not the reason for the petition.
“This situation was very, very unique,” Thompson said. “[Religion] was not the substance or basis of the petition.” […]
Because of privacy laws, Thompson said she could not explain their reasons, but said they had good reason to believe Bruce Huff was not able to make the best decisions for his wife. […]
Candy Huff never considered herself a Jehovah’s Witness but shared his beliefs, Bruce Huff said.
Our View
Theologically, the Watchtower — the organization Jehovah’s Witnesses follow — is a cult of Christianity. While it claims to represent Christianity, its doctrines and practices violate or deny several essential doctrines of the Christian faith.
The Watchtower uses its own Bible ‘translation’ in order to support some its un-biblical doctrines, such as the organization’s views regarding blood transfusions.
The Watchtower claims that followers are free to choose whether or not they wish to receive blood transfusions, but in practice those who decide for it are excommunicated and shunned.
Due to the Watchtower’s extremist views on this issue, which has led to unnecessary deaths, the publishers of Religion News Blog consider the organization to be, sociologically, a destructive cult.