I should have clarified my post a little more Varg ... wasn't your fault honey! It does seem however that the JW philosophies and doctrines are added to and amended so many times and from one country to another ... it's a wonder THEY can keep up ... never mind those of us fringe dwellers who look on in!!!

Kitty ... it's very difficult to explain to a non-JW person why the 'blood issue' causes so much drama. Because my own mother refused a blood transfusion and my father backed her ... when I first left the religion ... I had a signed and witnessed Statutory Declaration that I carried with me all the time. It mentioned that my parents were JW's and that in the case of an emergency where blood was needed ... the medical people had my full authority to give me what was needed and NOT have to consult my parents! I carried that with me until a few years back when I married Gav. He's my next of kin now and there's no way he'll stand by and allow me to die. He also finds it difficult that there have been cases where children have been allowed to die or as in the case of my own mum ... that she was prepared to die for her religion ... leaving behind 4 little kids!

My mother was lucky and managed to live through her ordeal ... but it wasn't her god who saved her ... it was MEDICAL SCIENCE and the medical staff her kept her alive! Had she died though ... I'd have been VERY angry with the JW's and no doubt with my father too for standing by and allowing it to happen. I'd also have ended up far more aggressive towards the JW faith than I already am! It baffles me that people can be so selfish as to allow themselves to die ... purely for a religion! Just doesn't make sense to me.