Do Jehovah Witnesses believe it is immoral to pay for blood transfusions through taxation?
score:16
I found an article from the Jehovah’s Witness official web site that indirectly answers your question. It uses the example of governments using income taxes to pay for wars and points out that it is the responsibility of governments to decide how tax payers’ contributions are spent:
Watchtower 1 April 1975 – Are you guided by a sensitive Christian conscience? Paragraph 4: For example, a person might recognize that Jehovah is not backing the wars of the nations, but that he urges his people to learn the ways of peace. (Isa. 2:4) Knowing that usually the nations support their armies with tax money, would it be balanced and Scriptural for his conscience to lead him to refuse to pay taxes? Or to pay his taxes minus a percentage corresponding to what the government spends on its defense budget? While some persons have taken such a stand, the Bible evidence weighs against a conscience that leads to such a course. Christians are plainly told to pay their taxes, and this was put in the Bible despite the fact that the then-existing Roman government supported a vast army. (Matt. 22:17-21; Rom. 13:1, 7) Thus the Christian can, with a clear conscience balanced by God’s Word, pay his taxes, leaving with the governments the responsibility of how the money is used. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1975246#h=4:0-8:330
A Jehovah’s Witness therefore has a clear conscience when it comes to paying taxes – how the government decides to use that income is not the responsibility of the Witness.
Upvote:5
Jehovah’s Witnesses take seriously the direction in the scripture to “pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar.”
We are obliged to pay the taxes that are demanded by the governments under which we live.
Much of these funds go to beneficial things and much goes toward things we may object to on a personal level.
For example the funding of military expenses that lead to the deaths of thousands of people each year. Jehovah’s witnesses refuse to take up arms and be part of the military in any country.
What governments choose to spend the tax on is between them and God.
In Jesus’ day a large portion of the tax funded Rome’s military even the execution of Jesus was in part funded by the taxes the Jews were told to render to Ceaser by Jesus.
Similarly when governments use collected tax monies to pay for health care that is a beneficial thing. When individuals accept health care options like receiving blood transfusions and the expense is covered in part by the tax monies rendered by Jehovah’s Witnesses who pay their taxes, it is not a conflict for the Witnesses. How a government spends the funds is the governments prerogative and responsibility. This is the official stance of JWs as seen in this article
Upvote:8
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that according to Romans 13, we must pay taxes even if they are used to fund something that we disagree with, such as war, abortions, or blood transfusions.
At first this might seem to be offensive to a person's conscience, but we try to see God's perspective, that these governments are temporarily allowed to operate only by his permission. If we were to oppose the local authorities by refusing to pay taxes, it would be rebellion against God's arrangement. Jehovah's Witnesses do not campaign to change the laws of where they live, nor do they withhold taxes.
More post
- 📝 A Question Regarding the Relationship between God and Messiah
- 📝 What did Jesus mean when he said ‘Go and sin no more’ if sinlessness is impossible?
- 📝 What is the Roman Catholic view on Matthew 23:9?
- 📝 Books of the New Testament for Greeks
- 📝 What is the significance of priest breaking the bread (Host) in a Catholic mass?
- 📝 What is "manna" in the Old Testament?
- 📝 When and how did the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament start in the Catholic Church?
- 📝 Indwelled by the Holy Spirit — VS — not indwelled by the Holy Spirit according to the Calvinist?
- 📝 Are there published testimonies from Christians about their personal experiences with the gift of prophecy?
- 📝 How do Seventh Day Adventists understand "a form of [a] God" in Philippians 2:6?
- 📝 How many of each species went onto the Ark?
- 📝 How can Wisdom be Jesus if Wisdom was created?
- 📝 Which prophecies have definitely been fulfilled?
- 📝 What do the scriptures tell me to do after committing a sin?
- 📝 In what way does the author of Hebrews argue that every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution?
- 📝 What is the small glass vessel with a brass cap and handle that is next to tabernacles in some churches?
- 📝 How did Psalm 124 become associated with the Holy Innocents?
- 📝 Does the Bible give us any indication of why God created such a vast universe with so much stuff in it?
- 📝 Why are there differences in events within the Gospels?
- 📝 Christmas Tree Angel holding bread in one hand and coal in the other?
- 📝 What heresies have required (since the Reformation) 'rejection' after the 'first and second admonition' (Titus 3:10)?
- 📝 When did the demon announce they were afraid of God?
- 📝 According to 21st century Catholic critics, what's so great about the Canticle of the Sun?
- 📝 What information do we have on the real vision of Pope Leo XIII?
- 📝 What verses focus on the prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus being pierced on the cross?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for celebrating Easter?
- 📝 Can God and Unclean Spirits dwell in the same human being at the same time?
- 📝 How much of Genesis 2 *actually* occurred?
- 📝 Why do I sing, "Here I raise my Ebenezer?"
- 📝 Is there precedent for a carnivorous interpretation of Genesis 1:30?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Do Jehovah Witnesses believe it is immoral to pay for blood transfusions through taxation?
- 📝 If Jehovah's Witnesses believe they should use Jehovah to be accurate why don't they use Jesus' real Hebrew name?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the belief held by Jehovah's Witnesses that Jehovah and Jesus Christ are separate entities?
- 📝 Do Jehovah Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ returned to Earth in 1914, or has this teaching now been abandoned?
- 📝 Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions
- 📝 What are the current guidelines for Jehovah's Witnesses regarding blood use in medical treatment?
- 📝 Do the Jehovah's Witnesses believe the new covenant is for gentiles?
- 📝 Is there a need for Christians to believe in Christianity at all, if they don't believe in Resurrection and Salvation through Christ alone?
- 📝 How do Jehovah Witnesses support scripturely the idea that humans will live on earth after death?
- 📝 Blood transfusions and Christianity?
- 📝 Do Jehovah's Witnesses use different language for theological reasons?
- 📝 What is the basis that many mainstream Christian groups justify labeling groups like the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses as Non-Christians?
- 📝 Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe in annihilation?
- 📝 Why were Jehovah's Witnesses holding a Memorial Service for Jesus on Tuesday, March 26 2013?
- 📝 Which denominations believe that the misfortunes of Jews are a result of "God's curse" for their killing of Jesus?
- 📝 What do Jehovah's Witnesses believe about other Bible translations?
- 📝 For people who believe in Jesus and not the devil, what happened in the desert?
- 📝 Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe the 144 000 are from Israel?
- 📝 What traditions believe that a woman's relationship with God must go through some man and how do they support it from the Bible?
- 📝 Do any other denominations agree with the Jehovah Witnesses that Satan was cast to earth in 1914?
- 📝 Why do Catholics believe that it is a priest's blessing that transforms the elements into the body and blood of Christ?
- 📝 Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe only they will be saved after their organization came into existence?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Christian denominations to believe in a visible appearance of Christ Jesus when he returns?
- 📝 What do immersionists believe it means to be buried with Christ through Baptism?
- 📝 Why is it important for people who believe in Trinity that Jesus is God?
- 📝 How do non-Trinitarians who do not believe Jesus is God Almighty explain how Jesus can effect atonement for all of humanity?
- 📝 Distinction between Created Son and Begotten Son for Jehovah's Witnesses
- 📝 Other than non-Trinitarian, what terms are there for Christians who don't believe in the trinity?
- 📝 What do Jehovah's Witnesses believe about evolution?
- 📝 How do people who believe in immediate heaven for believers at death explain Tabitha?