Changes

==Blood==

==Blood==

Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments.  All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, packed red blood cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma.  There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters.  The legal procedure is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref>  

While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products".  All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation.  There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters.  The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref>

 

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]

* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]