Sam Harris

Hi guys

I am wondering why Sam does not use the refusing of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses as an argument in his debates. The prophet of Jehovah’s witnesses has interpreted the bible in that particular way back when he created the cult.

Now everybody in that cult is behaving in the same way. This is the best example of people being willing to let their children die because of the books. This proves his statement that the books are the root of the problem, not politics, economy and so on. Jehovahs witnesses are not oppressed or desperate nor do they have political reasons for not getting blood transfusion. So nobody can use those argument against him. Jehovas witnesses simply believe in their version of the bible. The use of this argument can prove his point that the books are the problem. Jehovas Witnesses refuse blood because they are sure they will spend the eternity with their loved ones if they do that. This is exactly what he is saying about the parents of suicide bombers and the quraan.

http://www.ajwrb.org/

this one passage in the bible makes parents let their children die. the same is with the quran and the passage that talks about martyrdom and that its ok to kill yourself if killing infidels in the process.

It terrifies me to see that he is right and that not enough people are taking him seriously.
I hope you guys can use the Jehovah’s witnesses argument for something.It has been a good argument in the debates i have had because people are simply not able to answer why Jehovas witnesses are letting their children die like that if not for the fact that it says so in that sentence in the bible: You must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh. Leviticus 17:14 They have interpreted it in a way that costs them their lives and the lives of their children and they still follow it.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2809423.ece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7078455.stm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1024621/Critically-ill-father-faces-death-Jehovahs-Witness-wife-refuses-let-blood-transfusion.html
http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/11/jehovahs_witness_teen_dies_aft.html

What do you guys think about this? why is Sam not using this as an argument?

It makes me so sad to read these articles. I hate the media for placing political correctness above children’s lives. And at the same time they have the nerve to criticize Sam and say he is exaggerating.

Kazo

Hi Kazo!

Off the top, I would guess that the Witnesses are overlooked for the same reason that the Christian Science movement is largely ignored for refusing most medical procedures, including vaccinating their children—they make up a small segment of the church population; and the majority of Christians who have re-interpreted religious laws such as the irrational fear of blood, will dismiss them as fringe cultists who aren’t interpreting the bible properly. So it’s usually more effective to go after dogmas that the majority of Christians adhere to—such as transubstantiation, three gods in one, Jesus being 100% human and 100% divine etc..

That sort of stupidity is also racially self-correcting.

telner - 07 September 2008 04:23 AM

That sort of stupidity is also racially self-correcting.

Yep, qualifies for a religious Darwin award.

I am only alive today because saline ended up working when I needed 3 blood-transfusions as a teen. The elders and my family were prepared to let me die because of the jw teachings about accepting blood.  I was then subjected to an interrogation when I came to in the hospital by the elders and my parents on the topics of me secretly accepting blood or if I think the hospital gave me blood anyway.
Funny but not one question about why I had to ride my bike to the hospital on my own or why my parents didn’t notice their daughter was sick for months.