Okay, so the flavor of discontent is JW's today, but I pretty much wave a big middle finger to the entirety of organized religion.
You want to believe something? Fine, your business. And that's exactly how it should be: your business. Don't come knocking on my door. Don't tell me I'm going to hell. And don't tell me that your imaginary man is more important that someone else's imaginary man. Enjoy it, but don't force it on the rest of us.
Now, while I despise all other organized religions, Jehovah Witnesses almost take the cake (wait until my tirade of Jews for Jesus). While many of these religions are cults, JW's are the most socially accepted, cult (I put that because scientology is regarded as a load of bullshit by almost everyone).
I have to be nice the ones that knock upon my chamber door because my family is unfortunately connected to some of these folks. So if I have my say, shit would hit the fan. I would be called an anti-christ possessed by a demon and cause a rift in the group. So I shut up. I've done a hell of a job dodging these people for most of my formative and young adult years. But just hearing them... fucking insane.
Their beliefs can actually fucking kill someone. Or their children. If you're not familiar, JW's will have been going back and forth on the blood issue. There's a whole break down on what some groups say are okay and some say are not. While wiki answers isn't the most reliable source, it does have JW's explaining why they shouldn't have blood. Their opinions vary to some degree, but the main point is simple. JW's refuse blood transfusions, but are okay with IV's, and non-blood transfusions. Some are okay with taking a part of the blood, but not it whole (like plasma would be okay for some people). It gets pretty damn complicated.
Basically, they bend the rules enough until they can sleep at night. I have problems with the one JW stating that blood substitute transfusions are superior. They can potentially have uses, but in the 70 odd years of creating them, none are currently approved by the FDA. There are some potential ones being studied in other countries, but for now your best bet is blood.
Here's the kicker: Watchtower (the head of JW's) are pretty okay with organ transplants. But they have to be drained of blood! No, really, that's the rule. A few decades ago the JW's said organ transplants and other life saving treatments were forbidden and akin to cannibalism. After enough people died, they decided to change their tune a bit. But it's still not enough. The amount of craziness in this principal hurts my brain on so many levels.
If you want to kill yourself and refuse blood, fine. More for me. But it's another thing when you let your child die because of your prehistoric beliefs. And interestingly enough, it's the parent (who is JW) who decides to break the sacred oath and get blood for their children. Sadly, their children are so indoctrinated that they refuse, go to court, and end up being declared "mature minors."
Crazy shit. Also: some groups claim that they need to be pure to get to heaven. As in no blood or organs (Even though Watchtower may have some rules, there are sections within JW that have some interpretations of their own). Quick medical fact: red blood cells, the number 1 component you need for most transfusions, only live a couple of months. Bone marrow makes blood cells, so essentially, you're entirely yourself if you live a few more months. How about that?
Basically, some JW's are fucking crazy. I won't even get into excommunication or other cult practices they indulge in (another 10 posts for me in the future, I guess).
But yeah... there are some fucking crazy Jehovah Witnesses
