Is a boy of fourteen years mature enough to make an informed decision to die for his religious beliefs? Its not a hypothetical question. This newspaper article in the Saint Petersburg Times discusses such a situation.
The Grandma of Dennis wants people to know the role that Jehovah's Witnesses played in her grandson's death after he refused blood transfusions. I support the right of people to live by and even die for their beliefs. However, there are numerous factors in this case that indicate that he wasn't permitted to make an informed choice.
As a Jehovah's Witness, Dennis would have been expected to spend much time in their indoctrination program. This includes five meetings a week, preparation for those meetings, assemblies, conventions, personal study and reading their numerous publications. He would also be asked to limit association with nonbelievers, shun former members and avoid any critical information about his religion. It is hard to support the idea that a young person, whose brain is still developing, could reasonably make informed decisions in this environment.
If he accepted a blood transfusion to save his life, he would have likely been expelled from the religion and completely shunned by its members. This is a severe punishment and ordeal for a young person, even if he wasn't facing a life threatening illness. Disfellowshipping results in the forced loss of your support network and friends. It's a brutal form of punishment and intimidation. I would say it should be criminal for an organisation like the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Jehovah's Witnesses to intimidate minors with this kind of punishment.
There has been much talk about whether the judge made the correct decision in not requiring blood transfusions for this individual. It's my opinion that he made the wrong decision, but I'm respectful of his reluctance to interfere with an individual's freedom of choice. I will not make that kind of allowance for the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses, who use brutal intimidation and mind control techniques to cause their followers to sacrifice their lives for an immoral doctrine. Olga Lindberg believes they are murderers and I agree.
Please also see this video about the case.
You may also want to visit my other blog about shunning among Jehovah's Witnesses.
2 comments:
IF THE GOVERNING BODY OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES MADE THIS A CONSCIENCE ISSUE THIS BOY WOULD BE ALIVE TODAY. INSTEAD THEY USE THE SWORD OF DISFELLOWSHIPPING TO COERCE THE SHEEPLIKE INNOCENT ONES.
MAY JEHOVAH GOD AND JESUS CHRIST JUDGE YOU GOVERNING BODY. YOU DEMAND STRICT OBEDIENCE, BUT MISS THE MARK OF LOVE AND COMPASSION.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/5568105.html
Jan Curry
I'm Morgan Curry's mom - Dennis' girlfriend in 6th & 7th grade. It would be wonderful if this story was just about a 14 year old boy who believed so strongly in his faith, he followed it to his death. Great example of religious freedom. But there is much more to this story that the reporter, Andrew Meacham, could not reveal and the reason Olga Lindberg and many of us are left to deal with - what happened behind closed doors with judges, attorneys, and personal phone calls and meetings with Dennis a few non-JW's had once he was admitted to the hospital.
The week Dennis was admitted, he called my daughter. The one thing he asked was for her to please visit. I spoke with him and knowing his religion I did not ask him anything about his projected care, just asked "how are you?" What Dennis volunteered to me was in fact his projected care, that all methods for non-transfusion medical care will be followed FIRST and if those failed, he would CONSIDER a blood transfusion because he TRUSTED his doctors and if this was necessary to save his life he said they knew best. A similar conversation between Dennis and his 5th & 6th grade teacher also transpired by phone when he entered the hospital - the difference here is the this trusted teacher came right out and asked him what his course of treatment was. But still, he told her the same thing - he trusted his doctors and if they felt a transfusion was necessary, he would consider it. A week later, lawyers from New York JW Headquarters were flown in to uphold the no blood issue and the hospital liaison committee got involved for the same reason
A website had been established by Dennis' aunt to keep their JW family informed of his condition. I have copies of most of the JW postings from around the world in which they encouraged Dennis to follow his faith, how they hoped their own children will follow his example if this happened to them, how he has set an example for them all - one JW even wrote to Dennis that he was more than just an example of a Witness, he was an ACTUAL Witness. This is what Dennis was bombarded with, surrounded by those encouraging him to follow his faith, the lawyers from NY, and his aunt, who in the court hearing said the words, "I can't allow a transfusion because it is against MY religion." (she didn’t say Dennis's religion). 12 days after Dennis was admitted, his aunt posted on the website, “VICTORY….the hospital administration agreed to recognize Dennis as a mature minor, to be able to make medical decision in his own behalf….I felt like a ton of bricks were lifted from my shoulders.” She, the JW NY lawyers and liaison committee no longer had to fight to keep blood from Dennis - he now had the authority to say “no”.
Dennis didn’t have a choice - he had to say no. To say “yes” meant he would be disfellowshipped from the church and ostracized from the family who took him in when his biological parents couldn’t care for him. Dennis’ goal in life was to make the adults in his life happy, he owed his success in school and the community to his aunt who cared for him. He wanted to make her and his JW family happy . In this article, Dennis’ aunt said,, “…he [Dennis] hoped to go to sleep and be awakened into a paradise on earth.” The real truth is in front of me as I type, again copied from the webpage…..his aunt wrote that Dennis was afraid to go to sleep one night and asked her, “what if I fall asleep and don’t wake up?” His aunt replied, “at least you will wake up in paradise”. Four days before he died, Dennis’ 6th grade teacher forced her way in his room to see him. She asked him why he refused the transfusion? Dennis said, “Ms. Vaughn, I know you want me to live, but there are MORE PEOPLE who want me to follow my faith.” He didn’t say HE wanted to follow his faith - Yes, Dennis chose not to have a transfusion, but it was the only choice he could have made. Morgan was denied visitation by the aunt 2 days before his death - the aunt quoted a scripture saying, “Satan will send false friends….” - she said she could not allow Morgan to talk Dennis into accepting a transfusion. In three short weeks from when he was admitted, Dennis died after 2 chemo treatments depleted his blood supply resulting in an enlarged heart and several strokes
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Above post was saved by:
Watchtower Jehovah's Witness Whistleblower
All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men/women to do nothing-Danny Haszard Bangor Maine
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