Posts Tagged ‘give blood’
Give Blood Against Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Dogma – The Blood Challenge – life over death
I have started a new blog devoted to encouraging people to give blood in defiance of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Dogma. Think of it as something more meaningful than the blasphemy challenge – because when you do this not only are you challenging religious dogma but you are actually doing something altruistic – giving someone the chance of life.
Also it is more hardcore – needles are involved. Right now I am wearing a bruise and feeling pretty good about myself.
For more please check out:
http://thebloodchallenge.wordpress.com/
Given blood – Give blood against Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Dogma
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Well after giving blood to be honest we were feeling it. Owen (Hyrax) most of all – he was white as a sheet coming out and had to lie down, Joe needed sugar and I had a bruise when the needle went in which stopped me giving a pint – just enough for medical tests.
Thanks to Owen and Joe for coming up all this way to give blood. Hope those that pledged do so too (most have) and that the videos inspire you to do so. All agreed it was worth it. Not just for the tea and biscuits at the end.
One question asked prior to giving blood was “Has anyone told you not to give blood?” – which brought a smile to my face as that was one of the things that had brough me to the blood donor centre. The idea that the blood in my body was so sacred that it belonged to a god that would not want me to use it to help others is one that I fully rebuke.
Now Mat has mentioned that in Part 3 it sounds like I may not have been telling the truth on the form. Far from it – but my point there was that if I had been gay I would not have been able to give blood. There was no question asking if I had not used condoms in heterosexual intercourse. But there was whether I had or had not used protection with sex with another man.
It has been raised a few times in the thread on rd.net together with the fact that I could not give blood in the USA because of fears over CJD (which I was asked about here in the UK if any relatives affected by).
It does seem like something based not so much on science but on fear and prejudice.
Anyway we are all feeling good apart from a little more lethargic than normal. A small price to pay for helping your neighbour.
For more including how you can give blood for the same reasons check out:
http://thebloodchallenge.wordpress.com/
Give Blood
Just arranging to give blood this month. Matalanifesto (Mat as I refer to him on the blog normally) has kindly agreed to come up and film me talking about it, going through it. Will put up on youtube where my username is “Dawkinist” – which is a tongue in cheek name, more poking fun at the way people try to use the word. I already had that outlook on life without him – reading his books gave me a better insight into what science allowed us to understand about life on earth. But what he has done is motivate me in making my concerns voiced and to act in getting that message across.
I started a pledge to donate blood in protest at Jehovah’s Witness teaching. I give my further reasons for doing this here. For me the summery reason is an infant should not die because of the religious conviction of their parents. The labelling of children in this manner is child abuse – the legal courts deciding in cases around the world can mean that precious time allows an unnecessary death. Not only that, but giving something that costs you nothing but gives someone else life is a generosity to be encouraged.
I hope that you too may consider it. Just think – saving a life this way is considered a sin. The idea is ludicrous, but not funny when people die. You will hear about the deaths of children and adults – they do happen around the world. I question the adult’s choices, but they make their own choices. A child though should not die for a reason that they cannot understand, without words they cannot speak, without a chance to understand that the cult is a fraud, a false prophet, and a false representation of what it is to live a life questioning what you may and living as a citizen with full rights irrespective of gender or sexual orientation.
Do something amazing – give blood.
The National Blood Service (England and North Wales)
The Welsh Blood Service (South Wales)
