Lesson 12
Showing Respect for Life and Blood
How should we view life? (1) abortion? (1)
How do Christians show that they are safety conscious? (2)
Is it wrong to kill animals? (3)
What are some practices that do not show respect for life? (4)
What is God’s law on blood? (5)
Does this include blood transfusions? (6)
1. Jehovah is the Source of life. All living things owe their life to God. (Psalm 36:9) Life is sacred to God. Even the life of an unborn child inside its mother is precious to Jehovah. To kill such a developing baby on purpose is wrong in God’s eyes.—Exodus 21:22, 23; Psalm 127:3.
2. True Christians are safety conscious. They make sure that their cars and their homes are safe. (Deuteronomy 22:8) God’s servants do not take unnecessary risks with their lives just for pleasure or excitement. So they do not share in violent sports that deliberately hurt other people. They avoid entertainment that encourages violence.—Psalm 11:5; John 13:35.
3. Animal life is also sacred to the Creator. A Christian may kill animals to provide food and clothing or to protect himself from sickness and danger. (Genesis 3:21; 9:3; Exodus 21:28) But it is wrong to mistreat animals or to kill them just for sport or pleasure.—Proverbs 12:10.
4. Smoking, chewing betel nut, and taking drugs for pleasure are not for Christians. These practices are wrong because (1) they make us their slaves, (2) they harm our bodies, and (3) they are unclean. (Romans 6:19; 12:1; 2 Corinthians 7:1) It can be very hard to give up these habits. But we must do so to please Jehovah.
5. Blood is also sacred in God’s eyes. God says that the soul, or life, is in the blood. So it is wrong to eat blood. It is also wrong to eat the meat of an animal that has not been properly bled. If an animal is strangled or dies in a trap, it should not be eaten. If it is speared or shot, it must be bled quickly if it is to be eaten.—Genesis 9:3, 4; Leviticus 17:13, 14; Acts 15:28, 29.
6. Is it wrong to accept a blood transfusion? Remember, Jehovah requires that we abstain from blood. This means that we must not take into our bodies in any way at all other people’s blood or even our own blood that has been stored. (Acts 21:25) So true Christians will not accept a blood transfusion. They will accept other kinds of medical treatment, such as transfusion of nonblood products. They want to live, but they will not try to save their life by breaking God’s laws.—Matthew 16:25.
[Pictures on page 25]
To please God, we must avoid blood transfusions, unclean habits, and unnecessary risks