Interview with Greg Stafford

Greg Stafford is a Jehovah's Witness who is no longer associated with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.  He has written SEVERAL BOOKS which both defend and criticize particular elements of the Watchtower Society.  The fact that Stafford is so critical of the organization, yet holds to many of its core doctrines, make him quite an interesting and unique apologist.

Recently, Stafford was interviewed by the SIX SCREENS OF THE WATCHTOWER TELENETWORK with regards to his stance on many issues.  Regardless of what you think of Stafford, if you are interested in Jehovah's Witnesses, you should find this interview interesting.  And yes, you'll hear his arguments against the Trinity and other doctrines held by "Christendom."  But you'll also hear his criticisms against the Watchtower Society and why he left.  On that end, any faithful JW in association with the Watchtower will be obliged to view him as an apostate and treated accordingly.  But I do hope that those same JW's will give this interview a chance and perhaps learn something new.

The interview was very disorganized and distracting, as it was held in a conference call format with many honing in to ask questions.  The interview starts at about 20 minutes in, but the full mp3 file is almost 6 hours long.  I haven't gotten through the whole thing, but I doubt Stafford was on the whole time.

If anyone has any thoughts, i'd be very interested in hearing them.  You can download or listen to the mp3 HERE.

If you are a Jehovah's Witness who is doubtful of the Watchtower's blood policy, you need to watch this

Greg Stafford on blood

Though I disagree with Greg Stafford on a lot of things, I have always appreciated his insights on certain matters, whether they are in agreement or disagreement with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. In particular, I have enjoyed his commentaries on the Jehovah's Witnesses view on blood. Though i'd highly recommend picking up his Jehovah's Witnesses Defended 3rd edition, I would consider taking a look at some of his articles on blood that he has posted on his WEBSITE and BLOG, especially THIS BLOG ARTICLE. For too long has the Watchtower society and Jehovah's Witnesses ignored the many arguments that critics have posed against their blood policies. And it is especially bothersome when someone like Stafford, who was a loyal JW for years, published books dealing with the issue, and even wrote directly to the society, gets ignored.

If the Watchtower isn't going to deal with these criticisms, then I think those few JW apologists who defend their faith online, should.

A plea for Jehovah's Witnesses on the Watchtower's blood policy

This video speaks for itself.

What happens when you prioritize loyalty to an organization over loyalty to God

The article can be viewed here. A very sad story.

I pray her kids forgive her

Jehovah outcast's message to twins who lost mum when she refused transfusion

By Amanda Evans & Emma Shankland

AN ex-Jehovah's Witness whose dad died refusing a blood transfusion last night blasted the religion that led tragic mum Emma Gough to leave her newborn twins motherless.

Following the inquest this week into how devout Emma died obeying her church's order to turn down lifesaving blood, crusading Lisa Magdalena (left) told of her hope the babies can one day FORGIVE their mother.

Hell

She said: "I didn't know Emma or her husband Anthony but when birth complications set in she had two choices—TAKE the blood and be struck down as a sinner bound for hell, or DON'T take it and die. Not a nice dilemma.

"But after what happened to me, I can see the situation through the eyes of her little son and daughter.

"I was only two but if I'd been allowed in the hospital when my dad said no to the transfusion, I'd have been on my knees screaming, ‘Please Daddy! Don't leave us!'"

Lisa's father Keith Playford made legal history in 1972 when the hospital treating him after a wisdom tooth op won a court ruling to administer blood AGAINST his will.

But he died before they could act. Lisa said: "By the time I was a teenager I was filled with anger and confusion. I couldn't understand how my dad chose to die when he could have been saved. Because of that I grew up watching other kids with their dads and I felt sick with jealousy and grief."

Ironically pretty Lisa, 38, from Eastbourne, Sussex, has TWICE been forced to make that life or death decision herself—and paid the price by being cast out by the Witnesses.

When she gave birth to daughter Zeta, now 14, she lost a lot of blood like 22-year-old Emma from Telford, Shropshire, but ACCEPTED the transfusion.

Four years ago she developed blood cancer and had EIGHT more transfusions.

"I didn't think twice about it," said Lisa, now recovered. "But I was shunned by the church. So I know the kind of life Emma was facing had she taken that blood.

"The Jeho-vah's Witness rules about transfusions are warped. It all stems from a passage in the Bible which says you should not drink the blood of an animal. It's crazy. They eat meat and even accept organ donations but they won't allow blood transfusion.

"How can they think that's what the Bible meant? They didn't even have blood transfusions then.

"Now I've set up my own counselling service for people facing the choice and I'm writing a book about my life called Comply Or Die."

Jehovah's Witness spokesman Tony Brace said: "We have deep fellow feeling for the family of Emma Gough following her tragic premature death.

"As believers in the Bible we support Emma's personal decision to obey its command to abstain from blood."