mother dies after refusing blood transfusion

World UK

Published

A very sad story from England.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/shropshire/7078455.stm

A young mother has died after giving birth to twins, following claims that she had refused a blood transfusion because of her faith.

Jehovah's Witness Emma Gough, 22, from Telford, Shropshire, gave birth on 25 October.

Sad, but it was her right to refuse. My heart breaks for the baby twins, to have to grow up without ever knowing their mother.
i agree totally but there are some kids out there that there mother just threw them in a foster home and i feel bad for these poor little kids that dont know there own mother:o
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Wow, this is lovely, a week later and this tired old debate meanders on down the path of foolishness.

Oh well, since I have a couple minutes to spare, I must thank the people who have kept it going for the past week since its provided me with an insight into the 'mindset' of the religious...particularly the JW guys. Unfortunately, the information provided here doesn't paint the group in a good light and really makes it seem like a cult more than anything else.

By the way, just so you know exactly how to sling the mud at me, I'm of the camp that believes that there probably is some sort of Creator but that it doesn't really care all that much about what goes on this mortal plane. Be a good person, don't harm others, I think those are enough rules to be worried about following. Furthermore, I believe that if you take off the blinders for a second and critically think about religion in general and how its been used throughout time, its pretty easy to see that religion is a tool used to control the masses. Basically, more or less, organized religion started as a cult and some of the more popular cults attracted more followers (there is always some weak willed person willing to follow you if you look hard enough), and just like a herd of animals will multiply so that 2 turns into hundreds so do the flock of the faithful as parents indoctrinate their children into a faith. I mean when your 5 years old your parents are flawless, they are your world...certainly they wouldn't lead you astray, so you become one of the faithful too and the flock multiplies. I wonder how all these religions would be doing if we presented our children with the plethora of religions in the world and allowed them to pick what they wanted when they were able to think for themselves, perhaps in their 20's, minus the childhood indoctrination of course. We won't do this though because religion would probably die out within 3 or 4 generations...it would certainly be an interesting experiment though:lol2:

I would like to add that I do believe religion has some good ideas in it, matter of fact if we were all to sit down and talk about ideas, morals, right and wrong and all that stuff, most of you would probably think I'm a good guy. You might even be tempted to classify me as a 'religious or spiritual' person, which I'm obviously not. I think the problems we see everyday all stem from the people who are "right" or the "true believers" or whatever the faithful like to call themselves. The people who have their minds made up about what the truth is become close-minded and bigoted. These people once convinced of their own righteousness then attempt to force their beliefs on others. You see this with various faiths and results in much misery in the world. Wars were fought a thousand years ago over it, and will probably continue for the foreseeable future.

Just so the JW guys don't feel too singled out, I also think its laughable when I see people playing with snakes or rolling around on the floor or those people who like to start babbling nonsense because the spirit has a'hold of them;). I'm pretty sure those are a result of some random guys interpretation of the bible. While we are talking about the wonderfulness that is cults, or religion if you prefer, how about all that financial, sexual, and political misconduct perpetrated by the religious leaders many folks follow. Those religions that force people to get married, or where the way to salvation is through sleeping with the religious leader are pretty nice too. I won't even bother with the Catholic faith since their shameful misconduct is so well known already, though its gotta sting knowing your tithe to the church is being used to pay off all the victims. I'm sure I'm missing reviewing some groups here, but I've never had a Jewish person or Buddhist or Islamic, or Hindu guy come 'witnessing' to my door attempting to push their beliefs on me. I also never see them posting on the internet about how they are the only right ones in the world. Fanatics, or the guys who 'know the only truth' are dangerous animals regardless of what religion they claim. I think open mindedness is probably the way to go with the religion thing. Well, there's my 2cents....

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.

Whewwwww.........this thread needs to be closed.

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Specializes in NICU.
Whewwwww.........this thread needs to be closed.

:yeahthat:

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I think open mindedness is probably the way to go with the religion thing. Well, there's my 2cents....

"Practice what you preach" comes to mind . . . :smiley_ab

steph

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lol, I'm about as open minded as they come:trout:

I'm willing to believe that anything is possible...even God and creation by a benevolent force that cares...or maybe aliens as the progenitors of our species..or alternate dimensions where the rules of physics and science are different than our own...my point is until I see irrefutable evidence of something or at the very least enough evidence to reasonably support a theory I will not be one of those people who go around proclaiming this is the way things are. I'll leave that for the religious, however, I will be there on my soapbox next to the religious folks offering alternatives to their theories. I've tried to give an accurate account of how I see the world that my personal beliefs are fluid and will change based on what I experience in this world, or facts that I find, or maybe just maybe from exchanging ideas with others. I haven't found any one idea that is able to explain everything yet. This, to me, would seem to be the very definition of 'open-mindedness'.

I'll be the first person to admit there is a lot of things out there that we haven't explained with science. I still intend to continue looking for the truth of things rather than rolling over, throwing up my hands and having faith. The scientific approach, the thing that medicine and nursing is supposed to be based upon, has done more to advance mankind than faith ever has, so I prefer to stick with that in my personal search for the truth. Faith is giving up and accepting what someone else tells you....just seems a bit lazy to me.

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lol, I'm about as open minded as they come:trout:

I will not be one of those people who go around proclaiming this is the way things are. I'll leave that for the religious,

This, to me, would seem to be the very definition of 'open-mindedness'.

I still intend to continue looking for the truth of things rather than rolling over, throwing up my hands and having faith.

Faith is giving up and accepting what someone else tells you....just seems a bit lazy to me.

I'm not sure I'd call you open minded when you characterize people with faith in a God as you did above.

Not many religious people that I know and study "roll over", "give up", "throw up my hands", etc.

Most religious people I know and study have doubts, search, seek, ask questions. Some of the most intelligent people on earth have found a faith in God.

You make us sound unintelligent - and that is having a closed mind.

William Wilberforce - a man, who, with associates, helped to end slavery in Britain, helped with child education, worked for restrictions on child labor, etc.

C.S. Lewis (my favorite author)

J.R.R. Tolkien

George MacDonald

Martin Luther . . . Dietrich Bonhoeffer . . . Augustine . . . Jesus . . .

There are many current day Christian scholars who delve deeply into faith and the bible and current events and doubt.

Phillip Yancey is an awesome and very intelligent Christian man - struggles with doubt - overcame great difficulties but still is tempted, not perfect.

Brennan Manning - who wrote "The Ragamuffin Gospel" . . "for the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out," who wrote "twisted the gospel of grace into religious bondage and distorted the image of God into an eternal, small-minded bookkeeper."

I could go on and on . . . . but I'd like to gently remind you that just because someone has faith, does not mean they don't question, study, THINK.

steph

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Specializes in midwifery, NICU.

Steph, Very Respectfully, just the same as someone who does not have faith. We all come here to voice our opinions, all who post do not believe, or may choose to question the existence of a higher being. It's the right of every human,& Does not make those posters bad people. I love my family with every beat of my heart, would lay my life down for them, love the tinies I nurse, and am pretty open minded over some of mans (womans), bad choices... when they made them for themselves, and I'm there to help get by the problems. Still dont know, until I find some proof about existence of a god. IMHO!!

Each opinion in this thread is valid and useful to others, teaches us all about diversity, to listen to the views of our fellow man.

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Steph, Very Respectfully, just the same as someone who does not have faith. We all come here to voice our opinions, all who post do not believe, or may choose to question the existence of a higher being. It's the right of every human,& Does not make those posters bad people. I love my family with every beat of my heart, would lay my life down for them, love the tinies I nurse, and am pretty open minded over some of mans (womans), bad choices... when they made them for themselves, and I'm there to help get by the problems. Still dont know, until I find some proof about existence of a god. IMHO!!

Each opinion in this thread is valid and useful to others, teaches us all about diversity, to listen to the views of our fellow man.

Hi - thanks, I appreciate your post.

I was responding to a specific part of a specific post that characterized people of faith as unintelligent. That is all.

I completely respect everyone's right to believe or not believe. And don't cast aspersions on their reasoning.

I also respect the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to refuse blood products. I don't characterize them as unintelligent - I simply don't agree with their interpretation.

steph

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Specializes in midwifery, NICU.
Hi - thanks, I appreciate your post.

I was responding to a specific part of a specific post that characterized people of faith as unintelligent. That is all.

I completely respect everyone's right to believe or not believe. And don't cast aspersions on their reasoning.

I also respect the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to refuse blood products. I don't characterize them as unintelligent - I simply don't agree with their interpretation.

steph

Babe, you are Truly THE wise woman!;)

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Babe, you are Truly THE wise woman!;)

Will you tell my 18 year old daughter that?? ;););)

Thanks! So are you. Hey, maybe this thread has taken a turn for the better, huh? :heartbeat:1luvu::redbeathe:bowingpur

:Dsteph

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Specializes in midwifery, NICU.

Steph, same back at ya!! I have 20 & 18 yr old divas in my house!!!

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