Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Protection Legislation: The Right to Refuse Medical Consent

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myles Frederick McLellan
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
Protection Legislation ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right To Refuse

scholarly journals The state of the late Protestant denominations

2008 ◽  
pp. 302-331
Author(s):  
Petro Yarotskiy
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Soviet Rule ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
Ideological Criticism ◽  
State Security ◽  
Right Of Return ◽  
Western Ukraine ◽  
The Right ◽  
Protestant Denominations

Late Protestantism - Baptists, Pentecostals, Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses have existed in Ukraine for over a hundred years. Under Soviet rule, these denominations were under constant administrative pressure, subject to party-ideological criticism, atheistic propaganda. The Pentecostals were virtually banned and non-registrable, since they were forcibly annexed by evangelical Baptist Christians after the August 1945 state agreement initiated by the Moscow authorities. From the very beginning of the establishment of Soviet power in Western Ukraine (1939), Jehovah's Witnesses were declared an "anti-Soviet sect" and were therefore banned. In March 1951, an act of genocide was committed against Jehovah's Witnesses: according to the "Memorandum Note of the USSR Ministry of State Security", approved by J. Stalin's personal signature, all Jehovah's Witnesses, together with their families (7650 persons), were sent from Ukraine to eternal settlement in Siberia. without the right of return to Ukraine, and their homes and property were confiscated by the state.

scholarly journals Jehovah's Witnesses in the Modern World and Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriy Kireyev ◽  
Konstantin Berezhko
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
The State ◽  
Communist Regime ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
The Social ◽  
State Registration ◽  
The Right ◽  
First Time

This article highlights the history of Jehovah's Witnesses as a Christian religion in Ukraine from its occurrence on the territory of Ukraine in the early 20th century to the present day. The response of the Witnesses to the massive attempts of the Nazi and Soviet regimes to marginalize and suppress their religious manifestations is described separately. In particular, the biblical nature and confessional content of one of the fundamental teachings of the Witnesses – neutrality – is analyzed and explained. It includes the information about what it means and what it does not mean for believers. This makes it possible to better understand the current display of the neutrality of the denomination members when it comes to compliance with certain requirements of the local government. The growth statistics of the denomination members throughout history are given, which indicate the failed attempts of the totalitarian governments repressive system to eradicate the faith in the controlled territories. For the first time, information is published from the memoirs of Witnesses who tried to obtain state registration in 1949 when under the communist regime and the reaction of the government officials to believers’ attempts to be recognized by the state and society. There is a link between the recognition of the state through state registration and the increase of confessional activity, by which the Witnesses actually disprove the myths and labels produced and imposed on society by totalitarian regimes for decades. Emphasis is placed on the Witnesses’ current activities, which gives an idea of their attitude towards Ukrainian society and their role in strengthening and affirming Christian values among fellow citizens. Their publishing activity, evangelization work, religious and family values, public worship, educational programs, charitable and social work, attitude to representatives of other religions are analyzed. The view of health care is particularly examined. It describes the principles of a reasonable balance that Witnesses follow between the right to make informed treatment choices (including the refusal to use blood) and the attitude toward life and health as one of the highest human values. The significant contribution of Jehovah's Witnesses to the development of alternative nonblood treatments in world medicine is acknowledged. Therein are recorded the conclusions from numerous religious studies of Ukrainian and European institutions regarding the social and pedagogical value of materials published and distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses through their periodicals and official online resources. The involvement of Jehovah's Witnesses in providing charitable assistance to civilians during the conflict in Donbas is highlighted. The activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the context of their attitude to the culture, history, and traditions of the local people are considered. In particular, the part of the tourist program for fellow believers, who come from abroad to join in the ministry or assemblies, is to get familiar with Ukrainian monuments and the historical heritage. Witnesses publish and distribute Bible publications in 14 languages spoken by small indigenous communities in Ukraine. The social significance of biblical teaching, which is meant to meet the spiritual needs of Ukrainians with hearing and visual impairments as well as those who currently remain in places of correctional centers is outlined. For the first time, significant decisions of higher courts in Ukraine and other countries regarding Jehovah's Witnesses are considered. In recent years, the issues of military service and the right for alternative (non-military) service have been considered in higher domestic and foreign courts; denomination’s compliance with the requirements for the provision of state subsidies guaranteed to recognized religions; the right to build and use their places of worship, and proper assessment of religious hate crimes against Jehovah's Witnesses by law enforcement agencies. The decisions of the courts in the above-mentioned cases show that states consider Jehovah's Witnesses to be a recognized religion with the right to exercise freedom of conscience and religion.

Patient Focus

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Metcalfe ◽  
Harveer Dev
Keyword(s):  
Medical Practice ◽  
Blood Substitutes ◽  
Cell Salvage ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
Liaison Committee ◽  
Good Medical Practice ◽  
Foundation Programme ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Right

As a junior doctor, you are constantly pulled in different directions by multiple competing interests. These include those of your immediate bosses (possibly multiple consultants, a registrar, and an SHO), Educational Supervisors (Clinical Supervisor, Foundation Programme Director), fellow FY1 doctors, other healthcare professionals (nurses, physiotherapists), ancillary services (laboratory, radiology), patients’ relatives, representatives of the Trust (infection control, human resources, information technology), and many others. In amongst all of these is a patient, if not many, for whom all of these individuals are also working. It will not come as a surprise that Good Medical Practice (2013) states early on that you must ‘make the care of your patient your first concern’ and ‘treat patients as individuals and respect their dignity’. In addition, Good Medical Practice requires that you: ● listen to, and respond to, their concerns and preferences ● give patients the information they want or need in a way they can understand ● respect patients’ right to reach decisions with you about their treatment and care ● support patients in caring for themselves to improve and maintain their health. One challenge is when patients reach decisions that are contrary to the best available medical advice. The archetypal case in point is that of a Jehovah’s Witness at risk of life- threatening haemorrhage but refusing a blood transfusion. In such cases, remember that: ● you should never assume what someone’s beliefs are just because they come bearing a particular religious label. It is always right to ask the patient what they believe and what they will accept under different circumstances. For example, some Jehovah’s Witnesses will accept cell salvage and some blood substitutes ● seek advice early, particularly if the stakes are high (e.g. active bleeding). Your own seniors (SpR, consultant, etc.) and the on- call haematology team are good places to start. They may direct you to other resources that you might contact (with the patient’s consent) such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Hospital Liaison Committee ● document all conversations (with the patient and colleagues) carefully ● ultimately, an adult patient with capacity has the right to refuse treatments— however much you disagree and even if this ultimately results in their death.

scholarly journals The Right to Family Life and Religious Freedom Versus the States‘ Interests

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-159
Author(s):  
Bianca-Codruța Băra
Keyword(s):  
Family Life ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
The State ◽  
Parental Authority ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
The Right

Abstract The right to family life and religious freedom rejoice an universal recognition. The right to family life involves the prerogative of exercising parental authority in accordance with the religious beliefs of the parents. The right of parents to decide on behalf of their children is not an absolute one. Interference by the states must justify a legitimate aim and must be proportionate to that purpose. The states have to maintain a balance between the right to family life and religious freedom and its interests in safeguarding the lives and health of its citizens. The difficulty of maintaining this balance was also found in the jurisprudence of the courts. The most common cases arose as a result of the refusal of parents who belonged to the Jehovah's Witnesses religion to allow blood to be transfused for their children, risking their lives. Although the courts have explicitly recognized the right of parents to raise their children in accordance with their beliefs, they have shown that rescuing life and ensuring the physical and mental integrity of children are issues of national concern, so that the rapid intervention of public authorities, when these values are jeopardized, becomes not only a right of the state but also an obligation

scholarly journals The right of Jehovah's witnesses to refuse and to accept blood transfusion

2019 ◽  
pp. 137-137
Author(s):  
Milos Radovanovic ◽  
Igor Koncar ◽  
Aleksandra Vujcic ◽  
Lazar Davidovic
Keyword(s):  
Blood Transfusion ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
The Right

Jehovah’s Witnesses, blood transfusions and judicial decision

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Cyrych
Keyword(s):  
Premature Death ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Undue Influence ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
Religious Sects ◽  
The Right ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Religious Reasons

Every patient has the right and capacity to decide on accepting medical treatment, even if a refusal might risk permanent injury to his/her health or even lead to premature death, and regardless of whether the reasons for the refusal were rational or irrational, unknown or even non-existent, if a patient’s capacity to make a decision had been overborne by the undue influence of others, it is the duty of the doctors to treat her/him in whatever way they considered, in the exercise of their clinical judgement, to be in his best interests. The dangerous practice of denial of therapy for various religious reasons affects almost all religious sects and, to a small extent, other religious groups. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that accepting foreign blood blocks the way to salvation. They only agree to provide a medical service with the use of non-blood products. Therefore, treatment of such a patient can be extremely difficult for doctors. In other words, the arise is whether the rights of a mother refusing to have treatment can prevail against those of her unborn child, whereas potential limit to the absolute right of a competent adult to accept or reject treatment was recognized by English and American courts.

ENT surgery, blood and Jehovah's Witnesses

2006 ◽  
Vol 121 (5) ◽  
pp. 409-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
S L Woolley ◽  
D R K Smith
Keyword(s):  
Blood Transfusions ◽  
Reduce Blood Loss ◽  
Blood Products ◽  
Homologous Blood ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Surgical Strategies ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Patient Groups ◽  
The Right

Surgical procedures in otolaryngology are often associated with the need for blood transfusions. Homologous blood transfusions carry risks and may be unacceptable to some patient groups. The Jehovah's Witness Society is known to many because of its stance on blood products. Refusal of potentially life-saving treatment creates ethical dilemmas for treating clinicians. Throughout the world, Jehovah's Witnesses have fought for the right to refuse blood products. This article examines the need for blood in otolaryngological procedures, surgical strategies to reduce blood loss, the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses regarding the acceptability of blood, and procedures and legal stances adopted when treating Jehovah's Witnesses.

Jehovah's Witnesses and Medical Practice in Mexico: Religious Freedom, Parens Patriae, and the Right to Life

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52
Author(s):  
JORGE HERNÁNDEZ-ARRIAGA ◽  
CARLOS ALDANA-VALENZUELA ◽  
KENNETH V. ISERSON
Keyword(s):  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
The United States ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Right To Life ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
Societal Norms ◽  
Parens Patriae ◽  
The Right

The influx of new groups into society, such as recently established religious groups whose practices differ from societal norms, may disturb relatively stable communities. This instability is exacerbated if these practices contravene long-held fundamental societal tenets, such as the protection of children. This situation now exists in Mexico, where the country's traditional Catholic and secular values clash with those of a religion introduced from the United States, Jehovah's Witnesses. The focal point for these clashes, as it has been elsewhere, is in the bioethics arena.

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