Lesson 12
Showing Respect for Life and Blood
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How should we view life? (1) abortion? (1) |
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How do Christians show that they are safety conscious? (2) |
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Is it wrong to kill animals? (3) |
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What are some practices that do not show respect for life? (4) |
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What is God's law on blood? (5) |
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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.
To please God, we must avoid blood transfusions, unclean habits, and unnecessary risks
![[Women smoking] [Overturned vehicle]](/images/rq/fp25_02.jpg)
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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.
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