What good is this life if you lose life everlasting? The answer is YES.

No, but then again my beliefs are different.

Your beliefs are your beliefs, you should not compromise them for anything. I respect her for the decision she made, but am not sure I would've done the same.

Two Bible quotes : "Only flesh with its soul-its blood-you must not eat" (Genesis 9:3-4) & "Abstain from ... fornication and from what is strangled and from blood" (Acts 15:19-21) Jehovas witness' believe that accepting a blood transfusion willingly and without regret is a sin. On a personal note, I agree with you, a sad waste of a young life, would any God have wanted a young mom like that to die and leave her kids to grow up without a mother ? I doubt it.

God gave us the inteligence to prevent things like this from happening. leaving babies without a mother when it could be prevented is wrong. After all doesn't god forgive us, especially if the act is unselfish.

I wouldn't die for that reason. She was just as dopey as the people of Jonestown were and she died in vain.

No. That's shameful to orphan her twins that way. I think a situation like that is a pretty strong hint from God that you're barking up the wrong tree.

That is just so seriously flawed, I can't put it into words. I suppose the cult will look after her children now?

Would I resort to insanity-- no. Now those kids are gonna live their lives never having known their mother. How can that be done in the greater good. That's ignorance and just the same as suicide anyway so should be a """""""sin""""".

There is no guarantee that she would have survived with a blood transfusion. Having twins can do some serious trauma to a body. Many women die during or after childbirth. At least she died with her faith intact. http://www.watchtower.org/e/hb/article_03.htm

The fact is, Emma had given permission and signed a legal document to the that effect, that a Blood Salvage Machine could be used in the event that there was an extreme case of blood loss. The sad thing about it is that the Hospital Staff, DID NOT KNOW how to use the equipment! Therefore, the hospital was responsible for her death and as I understand it from later reports, the family is suing the hospital for negligence. (not confirmed) A hospital spokesman did say that there was the likliehood of her dying even if she did have a blood transfusion.

I am not JW, have studied with them, just could not accept alot that I felt was not right... But, yes, I would go that far for what my Bible tells me is right, we will all have go far one day, make stands.. I understand their views on blood being sacred.. it is sad about the twins. it is also sad about lawsuits...we are not supposed to sue or have anyone suing us..you can not replace life with money.. these are my own discernments..

Surely if Christ was prepared to die for his faith, and a Christian is a follower of Christ then any REAL Christian would be prepared to do so?

As a JW myself, though a young male, yes Jehovah is as real to me as my parents are real

Rince, we as JW look to the bible to see what the Almighty God, Jehovah [Psalm 83:18, Exodus 6:3] says on the matter. Back in the 1st century when the Christian congregation was formed, after Jesus died, the bible writer Luke wrote under inspiration of a decision made by the Governing body at Jerusalem that they wanted to add no burden to Christians but to Abstain from ...blood [Acts 15:20,29]. This abstention was also to apply to consuming animals that had been strangled, because the blood would still be in them. We Jehovah's witnesses, ones who are baptised have a 'blood card' on our person [I need to do mine again] which is lodged with the congregation secretary, family members and our GP which is able to tell others of our wishes regarding our refusal of blood if we are unconscious. It can be scary thinking that, in the UK doctors only seem to know how to give blood transfusions and don't look to alternatives that we Jehovah's Witnesses accept [see www.noblood.org] Throughout the bible blood is viewed as sacred [Genesus 9:3,4, Leviticus [think v17], Acts 15, it was blood that the high priest took once a year under the curtain to the most holy at the temple in Jerusalem, of bulls and of young rams. It is Jesus' blood that makes atonement for mankinds sins. [and means everlasting life for obedient ones] So blood is sacred. Only we as Jehovah's witnesses are sincere enough to read and follow all of what the scriptures say in our daily lives. Register on www.noblood.org If you want to know more, medical professionals in America can tell you about bloodless programmes. If you want to know more about the bible, then write back [send me a private message if you want on here]

Jehovah didn't want Emma Gough to die, I was saddened to hear of that but she will be given a resurrection to a paradise earth

The problem is noboby gets to hear about those who die from having blood transfusions , J.W'S dont just die we have alternative medical options which are used, and just as life-saving as blood , if fact world wide medical teams are learning from the alternative methods used on J.W'S , as they are much healthier for the body than blood. ...

no way! Thats terrible. Has her kids survived?

here is a story related to this from The University of Southern California. http://uscmediareligion.org/printable.php?theStory&sID=307

I have a cousin who's husband had a blood transfusion and died from it. She never told me why the transfusion killed him, whether it was medical error such as wrong blood type, tainted blood, or whatever. . It seems that they are always saying how the blood is safer now than it was ten years ago. In 2000 it was safer than in 1990, 1990 it was safer than 1980, 1980 was safer than 1970. I don't know how much comfort that is to all of those that have an incurable disease from it. It seems now that it is safer from a medical standpoint than in the past, at least in the US, as in the US, you cannot donate blood if you have recieved a transfusion in many other Countries. There are many people alive who have refused blood that were told they would die if they refused, while there are many others who are very sick or terminally ill when they could have sought out other treatments. . http://www.baptisthealthsystem.com/facilities_nbh_news_detail/01/30/2008/what_is_bloodless_surgery_.aspx http://www.noblood.org/ Website about blood alternatives http://www.bloodbook.com/trans-tran.html Transfusion transmitted diseases - Bloodbook.com http://www.bloodbook.com/hep-c.html - Previous infections of Hepatitus C http://www.noblood.org/medical-articles-abstracts/4983-blood-transfusions-safe-medicine.html - Website about blood transfusion alternatives http://public-healthcare-issues.suite101.com/article.cfm/blood_transfusions_safe_medicine - Blood safe medicine? http://www.videojug.com/expertanswer/contact-transmission-of-hiv/can-i-get-hiv-through-a-blood-transfusion - Blood transfusions safer since the 1980's http://thewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com/2007/01/dangerous-female-blood-donors.html - Another danger of Blood Transfusions. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/1994/05/01/88826/index.htm - Article from 1994 about people still being infected with HIV 10 years after testing implemented. http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/PR/news/story.cfm?id=2293 - Transfusion increase blood clots in cancer patients. http://www.egypttoday.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8351 - Millions in Egypt have Hepatitus C - February 2009 http://manxlivertyhepc.spaces.live.com/ - Hepatitus C support group, many of which came from blood transfusion http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/mycues/vpost?id=3031088 - Support group for hepatitus C, mostly recieved transfusions before 1992 http://chapters.redcross.org/ca/norcal/phys/transfus_hepatitis.html - Blood safer since 1992, Redcross lookback http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news022/ns207253.htm Mother told that her 5-year old most likely got AIDS from a Blood Transfusion http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8640096 Transfusion acquired AIDS - Taiwan http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/26/news/aids-cases-from-transfusions-give-rise-to-suits.html?sec=health - AIDS acquired through transfusion gives rise to suits. New York Times July 26, 1991 http://www.bloodbook.com/part-3.html http://media.givebloodgivelife.org/pdf/sixteenyrold_consent_package.pdf List of Countries that if you recieved a blood transfusion in one of them, you cannot donate blood. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/cedars/la-me-cedars15jul15-vignettes,0,6345945,full.story Learning the truth, then facing it - Article about a girl who caught AIDS from transfusion http://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/03/nyregion/hunt-to-begin-for-recipients-of-aids-blood-in-the-region.html?sec=health .

i have a sister in law whose mother died from complications even though she received a transfusion against her will. had she not had one, people would be saying she died because of refusing the transfusion. the fact is that there are no guarantees. doctors cannot say for certain that a transfusion will save a life. the fact is that more and more hospitals are opting to not use transfusions because of the high risk to the patient. it is a proven fact that a patient will recover much faster from a surgery if the patient is not given a transfusion. san diego, california is an example of the kind of bloodless facilities that are starting to pop out throughout the country. there are at least 100,000 hospitals worldwide that will cooperate with witnesses and treat them without the use of whole blood.

I do not want someone elses blood running through my body. It would be better if I could deposit my own blood for personal use in event of future emergencies. Life is temporary. The question is rather why was the birth so dangerous?

Interestng article on blood http://www.jonbarron.org/heart-health-program/05-12-2008.php

I do not believe there is a God. But I think this woman was a complete fool- let me explain why. She has just left her two babies with no mother. And left her husband on his own. How selfish. Also- THere are blood transfusions for a reason. And i don't think any God would be against it. She basically committed suicide.

To be honest sad though it is, it was HER choice. No-one should force blood on anyone anymore than someone should force someone not to have a transfusion. It is HER body and HER choice. I wonder how the twins will feel when they get older though? In any event according to the witnesses everyone who has died prior to Armageddon gets resurrected anyway.

People are so easily brainwashed. These relgions are man made and people so easily fall for it hook, line and sinker. Every pulpit is a pillory, in which stands a hired culprit, defending the justice of his own imprisonment.

No, My faith wouldn't require me to do that, and I wouldn't want leave 2 newborn babies behind.. But it was her decision and not mine, Kudos to her for doing what she believed to be the right thing even in the face of death.

absolutely, i already have, as well as countless witnesses that were told they would die if they refused a transfusion. i understand this comment about emma is totally false. she did not die for refusing blood. but even if she did, emma showed she had genuine faith in what the bible promises to those that die loyal to their bible based convictions. it is not easy to take a stand for the truth! unlike many that claim to be "christian" only to prove false when the chips are down, a true christian takes a stand and is committed to obeying Jehovah God's standards and timeless principles even if our lives are at stake. we do this because first of all we wish to please our living God. also we know that if we should die faithful we are guaranteed without a shadow of a doubt eterinity in paradise earth. we know that if we succumb to death, we will be granted the resurrection in the glorious future the bible promises here on earth. (john 5:28,29)we are not blinded to think we ascent to heaven at death. no, we know we sleep in death until the day we will be summoned by our King and Lord JesusChrist, to whom has been granted authority over those that await in the common grave of al mankind by his Father Jehovah God the King of the Universe. emma awaits the resurrection. i only hope i can remain faithful so that one day i can meet her and tell her how proud i am of her for proving the devil a liar and deciever. her family will be there to greet her, as well as all those that will be notified of her return to life. she did not die in vain, and neither do those that die for being faithful to Jehovah God.

No because my faith does not require any such refusal of basic medical practices. Would you go so far as to - say - go on a pilgrimage to Mecca, or do the 88-temple Walk in Japan?

it's a shame she put her faith before that of her children. they are going to be affected by her death when they're told one day. hopefully they won't be as devout.

This is a matter of individual choice here the Old testament says don't eat blood it doesn't make any difference if you eat blood with your mouth sniff it through your nose take an enema or put it into your veins with a needle you're still putting blood inside your body. But when the case of live or die is concerned here God does not require you to die as a martyr! You have the option of committing a deliberate sin and turning around and admitting that you committed a sin in order to stay alive and asking Jesus for forgiveness and moving on. This is a direct quote from the Bible if you confess your sin he's faithful and just to forgive you for it and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. I don't want to die sooner than I have to die I'm not going to let somebody die sooner than they have to die if I have to commit a sin against the law in order to save a life. That is what I'm going to do I'll do my sin then I will acknowledge it as a sin before God and I will ask forgiveness and move on with my life. And if I happened to save a life I'll give praise to God that I was able to do that