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Thursday, December 20, 2007 6:42 AM CST
14-year-old too young to make health decision based on faith
DISCLAIMER: The Courier provides our story commenting feature in order to solicit feedback, debate and discussion on topics of local interest. Please keep in mind that civility is a necessary component of productive conversation. All blatantly inflammatory or otherwise inappropriate comments (i.e. vulgarity, marketing, etc.) are subject to rejection and/or removal. Comments will appear if and when they are approved. For a more in-depth explanation of our policy, please see our Rules of the Road. Thanks for reading, and thanks for participating.
14-year-old too young to make health decision based on faith
By JERRY LARGE, The Seatlle Times
Some questions don't have answers that can be neatly plotted.
In those cases we are left to make choices without certainty. When I read about Dennis Lindberg, the 14-year-old from Mount Vernon, Wash., who died after declining blood transfusions, my gut told me he was too young to make that choice.
Dennis was undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia when his blood count fell enough that transfusions became necessary. Dennis, a Jehovah's Witness, believed a transfusion would make him unclean, so he refused, knowing it would mean death.
Adults are usually allowed to make life-or-death choices based on faith.
The question that became a public matter in this instance was whether a 14-year-old could be mature enough to make that kind of decision.
A judge decided that this particular teen was.
My son is 15, and I believe he is a thoughtful, sensible person, but there are limits to the kinds of decisions my wife and I allow him to make. His judgment is not fully formed.
My gut reaction to this case has support from the social sciences. The early to middle teen years are a time when young people struggle with what they believe, as they begin separating from their parents and understanding the world for themselves. They experiment, and they are prone to making poor choices. They can be mature one minute and juvenile the next.
The week Dennis died, I attended a bar mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. Tradition says that when a boy reaches 13 he can marry, enter into contracts and so on. For a girl it is 12. Mazel tov, Matt, but I don't think you're going to be getting married anytime soon.
Religions and cultures can update themselves with the times and still honor old traditions. I hope someone in Dennis' religion is considering that. In the meantime, a judge had to make a difficult choice.
I don't believe Dennis was mature enough to make a life-or-death decision. It's true that forcing treatments on him would have been difficult, if not impossible, and a different ruling might not have changed the outcome.
But it would have been more in keeping with what we know about 14-year-olds.
Two years ago the Supreme Court struck down the death penalty for juveniles, basing its decision on growing medical and social-science evidence that teenagers are too immature to be held to the same standards as adults.
That court made the right choice.
In those cases we are left to make choices without certainty. When I read about Dennis Lindberg, the 14-year-old from Mount Vernon, Wash., who died after declining blood transfusions, my gut told me he was too young to make that choice.
Dennis was undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia when his blood count fell enough that transfusions became necessary. Dennis, a Jehovah's Witness, believed a transfusion would make him unclean, so he refused, knowing it would mean death.
Adults are usually allowed to make life-or-death choices based on faith.
The question that became a public matter in this instance was whether a 14-year-old could be mature enough to make that kind of decision.
A judge decided that this particular teen was.
My son is 15, and I believe he is a thoughtful, sensible person, but there are limits to the kinds of decisions my wife and I allow him to make. His judgment is not fully formed.
My gut reaction to this case has support from the social sciences. The early to middle teen years are a time when young people struggle with what they believe, as they begin separating from their parents and understanding the world for themselves. They experiment, and they are prone to making poor choices. They can be mature one minute and juvenile the next.
The week Dennis died, I attended a bar mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. Tradition says that when a boy reaches 13 he can marry, enter into contracts and so on. For a girl it is 12. Mazel tov, Matt, but I don't think you're going to be getting married anytime soon.
Religions and cultures can update themselves with the times and still honor old traditions. I hope someone in Dennis' religion is considering that. In the meantime, a judge had to make a difficult choice.
I don't believe Dennis was mature enough to make a life-or-death decision. It's true that forcing treatments on him would have been difficult, if not impossible, and a different ruling might not have changed the outcome.
But it would have been more in keeping with what we know about 14-year-olds.
Two years ago the Supreme Court struck down the death penalty for juveniles, basing its decision on growing medical and social-science evidence that teenagers are too immature to be held to the same standards as adults.
That court made the right choice.
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onlinereader wrote on Dec 19, 2007 5:30 PM:
" Don't listen to the lie's of DannyH. If you would like more REAL info about Jehovah's Witnesses on the web be sure to check out www.Watchtower.org
"
DannyHaszard wrote on Dec 20, 2007 10:08 AM:
" Jehovah's Witnesses elders will investigate and disfellowship any Jehovah Witness who takes a blood transfusion,to say the issue is a 'personal conscience matter' is subterfuge to keep the Watchtower out of lawsuits.
Many Jehovah's Witnesses men,women and children die every year worldwide due to blood transfusion ban.Rank & file Jehovah's Witness are indoctrinated to be scared to death of blood.
FYI
1) JW's DO USE many parts aka 'fractions' aka components of blood,so if it's 'sacred' to God why the hypocritical contradiction flip-flop?
2) They USE blood collections that are donated by Red cross and others but don't donate back,more hypocrisy.
3) The Watchtower promotes and praises bloodless elective surgeries,this is a great advancement indeed.BUT it's no good to me if I am bleeding to death from a car crash and lose half my blood volume and need EMERGENCY blood transfusion.
Know this,the reason that JW refuse blood is because of their spin on the 3000 year old Biblical old testament,modern medicine will eventually make blood donations and transfusions a thing of the past.When this technology happens it won't vindicate the Jehovah's Witnesses and all the deaths that have occured so far.
The Watchtower's rules against blood transfusions will eventually be abolished (very gradually to reduce wrongful death lawsuit liability) even now most of the blood 'components' are allowed.
In 20 years there will be artificial blood and the Red Cross will go on with other noble deeds.
None of these changes will absolve the Watchtower leaders or vindicate their twisted doctrines
"
OFJohn wrote on Dec 20, 2007 1:40 PM:
" Dear onlinereader,
Mr Haszard has informed us of his past affiliation with the Jehovah's Witnesses, so we have a chance to understand where his views come from. What is your affiliation / experience with this group? I would like to know where your views come from as well so I can gauge what kind of creedence I place on both sides. Thanks. "
jennifer1 wrote on Dec 21, 2007 1:25 AM:
" The Bible gives examples of suspending old testament(Kosher)laws to save a life- even the life of an animal. Little children who are not old enough to be Jehovah's Witnesses and who might choose life over death are never given the chance by their JW parents- they will obey the Watchtower Jehovah's Witnesses rulers and deny a life saving blood transfusion for their children.
All of humanity can see this for what it is: a sanctioned ritual sacrifice of children.It is not a Bible command to refuse blood transfusions and even the most Orthodox Jews see no problem with accepting a blood transfusion. "
onlinereader wrote on Dec 21, 2007 9:06 AM:
" All readers, please see past the uneducated & biased, warped and twisted minds of those who are not deserving of you time or mine. If you would like more REAL and accurate info about Jehovah's Witnesses on the web, simply check out the official web site at www.Watchtower.org "
Steady wrote on Dec 21, 2007 10:09 AM:
" Discussing the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion isn't really the point. There are other religions that do not allow certain procedures based upon their beliefs. What I believe the focus should be on is what age does someone have the ability to make the choice. It should be based on a case by case basis and the maturaity of that individual. It appears as though the judge ruled this particular boy was. Is it sad, yes any loss of life is. It is not our place to agree or even understand the beliefs of a certain religion. The litmus test should be whether the person is mature & competant, not whether we agree with their reasons. "
DannyHaszard wrote on Dec 30, 2007 3:42 PM:
" Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs:
A) They are at your door to recruit you for enslavement to their watchtower corporation,they will say that "we are just here to share a message from the Bible" this is deception right off.
B) The 'message' is their false Gospel that Jesus is ruling in heaven already since 1914.The problem with this is it's not just a cute fairy tale,Jesus warned of the false prophets who would claim "..look he is here in the wilderness,or see here he is at the temple"
C) Their anti-blood transfusion ban has killed hundreds if not thousands D) once they recruit you they will "love bomb" you in cult fashion to also recruit your family & friends or cut them off. There are many more dangers,Jehovah's Witnesses got a bad rap for good and valid reasons.
99% of the world has rejected the teachings of the Watchtower Jehovah’s Witnesses, the darker truth is they are a destructive and oppressive organization.
--
Danny Haszard Jehovah's Witness X 33 years http://www.freeminds.org "
A) They are at your door to recruit you for enslavement to their watchtower corporation,they will say that "we are just here to share a message from the Bible" this is deception right off.
B) The 'message' is their false Gospel that Jesus is ruling in heaven already since 1914.The problem with this is it's not just a cute fairy tale,Jesus warned of the false prophets who would claim "..look he is here in the wilderness,or see here he is at the temple"
C) Their anti-blood transfusion ban has killed hundreds if not thousands D) once they recruit you they will "love bomb" you in cult fashion to also recruit your family & friends or cut them off. There are many more dangers,Jehovah's Witnesses got a bad rap for good and valid reasons.
99% of the world has rejected the teachings of the Watchtower Jehovah’s Witnesses, the darker truth is they are a destructive and oppressive organization.
--
Danny Haszard Jehovah's Witness X 33 years http://www.freeminds.org "
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DISCLAIMER: The Courier provides our story commenting feature in order to solicit feedback, debate and discussion on topics of local interest. Please keep in mind that civility is a necessary component of productive conversation. All blatantly inflammatory or otherwise inappropriate comments (i.e. vulgarity, marketing, etc.) are subject to rejection and/or removal. Comments will appear if and when they are approved. For a more in-depth explanation of our policy, please see our Rules of the Road. Thanks for reading, and thanks for participating.
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DannyHaszard wrote on Dec 19, 2007 1:06 PM: